Rewritten History
by TheAtomicBoom
Summary: I'm hosting this for my friend who's too lazy to get her own account. AU fic of Snape and Lily getting together and having kids. Harry still exists and it follows the book storylines for the most part. POV will change several times.
1. Prologue Part 1: Decisions

**Author's Note: THANK YOU BOOMY FOR LETTING ME POST THIS ON YOUR FF ACCOUNT. YOU CAN STOP CALLING ME LAZY NOW BECAUSE I'M WRITING THIS FOR YOU. Enjoy the four parts of the beginning of this fanfic that i like to call "The longest summed prologue _EVER_.")**

* * *

><p>"Honestly Severus, i don't see why you're so opposed to it-"<p>

"I'm not opposed to nicknames, but really, _Elvendork_?"

"It's unisex!"

"Yes, i know, both of you have told me that about fifty times-"

"Fifty-three times actually."

Severus Snape turned around to men trailing behind him. Sirius Black was flashing a cheesy grin at him while James Potter stood next to his best friend, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

Severus rolled his eyes. "Tell me again why i ever agreed to let you two call him that anyway?"

"Because we wouldn't stop bugging you about letting us be his godfathers, which you so humbly declined." said Sirius.

"-And i would tell Lily about how you tried to hex me into next week back in December when i gave you anti-grease shampoo for a Christmas gift." said James matter-of-factly.

"Oh yes, _of course_." said Severus with a slight sneer. Despite the fact that Severus and James utterly loathed each other beyond principle ever since their first train ride to Hogwarts, they were still forced to spend more time together than they would have preferred for the past five years.

Severus remembers the day that set off these events vividly. It was after their Defense O.W.L. exam, and James and his cronies decided it would be fun to hang Severus upside down for a few laughs. It was beyond embarrassing, especially when your wand is blasted ten feet away from you and your mouth was filled with pink soap bubbles, and everyone around you was actually cheering them on.

Lily Evans, Severus's best (and probably only) friend came right to his defense, demanding James to take the curse off of him.

"I will if you go out with me, Evans" said James quickly. Severus felt a rush of fury at those words. Ever since he first met her, Severus knew Lily was the one and only girl he loved, and James making deals with her just to get her to date him when Severus was hanging upside down beyond his will was both embarrassing and infuriating. But really, how could he ever compare to Potter? The popular Quidditch hero or the greasy Slytherin? This incident only seemed to cement Severus's fears of losing Lily.

However, with a few more bashes from Lily, James finally let Severus down. (Though none too gently.)

"There you go." said James. "You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus-"

Severus whipped around to lash back at Potter, but he was cut off before he could even start.

"Is this Gryffindor brat giving you trouble?"

Severus turned back to see Avery and Mulciber standing there, ever the tall and brutish Slytherins.

"Oi," said Sirius, walking up next to James with his wand held in his hand. "This is none of your business."

"Oh really?" sneered Avery. "Because if we didn't know any better, you were picking on a Slytherin, and if there's one thing Slytherins believe, it's sticking together."

"Oh i bet you do." said Lily coldly.

Avery and Mulciber turned to her. "What was that?"

"I said 'I bet you do.'" said Lily, her arms crossed over her chest. "Because if i remember correctly, I was here way before you two even showed up, defending my friend."

"And why exactly would he need help from a filthy little mudblood like you"? giggled Mulciber.

Sirius bared his teeth and his grip on his wand tightened. "Take that back!" said James, pointing his wand at the two of them.

"Mudblood, mudblood, mudblood-!" Avery and Mulciber chanted, pointing to Lily, whose face was turning nearly as dark red as her hair. Before he knew what he was doing, Severus was yelling.

"DON'T CALL HER THAT!" screamed Severus to Avery and Mulciber, who stopped abruptly at his outburst. Soon afterwards, there was two flashes of bright red, and Avery and Mulciber were knocked out on the ground by Severus's stunning spells. James and Sirius looked momentarily shocked.

Severus was breathing deeply, Lily ran over and grabbed Severus's bag and his wrist. "Come on," she said in an rushed whisper. "I'll have Madam Pomfrey make sure you're okay." Lily pulled Severus away from the scene, where a crowd was hovering over Avery and Mulciber's unconscious bodies, poking to see if they still breathing.

At the hospital wing, Severus remembered sitting with Lily, with her yelling at him about his "friends."

"I don't get why you hang out with them anyway!" said Lily, sitting in the edge of one of the hospital cots. "All they do is hex people and make fun of them for their "blood"! Who wants friends like that?"

"They have connections.." said Severus, not meeting Lily's gaze.

"Yeah, connections to You-Know-Who!" said Lily.

"It's more of a power connection, really-" mumbled Severus.

"Yeah, if that connection is to being part of the wizard equivalent of Nazis!" said Lily, her green eyes burning with anger. "I mean, i wouldn't be surprised if they killed purely for fun! Why would you ever hang out with them, Sev?"

Severus looked up at Lily. The way she said his name made his heart ache, she sounded heartbroken.

"Be-because…" stammered Severus, looking up at her.

"Yes?" said Lily, trying to hold tight onto his gaze.

"-Because i can't become a great wizard without some help, okay?" said Severus quickly. "They're the only ones who'll have me."

Lily's eyebrows furrowed. "I'll have you, you loon! And how would joining You-Know-Who's followers make you "a great wizard"? If anything, fighting against him makes you a great wizard!"

"Because he has powers we could never dream of possessing!" said Severus. "Even Potter wouldn't compete to it!"

Lily raised an eyebrow. "And what does Potter have anything to do with this?"

Severus flushed red. "…Because i can't compete to him."

"Why would you ever need to compete with Potter?" asked Lily.

"Because i love you, and there's no way i can compete to the oh-so-great quidditch captain without some kind of help!" said Severus bluntly. After a few moments, Severus realized what he said and slapped his hand over his mouth. Severus could't believe it, he just plain out _said it_. Why couldn't he just shut his damn mouth?

Lily cocked her eyebrow. "Please tell me this isn't your teenage boy hormones acting up, is it?"

"Of course not," said Severus, still a bit shocked. "I've loved you since before we ever got to Hogwarts and before i ever had to meet dear ol' Potter." Severus slapped his hand back of his mouth, his face flushing again.

Lily sighed, rubbing her hands against her cheeks. "Thank goodness, because if this was a matter of your testosterone, i'd like to not be involved in it." Severus frowned, _what the hell does that mean?_

"Anyway, I'd rather have my best friend for a boyfriend than some git like Potter anyway. And for your information, you're fifty times the wizard he will ever be, Severus." said Lily. Severus couldn't help but feel that he was in an oddly realistic and elaborate dream. And Lily say "_boyfriend_"?

"But joining You-Know-Who's league will absolutely not go over well with me." continued Lily. _Nope_, Severus thought. _Still real life. _

"So decide now, Sev, either those Death Eater-wannabes or me." said Lily, her green eyes concentrating on Severus's black ones. "Because once you've got a Dark Mark, you can kiss our friendship and anything beyond that goodbye."

Severus stared into her green eyes. What would be better? Being on Voldemort's side with a life sentence to serve him, or Lily?

"I'd rather take the beating of a lifetime from Avery and Mulciber than not be with you, Lily." said Severus finally.

For the first time all day, Lily smiled at him. "Thank you, Sev." She scooted over to Severus and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight hug. "I don't think i would be able to handle losing you to _them_." Severus wrapped his arms around her in response.

He and Lily always hugged, whether it be passing an especially tough Potions test or finally get a certain spell to work, but this hug seemed..._different_.

Lily loosened her grip on Severus and looked into Severus's eyes, and before they necessarily knew what was going on, Lily pressed her lips onto his own.

Severus, at first, was completely frozen by Lily's sudden action, but after a few moments, he relaxed, entangling one of his pale hand into Lily's dark red curls, and tightened his grip around Lily's waist, trying to eliminate any space between them. Before he could really restrain himself, Lily's lips parted for an more enjoyable kiss, which Severus accepted immediately. Lily had to admit, he could _really_ kiss.

"Well it seems like someone is fully cured."

Severus and Lily broke apart to see Madam Pomfrey with her eyebrow raised at them. "Now if you would be so kind as to take your snogging else where, i'm sure someone with an actual sickness would appreciate the cot, thank you very much."

Severus blushed pink while Lily giggled, grabbing his bag. "Come on Sev, we're making a scene"

"By the way," said Lily with her hand holding onto Severus's arm as they walked out of the hospital wing. "If Avery and Mulciber ever try to hurt you, i'll personally make them regret the day they were born."

* * *

><p>Arguably, it was hard to tell who was madder, Avery and Mulciber or James. Avery and Mulciber were mad at Severus for plain out telling them that he wanted nothing to with them anymore. "And to think," sneered Avery as Snape walked away from them at the dinner the same night. "Lucius spoke so highly of him too."<p>

"Don't worry, once he joins the mudblood-lover brigade, he'll come clawing back to us." said Mulciber, eyeing Severus with great dislike.

James on the other hand was at an complete lost for words. "How in the bloody hell did Snivellus get _her_? Has the world gone insane?" said James has he watched Lily place a kiss on Severus's cheek before he departed to the Slytherin table and she went to the Gryffindor one.

"Maybe he slipped her a love potion." said Sirius over his beef stew.

"Or Maybe she's under the Imperius curse." said James, scratching his head in confusion.

"Or maybe they actually like each other and we shouldn't get involved in their personal matters." said Remus Lupin quickly. James and Sirius looked at him. "Well, i'm just saying, they've been friends for years, it was bound to happen. Isn't there anyone else in this school that you like?"

"Unless she's Lily Evans or better, than no, i don't think so. I'll just die alone like the poor tragic hero i am." said James dramatically, lowering his head to the table.

"Oh Prongs," said Sirius shaking his head. "Always the drama queen."

"Well at-least i don't get fleas." said James into the table. Sirius stuck his tongue out at the backside of James's head.

Much to James's surprise, Lily actually got someone even better suited for James than he would care to admit.

"Mary Macdonald?" James asked on the night after their Potions O.W.L. exam the following week. "Isn't she like, your best girlfriend?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Yes Potter, she is, and even though she didn't want to admit it earlier, she has actually had a crush on you since first year, it's only now that i've got Severus for a boyfriend that she bothered to tell me."

"And why is that?"

"Apparently you asking me out every other minute or so made me a threat to her winning over your heart."

"Well she has a point there-"

"Potter, will you just shut up and take her out on one bloody date? She's been dying to go out with you for longer than i care to tell, please?"

James huffed. "Fine."

"Good," said Lily. "Now if you care to excuse me, i have to go meet Severus at the library."

"Are you going to study for your Astronomy O.W.L. with him or just snog?"

"Probably a little bit of both."

"That's bloody disgusting."

"Severus sends his regards too, Potter."


	2. Prologue Part 2: Date

"What if he doesn't like me?"

"That's ridiculous, why wouldn't he like you?"

"Because he's been so hung up on you, why would he ever like me? I have nothing going for me!"

Lily looked past Mary's hair and into the mirror to see her friend's worried face, with the late June sun coming in through Mary's bedroom window and flooding the room with yellow light. If there's one thing she noticed in her two best friends, it was that they thought that they were less valued than they actually were, but if Lily could full out convince Severus to leave the Death Eaters before he ever got too far into it, why couldn't she make sure that Mary had the best first date she could possibly have?

And what does Mary mean that she "has nothing going for her"? If anything, Mary was the nicest person she knew, Marry always could make you laugh if she wanted to, and she was always a shoulder to cry on if you needed it. Skill-wise, she could be the next best Transfiguration master or Charms expert, and don't get her started on her Potions skills. Professor Slughorn personality loved calling Lily, Severus, and Mary his "Three Peas in a The Potion Pod", no surprise considering that they were the forerunners to his Slug Club (Though Severus seemed more advanced in the field, leading to Slughorn making jokes that Severus will take his job once he graduates Hogwarts). Heaven knows where Lily and Mary got their potion skills considered that they're both Muggle-Born, though Lily was almost positive that Severus's many handwritten tips in his potion book had a hand in their advanced Potion prowess, but still, with James coming to pick Mary up in only a few minutes time, Mary didn't seem fully confident in her own talents.

Also, Mary was much prettier than she gave herself credit for. Mary's hair was especially unique, it looked almost like fire, with her red hair intertwining with auburn and gold streaks, Lily absolutely loved it, which she told Mary on a number of occasions. Mary's eyes were dark green, and she had a particularly sharp chin, but it worked for her. Mary had an outspoken beauty about her that she never seemed to notice, but others did, and Lily was absolutely certain that James would see it too.

"If it makes you feel any better" said Severus, who was awkwardly sitting on the edge of Mary's fluffy pink bed. "I could just hex him a new one-"

"You will do no such thing," said Lily, turning to look back at him. "If this is going to go well, we all have to put aside our differences and _get along._"

"Ms. Evans," said Severus a pompous tone. "I'm a Slytherin, it's in my design to despise Gryffindors."

"But you don't hate us, do you?" said Mary, looking back at him as well. "And don't even say that you don't like Remus at least a little bit, he has been way more civil to you than you give him credit for."

Severus opened his mouth to retort, but couldn't think of anything, he went to mumbling under his breath about "damned Marauders". Lily and Mary giggled at him.

There was a loud knock on her bedroom door. "Mary!" said an annoyed voice. Without the okay from Mary, the door opened to reveal Mary's older sister, Terry. Terry was full breed muggle, and like Petunia, Lily's sister, despised magic more than anything. She had a very long face, her pale brown hair was cut straight to her shoulders without a single hair out of place, and she was very tall with skinny wrists and ankles, though despite her thin stature, she could still be a quiet or as loud at she wanted with her large mouth. If she wasn't so put together, she would probably look like a very scary voodoo doll.

"That boy from your _school_ is waiting for you." snapped Terry impatiently. "Honestly, first you're friends with a boy who's in desperate need for a haircut," She waved her hand in Severus's direction. "And now you're going on a date with one who can't keep his hair in one damn place. You seriously need to sort out your priorities."

Terry closed the door with a snap and Mary turned a delicate shade of pink. "Oh Lily, i can't do this."

"Oh yes you can," said Lily in a reassuring voice. "If anyone needs a summer romance, it's you."

Lily put the final touches onto Mary's hair (which she put into soft waves) and led her out of the bedroom door and downstairs to the living room, with Severus trailing a small amount away from them, keeping quiet.

Sure enough, James was sitting in the Macdonald's living room talking to Mary's father, Cameron, who seemed very interested in Quidditch.

"So the chaser does what again?" said Cameron.

"They control these things called "Quaffles"," explained James. "They're about 12 inches or so in size, and we have to get them pass the Keeper's goal posts to get ten points-"

"And Keepers are like the goal keepers in Football, right?"

"Basically, yeah."

"_Ahem_."

James and Cameron turned to see Mary standing there with Lily's hand on her shoulder.

"I - uh- y -you look beautiful, Mary." said James who was blushing pink. Indeed, Mary did look quite beautiful, her light blue dress looked like it was designed purely for her.

"I supposed you two will be off then, eh?" smiled Cameron, looking from his youngest daughter to Potter. "Though be warned, my boy, if you make my little girl have in any way a bad time, you won't be able to throw a daffle for the rest of the year."

"It's a Quaffle actually."

"Right o' then."

James got up and walked towards Mary and stuck his arm for her to take, which Mary accepted.

"Try not to break him down, Mary." said Severus as the other couple walk towards the door. "Emma Vanity told me that she's putting together a particularly strong defense for next year. We can't have Gryffindor lose the Quidditch Cup right after they won it."

James smiled at him. "Your house's team won't know what will hit them, Sni-," Mary raised her eyebrows to him. "I mean, Severus. Have a _fantastic_ night."

And with that, James and Mary left for their date.

* * *

><p>"Okay, Andromeda's daughter is almost three, what house do you reckon she'll be sorted in?<p>

"Sirius, she can barely make coherent sentences, how are we supposed to know what house she'll be in?"

"Okay then, where do you think a girl with bright pink hair would go?"

"Obviously Gryffindor."

"Potter, you're not just saying that because you want a member of your house to have a rare ability or because you actually believe she'd be sorted into said house?"

"Okay then, what house do _you_ think she'd be in?"

"Hufflepuff."

"Oh come on, she's barely three, everyone's loyal and all that when they're three-"

"If that's so, then what other traits does she show to put her into Gryffindor?"

There was silence.

"That's what i thought. None of us can't sort her until she gets here, also if she knew what was good for her, she'd be in Slytherin."

James rolled his eyes. "A metamorphmagus in Slytherin, Ha! What are the chances of that ever happening?"

Severus raised a black eyebrow to him. "Trust me, it's not impossible."

"Fine, once a metamorphmagus gets sorted into Slytherin, i'll give you two hundred galleons."

"You both are idiots."

James and Severus turned to Lily and Mary, who were watching the Gryffindor and Slytherin's conversation from across the train compartment.

Much like Lily anticipated, James and Mary almost instantly became an inseparable item over the summer, much like Lily and Severus did (though Petunia wasn't necessarily happy when she found her sister and Severus snogging on Lily's bed when she was told to bring them both down to dinner one night in mid-July, even though her father, Frederick, reassured their behavior by saying "It's what two kids in love do". Petunia still didn't like it.) and since Lily and Mary were such close friends, they spent even more time together, which unfortunately for James and Severus, meant they would also have to be in each other's company more than they'd like, they had to act at-least somewhat civil to each other.

"So," said James turning back to Severus, with Lily and Mary shaking their heads at the two boys with suppressed giggles. "How's your mum handling the divorce?"

"Oh she's just fine." said Severus. "My bloody oaf of a father got kicked out of the house by the time i got back in June. At least without the lingering smell of whiskey and gin everywhere, the place is actually livable."

"I could have sworn that your mum was last in line for her family's fancy manor up in Oxford though." said Sirius, flipping through Severus's advanced potions textbook. "By the way, can me and James use this? I heard N.E.W.T level Potions was a killer."

"Well yes, i suppose she is actually, _and_ if i feel like it," Severus grabbed his potions book from Sirius's grasp. "I might let you two look at this, but i'm not making any promises."

"So why don't you two move up to there? With your father gone, you can have the house and start back up again." asked Sirius.

"Because it specifically says in the will of the home that only the eldest heir gets the house, unless they refuse it, of course." said Severus.

"Meaning?"

"Well, my uncle Kelvin died when he twenty years old, he had a nasty habit of mixing up his poisons with his salt and sugar, and my mother was the only other child and she refused the house since she went off to rebel and married a muggle-"

Sirius shook his head mournfully. "Strictly pure-blood families, they never get any fun, do they?"

"No kidding." said Remus, who was sitting on the other side of Sirius with an overlarge book on his lap.

"So that technically means one thing-" said James.

"Well yes, if you think about, it technically means that i should get the house when i turn eighteen."

"Ha! What a deal!" said Sirius with a grin.

"Wait," said Remus, looking up from his Charms spellbook. "I thought that in wizarding law, it was seventeen-?"

"The one thing my darling grandparents agreed on with muggles is that seventeen was too young, so they made the charm work at eighteen instead." said Severus with a tiny sneer on his thin mouth.

"Ah well, at least you can live there once we finally get out of Hogwarts, eh?" said Sirius trying to get Severus's potions book back. Severus held the book out of Sirius's reach.

"Black, you're insufferable."

"Is "insufferable" Slytherin speak for "devilishly handsome?", because if it is, then i'm the most insufferable person you've ever met."

"Actually Black, i think i will let you use my potions book."

Sirius looked at him. "Really?"

"Yes, i dare say, the back of your head really needs it."


	3. Prologue Part 3: Post Hogwarts

"Would it be odd if i wanted to catch the bouquet?"

"Yes, it is. Why would you want it anyway? You aren't even dating anyone right now."

"It's called having a dream, Prongs."

"I didn't know you're dream was to be a girl."

Sirius stuck it his tongue out at James. "I don't see why you're judging me, Mary will surely be thinking up her upcoming wedding right about now."

"But we're not getting-"

Sirius raised his eyebrows to James.

James's eyes widened slightly. _"Oh right."_

Sirius stepped next to James and shook his head. "Remind me, when did the happy couple get engaged again?"

"Back in December, remember? Severus told me that he brought her to the place they first met and proposed to her there."

"Ah yes, some playground near her old house, it's quite cute actually. You don't usually met your future wife when you're only ten."

"I think it was nine actually."

"Minor details, and the whole Order invited to the wedding too. I wonder how Lily's parents are reacting to the uh,_ wide variety _of wizards."

"Why don't you look for yourself?" said a smooth behind them.

James and Sirius turned to see Severus behind him with a beaming Lily (with a bright red rose bouquet that Sirius eyed slightly.) and Mary smiling with her best friend. "Really, it's very interesting." said Severus.

Sure enough, James and Sirius caught the sight of what could only be Mr. and Mrs. Evans talking to Albus Dumbledore, who decided to wear his finest blue robes to the occasion, and Mad-Eye Moody. Mr. Evans was in full blown conversation with the both of them, his face glowing in child-like curiosity, Mrs. Evans seemed more focused on Mad-Eye's rotating eye.

"Unfortunately," said Severus in an undertone. "My new sister-in-law doesn't look like she's having a good time like her parents are."

James and Sirius looked to left of Lily's parents, where they saw her older sister, Petunia sitting sour-faced next to a very large man with an even larger mustache.

"Let me guess," said Sirius. "That's dear Vernon, isn't it?"

"What gave you that idea?" said Severus sarcastically. "Was it the fact at how mad he and his wife look or how instead of saying "congratulations" on getting married, he said i look malnourished?"

"I'm pretty sure anyone smaller than his thigh is considered 'malnourished'." said James. James looked again to see that Vernon was staring at the five of them. "Do you reckon he'll eat me if i make a joke about that ridiculous mustache of his?"

"Probably best to stay out of his way, Potter." whispered Severus.

"Af mapfh."

Severus looked to his right to see that Sirius had somehow gotten from being next James to being right next to him with a tray full of tiny orderves and his mouth filled with what looked like calamari.

"Where did you get that?" asked Severus with his eyebrow raised.

Sirius shallowed his mouth full of food and faced Severus."Well, apparently wearing a vest to a wedding makes you a waiter, so someone handed this to me and i'm starving so i ate it."

"That's a wonderful deduction, Black." said Severus.

"Also," continued Sirius. "Make sure to tell the chef that these fried whatchamacallits are delicious."

"That's fired octopus, Sirius." giggled Lily, pointing to the golden brown pieces in Sirius's hands.

Sirius looked down at them with a disgusted look on his face, but after a few seconds, shrugged it off and threw the fried octopus pieces into his mouth. "Worpfh if."

"Always the charmer." said Mary, rolling her eyes and moving to James's side.

Sirius swallowed again. "Anyway, beautiful wedding, blah blah blah, now back to business-"

"Business?" asked Lily. "This is a wedding, Sirius, not a condo deal."

"Well i have no clue what a "con-doe" is," said Sirius "But that doesn't matter, me and James have to ask the new Mr. and Mrs. Snape a _serious_ question."

"And what _serious_ question is that, _Sirius_?" said Severus.

"When you two decide to reproduce, which is bound to happen within a matter of months considering that you're both married now, will you please make sure that it's a boy?" said Sirius seriously.

Severus stared at him. "And why exactly would you both care if our first child was a boy or not?" asked Lily.

"Oh i don't care," retorted James. "Sirius only cares because he'll be out 50 galleons if you have a girl instead."

"You're both betting on the gender our first born?" asked Severus.

"Consider it more as one of us taking a serious involvement in your child's life." said Sirius.

"And how would you do that?" asked Lily with her hand on her hip.

"By one of us giving your child the 50 galleons that we won from the other because the child came out the gender that we guessed it to be, obviously." said James quickly.

"_Obviously_." said Severus sarcastically.

"Listen," said Sirius. "You'll be on your honeymoon tonight, just uh, have Severus on top or something-"

"Black, i'm going to kill you." said Severus, whose face was turning red, Lily laughed.

"Also, name him after me, goodness knows that the little bugger will be way cooler with the name "Sirius Snape."

"Why, was "Joking Snape" already taken?" said Mary.

* * *

><p>The doors to the hospital corridors banged open, making the Mediwitches at their work station jump. Sirius Black was leading the way in, a giant grin plastered on his handsome face.<p>

"Prongs, it's time for you to hand over my 50 galleons."

James rolled his eyes. "The kid isn't even out yet, let's not get crazy here-"

"Well excuse me," said Sirius walking into the waiting area and flopping into an empty chair. "It's not my fault they decided to keep their kid's gender under wraps, i mean come on, how long were we bugging them about it?"

"About every five minutes for the past six months." said Mary, who appeared on James's side with her hands on her slightly protruding pregnant belly. "It's going to be either one or the other, i don't get why you two just won't let it be."

"Because i'll get 50 galleons if it's a boy!" said Sirius. "This is a matter of me getting my rightfully deserved bet or live with shame of your husband mocking me with the little Snapette."

"Because we obviously can't just be happy whether either way?" mumbled Remus.

"Nope, i need to win my bet."

"Will it make your Valentine's Day?" asked Remus, pointing to the calendar on the Mediwitch's desk. The date said "February 14th" on it.

"But of course, Moony."

A few hours passed, and the most exciting thing to happen was Sirius looking through old _Witch Weeklys_ and filling out the magazine's quizzes to find out which animal fit their personalities. (For some reason, Sirius got a bunny rabbit, James thought it was hilarious.)

"Excuse me?" said a friendly voice.

Sirius and James looked up from the _"What Potion are You?_" quiz to see a young mediwitch with a long brown braid down her back. "Are you here to see the Snapes?"

"Yes," said Sirius. "Why?"

"Because they just had their baby, and i assume that since you've been waiting here for so long, you'd like to see them." said the witch.

Sirius and James looked at each other from the corner of their eyes , without thinking, Sirius threw the magazine in the air and ran top speed from their seats and down the corridor hallway.

"You can't catch me, Prongs!" said Sirius's echoing voice that carried into the waiting area.

"I'm a bloody chaser, you have nothing on me!" responded James's voice.

Mary rolled her eyes. "There goes the father of my child." Remus gave her a sheepish smile.

Running down the hallway, Sirius turned his head many times to catch any glimpse of a newborn anywhere, James trailing behind him didn't seem to help at all.

Finally, Sirius stopped in front of the door at the very end on the hall, which surely enough had a clipboard connected to the door reading "Patient: Snape, Lily."

James grabbed onto Sirius's shoulders to stop him from running, trying to catch his breathe, Sirius pushed his hair out of his face and raised his fist to knock on the door.

Before he could knock, however, the door opened to reveal a slightly disheveled looking Severus.

Severus looked at the two men. "You two weren't those annoying squeaking noises, were you?"

Sirius and James looked down the hallway, there were gray smudges on the ground that weren't there before.

"Those were by accident." said Sirius quickly, pointing to the ground.

Remus and Mary walked up next to them. "Where's the little one?" asked Mary. "I want to see the little lass!"

"I think she means 'lad'." mumbled Sirius to James.

Severus moved to the side to lead the four in. Mary went straight to the bed, where Lily laid holding a tiny bundle on linen in her arms. She looked beyond tired, her hair was clinging onto her sweaty face, but despite all that, she was beaming at the tiny little hand that was trying to free itself form the wrappings.

Sirius and James adjusted themselves to look over Mary's head to see the child. It had a mop of dark red curls on it's head and was looking at up at the adults with Lily's distinctive green eyes, it was also a shade of pale pink.

"So," said James, sliding over to Severus. "What's the name?"

Severus smiled. "Rose Eileen Snape. Named her after my Grandmother."

James turned to Sirius with a smug smile on his face. "Congrats on your new little princess." said Sirius, looking at James with a forced smile.

"Don't worry," said James, patting Sirius on the back as Severus went to coo over his daughter with Lily. "I'll make sure to buy her a wonderful ballerina tutu with your 50 galleons."

"Is it going to have "Prongs Rocks" on the back?" asked Sirius.

"Oh you betcha." said James with a grin.


	4. Prologue Part 4: Boy Who Lived

"You know, when i imagined us being back here, i imagined someone else with this on their chest."

Sirius looked down at the baby carrier that was strapped to his chest, with the tiny Rose Snape looking up him with her big green eyes, making tiny baby noises.

"Yeah, i'd expect her _godfather_ to be holding her." said James, looking at Remus.

"Don't look at me." said Remus. "Sirius insisted that he carry Red into the room when her little brother and sister are born, and i have no problem with that at all."

"Yeah, that and you didn't want this damned contraption on your chest." said Sirius, trying to readjust himself without making Rose uncomfortable.

"Hey!" said Mary, covering little Harry's ears. "Language!"

"Oh yeah, right." mumbled Sirius. "Sorry."

If Rose looked just like her mother, then Harry looked just like his father, same black hair and everything, except his eyes, those were all Mary's.

Over the past year had been a tad difficult for the group. The Potters were sent into hiding, as Dumbledore got word from Sybil Trelawney of a prophecy concerning their child (_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ...) _ and Voldemort had connected it to them. Most of their time had been constricted to their home in Godric's Hollow. Going to St. Mungo's for the next batch of little Snapes was one of the few excuses to actually get out of their house for a few hours.

"I wonder how much time Severus will take off," said Remus. "I mean, he just started teaching Hogwarts this year, would Dumbledore even let him take the time off anyway?"

"Come off it, Dumbledore loves kids, of course he'd let Snape have time off for his kids. Why would be Headmaster for if he didn't?" said James.

"Well, my great-great grandfather was Headmaster, and he hated kids." said Sirius, poking the green bow in Rose's hair.

"Yeah," said Remus. "But i think he was only Headmaster for power, not because he actually wanted to help kids learn anything."

"Truer words have never been spoken." said Sirius, shaking his head mournfully.

A few hours passed and, almost like deja vu', they were back in a hospital room with the late March "light" shining in, with Mary talking to Lily at her bedside with Harry in her arms and Rose sleeping soundly on her mother's chest. The two newborns were in a raised hospital baby cradle, where the four men were hovering over.

"So why couldn't Pettigrew come again?" asked Severus,

"Apparently his mum was missing him or something," said Sirius. "But that's old news, he wasn't even here when Red was born. Now how are we supposed to tell these two apart?"

Severus looked down at his newborn twin son and daughter. They both had jet black hair like him, but Alice's curled-slightly like Rose's did, and she was a bit smaller than her brother, Fred. But if anything, they didn't really look any different from each other.

"It's pretty simple actually," explained Severus. "Just look at their eyes."

Almost like they heard him, the twins opened their eyes, revealed a bright green set like Lily's for one, and a black set of Severus's on the other.

"Fred had Lily's eyes," said Severus, pointing to the twin on the left. "And Alice has mine." He pointed to the twin on the right.

"Ah," said Sirius. "Freddie's like Harry, isn't he? Look like his dad, but has his mum's eyes. Very cool."

"He's a newborn, we have no idea how or who he'll look like." said Remus.

"Well, i'm just saying" said Sirius. "But if he's sporting a hooked nose in a few years time, then i get bragging rights."

"Bragging rights to what?" asked Remus.

"'I Told You So" bragging rights." said Sirius with a smile. Remus rolled his eyes.

* * *

><p>"So, Elvendork, yes or yes?"<p>

"Can i just say "undecided" and leave it at that?"

"No, you can't, we need an answer now."

Severus, Sirius, and James walked into the Snape's sitting room, where Remus the softly rocking the cradle that Fred and Alice were currently asleep in, Harry and Rose, both a year old by now (with Rose closing in on her second birthday) sat on the ground, playing with a variety of baby toys, Rose seemed particularly fond of a stuffed lion and snake toy.

Sirius put his hand on Severus's shoulder and looked down at the sleeping twins. "Come on Sev, we'll still call him Fred when we need to, Elvendork is just a fun nickname."

"Pwease?" said James in a mock baby voice, putting his head on Sirius's shoulder.

Severus rolled his eyes. "If you both promise to not have him confuse his actual name with that "nickname", then fine, go for it. Also only Lily is allowed to call me "Sev."

"Duly noted." said Sirius, slapping Severus on the back with a little too much force. Severus flinched and rubbed the stinging part of his back with a sneer to Sirius.

Lily and Mary walked into the room laughing. "Oh Mary, do you really need to leave now? Rosie and Harry barely ever get to play with each other, and the twins are almost always asleep when you guys get here-"

"No, we probably should get going," said Mary, patting Lily on the hand. "James still has to get the Halloween decorations up."

"I don't remember agreeing to that." said James. Mary laughed and bent down to pick up Harry.

"Say bye to Rose, Harry." said Mary. Harry wiggled his small fist at Rose. Rose giggled in her tiny baby voice.

Once The Potters, Black, and Lupin apparated back to their homes, Severus scooped up his eldest daughter in his arms.

"Would it be tacky to dress Rose up as a witch for Halloween?" asked Severus. "Or should she go with a fairy like last year?"

Lily giggled and wrapped her arms around her husband and daughter. "Well, she has to get used to wearing a pointy hat at some time, doesn't she?" Lily placed a kiss on Severus's lips.

"I suppose you're right." said Severus, placing a kiss on Lily's straight nose.

"I'm always right."

"You're such the humble Gryffindor."

"It comes with the sorting."

* * *

><p>Lily's eyes fluttered opened. She looked to her left at the nightstand, the clock read six thirty A.M. The bedroom was filled with the hazy white light of the early November sun. She looked to her right and saw Severus sound asleep next to her, his black hair falling onto his face. Lily smiled slightly at the sight of her sleeping husband and without waking him, slithered out of their bed and slipped on her robe and out into the hallway.<p>

As quietly as she could, Lily walked down the hallway and to her two daughters rooms, which where right next to each other. First she stuck her head into Rose's pale green room, where she saw her one and a half year old daughter sound asleep in her crib, with her hair just like Lily's curling on her head, and her little arms loosely wrapped around her favorite stuffed lion toy. Lily closed the door quietly.

Next, she went to the light pink and white overload that could only be Alice's room. She saw that tiny Alice was just as sound asleep as her sister, her dark hair wrapped in a pink bow. Lily closed the door with a quiet snap.

Lily turned around to open the door facing opposite of Alice's, where, unlike his sisters and father, Fred sat up with his little hands holing onto the crib bars.

"I knew you'd be up." laughed Lily, walking over to scoop up her son.

Sirius was right, Fred and Alice were almost half a year old by now, and Fred was already starting to look and more like Severus, his nose was even getting a little pointy look to it, Which didn't necessarily make Severus happy, as he hoped none of his kids would be born with his protruding beak of a nose, Lily rebutted by saying that it only means Fred will look just as handsome as his father when he got older.

"You're getting big, aren't you?" said Lily, rocking Fred in her arms. Fred's little hand grabbed onto Lily's dark red hair.

"Come on, let's go get you some breakfast."

Lily walked downstairs with Fred in her arms and into the kitchen, where at the tap of her wand, she made a bottle of baby formula warm for Fred, which he sipped on happily.

Lily stood rocking Fred in her arms, wiping food smudges off Fred's face. There was was a clicking noise.

She turned around to see a large barn owl with a newspaper held in it's beak, tapping it's sharp claw on the window.

Lily walked over to the window to let the owl in, the owl dropped the newspaper and Lily put a knut in the owl's tiny leather pouch and it flew away.

Lily smoothed out the newspaper and grabbed it with a free hand, walking out of the kitchen and into the sitting room with Fred in her other arm. Lily felt her eyes start to water at the words following the bold headline, she was reading it over and over again, she had to sit down-

Severus opened his eyes, Lily left the curtains open and the pale sunshine was falling on his face. Severus sat up in the bed and stretched, Lily must have gotten up already.

He wrapped his robe on and walk into the hallway, he poked his head into both of his daughters' rooms, where they were still sound asleep._ 'I'll just let them sleep a little bit longer'_ thought Severus

Severus walked downstairs and looked for Lily, he turned his head right to see Lily' was on the sofa in the sitting room with her head bowed, she was sniffling and rubbing her hand on the small back of their son.

Severus rushed to her. "Lily?"

"Sev..sev.." choked Lily, looked up at him, her eyes are red and there tears trailing down her cheeks.

"Lily, what's wrong-?" said Severus, his face full of worry.

Lily pointed a shaking finger to the newspaper laying on the coffee in front of them. Severus looked at the headline and slapped his hand over his mouth.

**DAILY PROPHET: NOVEMBER 1ST, 1981 EDITION. **

**DARK LORD CONQUERED, THE UNEXPECTED HERO DUBBED "THE BOY WHO LIVED".**

Under the headline, it went into the folioing story:

_"There must have been no hint in He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's mind last night that his rise to power would finally come to an abrupt end. He, of course, didn't know of the unforeseen power that can be found in the least likely of places. James and Mary Potter, known supporters of Albus Dumbledore and members of the Anti-Dark Lord resistance group known as the "Order of the Phoenix", have been noted to thwarting You-Know-Who a number of times, and according to sources, putting them on lockdown from his dark powers. For a time, they were able to hide from You-Know-Who's forces for more than a year, being able to enjoy their marriage like two Hogwarts-lovebirds should, and the birth on their son, Harry, but the happiness was unfortunately short-lived. On Halloween night, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named made his way to Godric's Hollow (Where the Potters lived.) and put his plan into effect._

_If you go to see their now-ruined home, you will notice that the front door was blasted off its hinges, and the roof is now collapsing in on the one happy family household. _

_Both James and Mary were killed on sight, truly a tragic loss, but defying all odds, their one year-old son, Harry, is still breathing, while You-Know-Who, his parents' murderers, is not._

_Top wizarding expects are baffled, how could a baby with no apparent magical powers survive the Dark wizard's signature killing spell, while his talented wizard mother and father could not? Only to add insult to injury, it also seems that Harry didn't just survive the curse, but it had actually rebounded on You-Know-Who himself. Even as you read this, the Auror department is rounding up the group of wizards and witches who call themselves "Death Eaters", or loyal followers to You-Know-Who, and putting them on trial for the torture and murder of both wizard and muggle folk alike. With their "master" gone, it seems likely that most of them will be facing some serious time at Azkaban prison. _

_Maybe we'll never know how little Harry Potter defeated the Dark Lord, but if there is one thing that is certain, his new title is well deserved. Long live "The Boy Who Lived"!"_

_(- The Ministry Of Magic has confirmed plans for a memorial of the Potters in Godric's Hollow for their fellow wizards to pay their respects, their home as also been put until a muggle-repelling charm as of 3 A.M. this morning.)_

Severus looked up from the newspaper to Lily's tear-stained face. Lily put her head on Severus's shoulder.

"Oh Sev-" said Lily through her tears. "It's so-awful, they were j-just here last week, an-and now they're_ g-g-gone_."

Severus wrapped his arms around her, stroking her hair. "It'll be okay Lily, really."

Lily sniffed and looked up at him. "Y-you didn't read the story after that, d-did you?"

She pointed to the headline under the Potters' story.

**13 MUGGLES AND 1 WIZARD KILLED, YOU-KNOW-WHO'S SECRET CO-CHIEF GOES TO AZKABAN **

_"The Potters weren't the only ones who suffered on Halloween this year. Following You-Know-Who's surprise downfall, the Potter's close friend, Peter Pettigrew went to confirm the tragic news of his friends, and so did the couple's other close friend Sirius Black._

_Or was he?_

_"He must have known he was done for." says a Ministry official. "He looked deranged. Pettigrew yelled that Black "sold them out to him" and they started dueling, then Black got cared way. He blew up half the street with one spell."_

_Because of that explosion, and with the growing crowd, thirteen muggles and Pettigrew were murdered. Ministry officials confirm that Black did indeed set off the dangerous spell, causing a mass crater to form in the street. Any surviving muggle witnesses have had their memories modified, and all that was found of Pettigrew was one finger. Wizengamot has agreed to posthumously reward Pettigrew with the title of the Order of Merlin - First Class, while Sirius Black will be rewarded with a lifetime sentence to Azkaban."_

Severus's stomach clenched up. He had never really considered James a "friend", but Black was a completely different case. They were like brothers, inseparably even, but "selling them out"? Black was even Harry's godfather, why would he turn against them?

"H-he was their Secret Ke-keeper." said Lily, wiping her hand across her eyes.

Severus shook his head. He had completely forgot, James insisted that Black be their Secret Keeper, he could have told anyone he wanted where the Potters were hiding, but _Voldemort_?

"Poor Pe-peter" sniffed Lily. "He was just trying to help, and he gets_ b-blown up_!"

There was a sad little noise, Severus and Lily looked down to their son, who was looking up at them with his big green eyes. He seemed to know what his parents were feeling at that very moment.

"Oh Freddie," said Lily, rubbing her thumb on his tiny cheek. "I didn't mean to yell, it's just-"

"I don't think he likes to see you crying actually," said Severus, pushing some of Lily's hair behind her ear. "And never do i."

Lily sniffed again. "I know, it's just so unfair."

"I know it is, but we have to focus on the positives here."

"Like what?"

"Like Harry being able to live his life like his parents would what him to." said Severus sternly."They died to protect him, we have to honor them for that, not dwell on the fact that they're gone. They died to bring You-Know-Who down, and they did exactly that."

Lily took a deep breath. "Y-yeah, you're right."

Severus held onto Lily's hand, rubbing his thumb over her smooth skin.

"I just wonder where Harry will stay now." said Lily quietly.

"Well, he has his Aunt Terry-"

"Oh god, that would be like sending Rose and Twins to live with my sister." said Lily, shaking her head.

"Trust me, if Dumbledore has any say in it, he'll make sure Harry's okay."

Lily looked at Severus, she had a sad little smile on her face. "He'll be okay, won't he?"

"Of course." said Severus, placing a kiss on Lily's crown. They said there for a few more mintes in silence. A small baby's cry floated downstairs. Severus sighed and got up from the sofa.

"Now if you'd excuse me," said Severus. "I'm pretty at least one of our daughters is wondering why no one hasn't gotten them into their Sunday floral dresses yet."

"It's November, Sev."

"Alice make angry squeaks when she doesn't wear hers, and Rose is starting to mumble random letters that could possible be words, i refuse to get squeaked at and yelled at with nonsense today."

"They're your little princesses, aren't they?" said Lily with a tiny smile.

"More like they own my soul." said Severus.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Just to clarify, Rose was born February 14th, the Twins were born on March 25th. <strong>


	5. Letters

Rose liked her odd dreams, especially the ones with animals.

In the dreams, she'd be a fox, and be in a group that she considered as her family.

The eldest two in her group was a female fox like her with long strands of red hair coming off of her pretty head, and a large bat, who scared most of the other animals, but was very loving under his tough demeanor. The younger ones were a very friendly but mischievous raven, and smart and shy dove.

There was other animals in her dreams, including a bubbly raccoon, an intelligent owl, a clever coyote, a curious scottish terrier, a slightly obvious cougar, a fiery horse, a kooky hare, a cowardly lion, a know-it-all otter, a jack russell terrier that always wanted to eat, and a brave stag.

In this particular dream, she was talking to the clever coyote, who she liked very much.

"You don't give yourself enough credit." said the Fox. "You're much smarter than you think you are."

"If you say so," said the Coyote. "But with Owl and Otter around, they definitely pose as competition."

"Well what's life without a challenge?" said the Fox, flicking it's tail playful on the Coyote's snout.

The Coyote laughed. "You know, you always have the right things to-"

_"To absolutely drive you wild, wild, She's all out to get you."_

Rose's eyes snapped open and saw her bedroom ceiling staring back at her. Rose moaned, wiping her fringe out of her eyes and pushed herself up on her elbow to look at the clock on her nightstand. It said 8 A.M.

Rose flopped back onto her bed with a groan. Why is Fred playing is his albums so bloody loud at this time of day? They're on summer vacation for goodness sake.

Rose threw the covers of her and stood up. The late July sun was flowing into her room, making the walls look even paler green than usual. She made her way towards her vanity and looked into the mirror. The face of eleven year-old Rose Snape reflected back, her dark red hair was fluffed up by sleep, it made Rose look like an annoyed lion. Rose grabbed her brush and tried to comb down the curled mass of red.

"Ah, "said a woman's voice. "I think the heavens are trying to tell you that you need a haircut."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Grandma Prince, you always say that."

"Well i mean it." responded her Grandmother's portrait, smoothing down her own dark hair. "I have to see you every morning trying to manage that mane of hair-"

"Yeah," said Rose. "But Alice and mum have just as much hair as me, but you never complain to them about it."

"Well they don't have a portrait of me on their dressers for me to advise them about it."

"Lucky them."

By eight thirty, Rose changed out of her pajamas, brushed her teeth, and was standing in front of Fred's bedroom door with her arms crossed over her chest.

When Fred was about four years old, his namesake, their Grandfather on their mother's side, Frederick Evans came over and was flipping through the television channels in the Snape's living room. Lily definitely had a hand in making the Snape abode a mixture of wizard and muggle, unlike the strictly wizard home it was before Severus's time, hence the television. While their grandfather was trying to find something to watch, Fred sat on his grandfather's lap, watching the screen with great interest, looking at the fast changing images.

Finally, Frederick Sr. stopped on one that looked promising. "Ah!" He said. "The last Doctor Who of the year! Excellent."

If true love exists, than Fred's match-made-in-heaven was Doctor Who. Even at his young age, he was mesmerized by the bright colors of Colin Baker's Sixth Doctor costume and the bright lasers of the Daleks, and it's only grown since, especially since Rose was currently looking a variety of posters on Fred's door, including on of scrawny man with a red bowtie and another one with glasses and a brown-pinstriped suit. Rose never asked, but she expected that if a wizard wanted to, they could get any muggle movie or television show they wanted into their possession before any muggle could. That's magic for you. There was also a handwritten sign on his door which read:

**FRED SNAPE HEADQUARTERS/T.A.R.D.I.S IN TRAINING**

**NO GIRLS ALLOWED**

**(especially Rose and Alice)**

Rose banged on the door. "Fred!"

His music kept on going, this time the singer was belting out a tune about the band "coming from the land of ice and snow". Rose banged on the door again. "FRED! ANSWER ME!"

The music's volume was lowered, and there was some clicking noises. After a few seconds, the door flew open and Fred was looking back her.

Rose and Fred both had their mother's eyes, bright green and distinctive, but that's really the only thing they shared in common. Rose looked just as much as their mother as Fred looked like their father, same hooked nose and all, Fred's hair was even in the same style as their father's when he was ten years old (thought it was much cleaner looking.)

"Yes, Rosie dear?" asked Fred with an evil grin on his face.

"It's not even nine in the morning, do you really have to play your music so loud?"

"Strange thing that you say that Rose, because you seem to be the only one who's complained about it."

"What, Alice hasn't complained about it yet?"

"No, she hasn't." said Fred defiantly, crossing his skinny arms over his Doctor Who logo t-shirt. "Actually, i don't even think she's awake."

"Yes i am." said Alice, appearing right next to Rose.

Fred's eyebrows went up. "Where'd you come from?"

"I was downstairs, Mum says it's time for breakfest." said Alice. "Daddy sent me up here to get you two before you both chasing each other around the house again."

Rose laughed. "Where those his exact words?"

"When aren't they?" smiled Alice.

If anything, Alice looked more Lily and Rose, but her thick curly hair was jet-black, and she had their father's cold dark eyes. She was also the shortest one in the family by far, and even though Fred was barely a couple inches taller than her, he was still sure that he'd be as tall as their father when he got older.

Fred shut off his music and he followed his sisters downstairs, trying to slide down the stair railings to beat them to the lower level. Rose and Alice walked side by side when we got into the kitchen, with Fred slinking his thin body around them to sit at the table first.

Their mother, Lily, was leaning against the counter and sipping tea while their father, Severus, was sitting at the table reading the Daily Prophet.

"Toyohashi Tengu beat Falmouth Falcons in 250 - 30 match". See, that's just sad." said Severus, shaking his head.

"That's because the Falcons aren't nearly as good as Vratsa Vultures." said Fred, slipping into the chair next to his father.

Severus looked down at Fred with a small smile. "You keep believing that."

Rose and Alice sat opposite from their father and Fred and grabbed a couple of their mother's signature recipe waffles and piled them onto their plates.

While the children poured syrup over their breakfast, Lily went over the end of the table and poked Severus on the arm. Severus looked away from the newspaper to Lily. "Is it time?"

Lily nodded her head. "You want to give it to her?"

"Of course."

Rose and Alice looked at their parents in confusion, Fred was more determined to get as much syrup on his plate without it falling onto the table cloth to care.

"What is it mum?" asked Rose. "We're no trouble, are we?"

"Oh no," said Lily with a smile, grabbing a letter from the counter. "Quite the opposite of "trouble", actually."

Their father grabbed a thick yellow envelope from their mother's hand and slid it over to Rose. Confused, Rose grabbed the envelope and opened it cautiously. Rose pulled out two pieces of parchment and read the emerald green ink writing:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_

_Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

_Dear Rose Snape,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. _

_Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress_

On the second piece of parchment, it read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

_First-year students will require:_

_ sets of plain work robes (black)_

_ plain pointed hat (black) for day wear_

_ pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)_

_ winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)_

_Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags._

COURSE BOOKS

_All students should have a copy of each of the following:_

_The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)_

_by Miranda Goshawk_

_A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot_

_Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling_

_A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch_

_One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_

_by Phyllida Spore_

_Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger_

_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_

_by Newt Scamander_

_The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_

_by Quentin Trimble_

OTHER EQUIPMENT

_1 wand_

_1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)_

_1 set glass or crystal phials_

_1 telescope_

_1 set brass scales_

_Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad._

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

Rose looked over the pieces of parchment in her hands two times, three times, trying to soak it all in. She looked up and saw her parents beaming faces looking down at her.

'_Really_?' mouthed Rose, she seemed to lose the ability to speak.

"Really." said Severus, placing a kiss on her forehead. "Did you honestly expect any of the Potions Master's kids to _not_ go to Hogwarts?"

"Hoph'arts?" asked Fred, his mouth full of waffle.

"Fred, you're supposed to chew your food." said Lily

Fred shallowed his mouthful of food. "Hogwarts? You?"

"Yes, _Frederick_." said Rose. Fred lowered his eyes at her. Fred absolutely hated it when people used his full name.

"I'll confirm your acceptance there next week, Rosie." said Severus. "I still have to put the final touches for my classes next year, might as well get that business done with while i'm at it."

"Make sure to add an exploding potion into the first years' to your class plans, Dad." said Fred.

"Do you want Rose to come back as ashes at Christmas?" asked Alice, her eyebrow raised to her twin.

Fred shrugged. "I'm not saying i'm against it."

"I love you too, Frederick." said Rose sarcastically.


	6. Diagon Alley

**AN: I think i accidentally made a AVPS reference. **

* * *

><p>The green flames consumed Rose, and within a few seconds she stepped out into a dark and shabby looking pub. The bar-goers didn't flinch at the sight of the small girl appearing in the fireplace in a burst of fire. On the contrary, they didn't seem to notice or care.<p>

"Well look who decided to show." said a voice behind an old edition of the Daily Prophet. The newspaper flipped downward to show Fred smiling with a wicked grin on his face. "How are you on this fine day?"

"You're a git, Frederick." huffed Rose, picking ash out of her hair. "Why did you push me out of the way? Mum specifically said for me to go first."

Fred sighed, folded the newspaper delicately and placed it on the table. "Rose, i'm not sure you have noticed this, but i'm the only boy in a family full of very independent and fiery females. Yes, technically father is a boy, and i also realize that mother did say for you go first, but in a world where "Ladies first" is the rule, it would have left me at home by myself where i could have accidentally mispronounced "The Leaky Cauldron" and i could have floo-powdered my way out of a chimney place in Russia or Thailand. I pushed you out of the way for my own personal good, as i sometimes have the tendency to mumble my words. I thought you would understand that it was only to keep your precious little brother out of harm."

"Tell me, did you use that whole time you were here before me to think up that explanation or was that all made up on the spot?" said Rose sarcastically.

"I have a way with excuses." said Fred proudly. There was two more bright flashes of green, and Lily and Alice walked out of the fireplace.

"Oh good, you both got here safety." said Lily. "Though we also had a little fiasco earlier." She glanced in Fred's direction. He stiffened a giggle.

"Where's Daddy?" asked Alice. Alice was such the daddy's girl, Rose was too, of course, but she was going to Hogwarts now. She was mature.

"Your father is meeting us into of Madam Malkin's." said Lily. "Alice, hold my hand, i don't want you getting lost."

"But mum!" protested Alice.

"No buts. Hand." said Lily sternly. Alice pouted and grabbed her mother's hand. Fred giggled. He'd never let mother do that to him. He was very stubborn that way.

They lead their way into the back of the Leaky Cauldron, where Lily took out her wand and tapped the wall bricks. (three up and two across from the trashcan to be exact.) After a few seconds, a archway appeared in the wall, showing the busy shops and customers of Diagon Alley.

As Lily led the way down the crowded street, Rose, Alice, and Fred looked around with great interest. The store fronts were bright and inviting, with many families filing in and out of stores, the children's arms full of new school supplies.

"Ah," said Lily. "There he is."

Sure enough, they saw Severus in his usual black, who was leaning against the window of Madam Malkin's looking quite sinister. That was thing about him, he liked giving off an intimidating demeanor to others, while he actually opened up around his family. He especially liked intimidating students, it was how he got respect from them, or to terrify them, he was fine with either.

Severus caught sight of them approaching him and smiled slightly. "I was beginning to worry where you four were."

Lily walked up to him and placed a kiss on his lips. "Did you miss us?" He had been at Hogwarts all week preparing his classes.

"I always do." said Severus. "I expect everyone has been behaving?"

Lily looked at Rose. "Like angels."

Behind Severus's back, Fred stuck his tongue out at Rose, she punched him in the arm in return.

Severus gestured to the open door of Madam Malkin's "Should we get started then?"

The family filed into the shop, where Madam Malkin, a squat old witch, was just finishing fitting a set of robes on a girl with bushy brown hair.

"That should do it, dear." said Madam Malkin, handing the robes to the girl. The girl thanked her and went to pay for purchases. Madam Malkin turned to the Snapes. She smiled. "Hogwarts too?"

"She is." said Lily, putting her hand on Rose's shoulder.

"Well come on then," said Madam Malkin. "These robes don't fit themselves." She gestured Rose over.

Rose was fitted quickly into plain robes, she hadn't seen sorted yet to get a fancier set just yet. After they payed for her robes, the family walked over to Eeylops Owel Emporium, where Rose insisted that she get the owl she was promised on her eleventh birthday.

"Look at that one." said Severus, pointing to a white and brown spotted owl. "She has your eyes, Rosie."

Rose looked up at the owl. He was right, the owl's eyes were the same shade of green as hers. "I know which one i want." said Rose.

"What are you going to name her?" said Alice excitedly as the shop owner placed the bird in it's cage.

Rose thought for a moment. "I'll call her Athena. A beautiful name for a beautiful bird!"

"She's not beautiful." said Fred. He loved picking whatever opinion was opposite of Rose's just to annoy her. "Those brown spots look like shi-"

"Language, young man." said Severus smacking Fred. Not hard, just enough to get his point across. "And will you do the honors of carrying your sister's owl?"

The shop owner grabbed the cage and passed it to Fred. The cage was huge, it nearly swamped Fred. Rose liked that.

They made their way next to Scribbulus Writing Implements, Fred was making snide faces at Athena while she hooted unhappily. When they entered the shop, Fred and Alice went off to looking at Color-changing inks, or at least Fred tried, he was still holding Athena's large cage.

Rose walked over to a shelf full of parchment and a variety of quills and inks, a small boy with black hair was already standing there, looking confused. As Rose got closer, she noticed that the boy's glasses were held together by tape.

Rose settled next to the boy. "Which ones should i get, dad?"

There was silence.

"Dad?"

Rose looked up to see her father looking at the boy next to her, sneering. The boy next to her looked up at him.

"And you must be Mr. Potter, correct?" said Severus cooly.

"Y-yes sir." said the boy, stunned. "But how did you-?"

"You're a splitting image of your father, unfortunately." sneered Severus.

"Sev," said Lily, placing a hand on her husband's back. "Be nice to him." She smiled at the boy. "Harry, right? I'm Lily Snape, i knew your mother Mary Potter when we went to Hogwarts."

The boy's dark green eyes widened. "Really?"

"Absolutely. She was one of my best friends" Lily's smiled turned stilly forced. "We knew your father too. Oh, It only seems like yesterday, you and Rosie were playing together on our living room floor. Of course, you were both in diapers at the time, but…"

_"Hold it." _said Rose, looking over at the boy. "_The_ Harry Potter? The famous Boy Who Lived?" Her eyes darted up to his forehead. There was a faint lightning bolt shaped scar on it.

Rose's eyes widened. "No way." Harry laughed uncomfortably.

Harry Freakin' Potter, right there in the flesh. Apparently they had played together was kids, obviously before he defeated You-Know-Who, that was for certain.

"Are you having trouble looking for anything?" asked Lily kindly.

"Oh," said Harry quietly. "I was looking for writing supplies, but Hagrid went off to do something else, and i have no idea what to get."

"Hagrid, huh? Must have been Dumbledore who sent him. He's very kind." said Lily. She looked and grabbed a stack of parchment and quills form the shelf and handed them to Harry. "This should last you for the year."

"Thank you, ma'am." said Harry. He looked up at Severus's sour face and turned around quickly, scurrying up to the front to pay.

"You never told me i knew Harry Potter." whispered Rose as Lily grabbed another stack of parchment and quills for her.

"You never asked." said Lily. Severus still had a sour look on his face. After they checked out, they walked over to Fred and Alice.

"I heard you over there. Who were you talking to?" asked Fred, his voice muffled from Athena's cage.

A smirk formed on Rose's face. "Harry Potter."

Fred nearly dropped Athena's cage. "What? No you didn't, stop lying."

"I did so." said Rose defiantly. "And be careful with Athena!"

They walked out of the store and onto the still-busy street. Fred mumbled into the owl's cage.

"What was that, _Frederick_?" said Rose with a grin. Fred looked at her, his eyes in slits.

"You know, _Rose_," said Fred. "I don't think you deserve your name."

"And why's that?"

"Because you don't _wear_ it correctly. Now Rose Tyler, she wore the name "Rose' correctly, she's everything you're not."

Rose snorted. "Yeah, blonde."

Ollivander's Wand Shop came closer into view. Rose could feel her heart start beating faster, the one thing she was most excited to get all day and she was nervous.

Before she knew it, Severus opened the door and gestured her into the shop. At first glance, the store looked abandoned, with a thin layer of dust everywhere.

"Ah," said a old voice. "I've been wondering when i'd see you here."

Rose whipped around to see an old man with strange pale eyes looking at her. He was smiling. "Rose Snape, i believe?"

Rose shook her head. The old man turned his head to her parents. "And i expect Mr and Mrs. Snape's wands having been up to par?"

"Of course, Mr. Ollivander." said Lily. Severus gave him a nod.

Mr. Ollivander looked back at Rose and gestured her over to the counter. Rose shot a look to her parents, they just waved for her to follow the old man's instructions.

She walked over to him cautiously. Mr. Ollivander took out a tape measurer from his breast pocket and released it. It flew to Rose and measured her arm length, her full height and so worth while Mr. Ollivander looked through a stack on long, thin boxes.

The tape measurer flew back to Mr. Ollivander's free hand. "Let's see if this one works." He handed Rose a short wand of oak.

Rose waved the wand, it blew a stack of books off of the counter. "No," said Ollivander. "Not that one."

Mr. Ollivander handed Rose another wand, and another, and another. They didn't fit her at all.

Rose heard Fred sigh behind her and place Athena's cage on the ground. He mumbled something "about this talking all day", Rose ignored him.

Rose was handed the next wand, a thin one made of elm, and instead of waving it towards the counter, she waved it towards Fred.

There was a rush of wind and Fred was pushed to the ground. Lily rushed to help him up. For a minute, Rose was actually worried that she hurt Fred, but then she saw his hair.

Rose dropped the wand and started laughing, holding her sides. "What?" asked Fred, confused.

Rose pointed to his head, biting her lip to stop laughing. Fred walked over to a cracked mirror. (probably from someone else trying out wands). "What the-?"

Somehow, Rose had turned Fred's hair an unmistakeable shade of "acid" green. It was hilarious.

Fred stared at his reflection, bewildered. After a moment, his face went completely blank, then he smiled. "Hello, Handsome."

Rose looked at him. "What?"

"I like it." said Fred, picking up a strand of his hair. "I think i'll keep it-"

"You absolutely will not." said Severus, his arms crossed over his chest.

"But dad-"

"No. I'm changing it back when we get home." said Severus in his most dangerous tone. Fred pouted.

"Miss Snape?"

Rose turned around, Ollivander was holding out another wand. She grabbed it and instantly felt a sense of warmth come over her. It's like she found the missing part of her arm.

"There's the ticket." smiled Ollivander. "Eleven inches, Rowan with a unicorn tail core. Quite a wand."

Rose looked at the wand in her hand, she loved it.

They walked out into the Late July sun with Rose clinging onto her wand's thin box, another family of six was filing into Ollivander's after them.

"Sweet hair!" said a tall girl with long black hair, pointing to Fred's head as she walked into Ollivander's.

"See?" said Fred, looking up at his father. "_She_ likes it."

"Yes, she does." said Severus. "She's also going into her 5th year at Hogwarts this year, so don't get any ideas."

Fred rolled his eyes and huffed, following his family down Diagon Alley, keeping quiet.

"I like him like this." Rose whispered to Alice.

"Like what?" asked Alice.

Rose closed her eyes. "Not talking."


	7. Sorting Ceremony

"_'Students belonging to Hufflepuff House are known to be hard-working, friendly, loyal, and non-judgemental. It may be that due to their values, Hufflepuffs are not as competitive as the other houses, or are more modest about their accomplishments.'_ Yeah, you're definitely not Hufflepuff."

"What, i'm not friendly, loyal, or hard-working?" asked Rose, her back leaning against her bedroom wall.

The three Snape children sat in Rose's bedroom on her bed. It was way past their bedtime and the train ride for Hogwarts was the very next day.

"I was actually going by the fact that you're more competitive than you think" said Fred. "But okay, whatever you say."

"Just read Ravenclaw's description, okay?"

"Fine." said Fred, flipping a few pages of "Hogwarts, A History" and brushing some of his now green hair out of his eyes.

When they had gotten home from Diagon Alley, Severus was determined to change Fred's hair back to normal, but to no success. After about sixty failed attempts, Severus and Lily agreed to just let Fred's hair grow out over the year, which made Fred very happy indeed. He decided to tell the kids at the local muggle school that he and Alice attended that he dyed it for a bet, he didn't think they would believe him if he told them that his sister accidentally changed it after testing out wands in a secret magical street in London.

"You're taking too long." snapped Alice impatiently, grabbing the book from Fred's lap. "Let me do it."

She flipped through the book furiously, until she found a black and white picture of a eagle. She cleared her throat. _"'Ravenclaw House prizes intelligence, creativity, resourcefulness, cleverness, knowledge, and wit in its, many Ravenclaws tend to be academically motivated and talented students.' _Oh, you could be a Ravenclaw! You're the artsy type anyway."

Rose was indeed the artsy type. She loved anything creative and art-related, she was even talking to her father over dinner that night if it was possible to take the Hogwarts' art classes before she could officially take them in her third year.

"Oh come on Alice" said Fred, who was hanging his head upside-down off the edge of Rose's bed. "We all know when it comes to our sorting, it's either going to be Gryffindor or Slytherin. Dad even told me that there's been a bet going on for years between the students to see which house gets us."

"Well that's not very nice." said Alice, looking down at the now opened Slytherin section. "All that does is add extra stress to us. Trying to see what house we get into, _please_."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Apparently seeing which house the infamous Potion Master's kids are sorted into is big news."

"Right." Alice snapped the heavy book shut. "We should get to bed. Mum will kill us if she finds out we were up at twelve in the morning."

"Another great thing about Hogwarts," sighed Fred. "They don't give a damn when you go to sleep."

"They probably "don't give damn" because it's your responsibility to get enough sleep every night when your there, or else you'll fail all your classes because you slept through all your lessons." said Alice, putting the book back into Rose's trunk.

Fred shrugged. "Same difference."

* * *

><p>Platform 9¾ was full of families, hooting owls, and meowing cats. It only reminded Rose of how close she was to Hogwarts. It was both thrilling and terrifying at the same time.<p>

Rose looked at the gleaming red Hogwarts Express, some of the students were hanging outside of compartment windows, talking to their parents happily. Rose's stomach fluttered uncomfortably. "Mum?" said Rose in a tiny voice, tugging on Lily's shirt.

"Yes dear?" asked Lily, looking down at her daughter.

"What if i don't get into Slytherin like dad wants me to and i'm in Gryffindor?" said Rose quietly. "I know you'd like that, but then dad wouldn't be my head of house and he'd be disappointed. But if i'm in Slytherin, wouldn't that make you disappointed too?"

Lily sighed and went down to Rose's level. "Me and your father will be happy with whatever house you're sorted into Rose, just remember that."

"Really?"

Lily pushed some of Rose's red hair behind her ear. "Really. Now come on, we have to get your trunk onboard."

Rose asked Fred to help her and they dragged her trunk to the train. They were too small to get onboard by themselves, until a two sets of pale, freckled arms helped lift it on for them.

"Thank you." said Rose, looking at the two tall, red-headed twins who helped them.

"Anytime." said one twin. "Us gingers have to stick together." He reached out his hand and ruffled Rose's hair.

"Ha, gingers!" scoffed Fred.

The other twin looked at him. "Do my ears deceive me?"

"I'm 'fraid so, George." said the other twin who ruffled Rose's hair. "I believe this boy has just insulted the ginger-kind."

"But he has some amazing hair of his own." responded the Twin called George. "Is that natural?"

"This ol' thing?" said Fred, picking up a strand of his hair. "No, she accidentally turned it this color when she was trying out wands." He pointed to Rose. "But it's okay, my dad tried spelling it away but it didn't work, so it's stuck like this until it grows out. I like it this way though. My parents hate it."

George shook his head. "What a shame it has to grow out. Right, Fred?"

"Yeah." said his twin and Rose's brother. There was silence.

"Fred?" said George again.

"Yes?" said the two boys.

"What's your name, Acid-Green-Hair?" said George, looking at Rose's brother.

He looked up at them. "Fred."

The twins looked at each other and started laughing. "Well would you look at that! Fred, you have a name-twin!"

The other twin extended his hand to Fred, still laughing. "I'm Fred too, Fred Weasley!"

Fred (Rose's brother) had a wicked grin on his face and shook the other boy's hand. "You're joking! Funny thing, considering that i'm actually a twin too! 'Cept mine's a girl, Alice. But still-"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Boys."

She walked over to her sister and hugged her, and then she did the same to her mother, she was determined not to cry in front of her new classmates.

"Have a good year, Rose." said Lily, placing a kiss on Rose's head. "You're father is there if you need anything."

"I know." said Rose with her best attempt at a brave face. She walked over to her brother and patted him on the back. "See you at Christmas, Fred."

"Way to ruin my entire holiday." said Fred, smiling. "Have a good one, Rosie."

Rose boarded the train with a final wave to her family and started down the train. She found an empty compartment at the end of it. She put lugged her trunk on the overhead carrier and sat down. The train pulled forward and the platform slowly became a blur, and soon the windows filled with the early September sky.

There was a knock on the compartment door and it slid open, with two girls poking their heads in. The shortest one with blue pigtails spoke up. "Can we sit here? All the other compartments are full and my bloody siblings won't let us sit with them."

"Sure," said Rose. "There's enough room to spare."

The two girls pulled their luggage in with them. The compartment door snapped shut after them and they settled on the seats opposite of Rose. "My name's Sam by the way." said the girl with blue pigtails. "Sam Balavan."

"Rose Snape." said Rose. She turned to the other girl, she was dark skinned with long, dark brown hair. "And you?"

She held tightly onto a rather large spell book. "Ina Zelena."

There was a few moments of silence between the three of them.

"So," said Rose. "Your hair, is it natural?"

Sam smiled at her. "Depends on what your definition of "natural" is."

She made hair turned red like Rose's, green, then back to blue.

"Wow," said Rose breathlessly. "You're a metamorphmagus!"

"Sure am." said Sam proudly. "First one in my family in more than six hundred years since my great-great-great-great-great grandmother Vivian Balavan. My sister and brother are _so_ jealous."

"I wish i could change my looks when i wanted." said Rose. "My brother is always making fun of me for looking just like our mum. Of course, he looks just like our dad, but he never points it out. It would still be neat to change up my hair every once and awhile."

"But your hair is so beautiful." said Ina quietly. Ina seemed very shy. "You don't need to change anything."

"And your eyes!" said Sam, getting close to Rose's face. "I've never seen a shade like that before! And my natural eye color is green." Sam was definitely the opposite of Ina, loud and outgoing, and oddly bubbly.

Sam closed her then violet eyes, when she opened them again, they were the same green color as Rose's.

"Amazing." said Rose with her mouth curling into a smile.

Sam looked at her reflection in the window. "Oh, i like it. I think i'll keep them like this."

Ina looked up from her book. 'Do you have any siblings, Rose?"

"Oh yeah," said Rose. "Fred and Alice, they're coming here next year. What about you?"

"Two older sisters." said Ina. "Raina is in her fifth year and Eloise is in her fourth. They're both in Ravenclaw, like our parents and their parents and all of our relatives before that."

Sam snorted. "Barely anyone in my family has been in the same house. My Dad was in Ravenclaw while my Mum was in Hufflepuff. Then there's Gabrielle," said Sam with her hand out to count. "She's a fifth year Gryffindor, there's Louis, he's a year younger than her and he's in Ravenclaw, then of course there's me, and i'm not even sorted yet. And then Julian, he's coming here next year too. Then there's the whole side of my mum's family who didn't even go here."

"Why?" asked Rose. "Did they go to some other magic school?"

"Nope, they're muggles." said Sam.

"What house do you think you'll be in then?" asked Ina.

"I'm fine with any house, just as long as it's not Gryffindor." said Sam. "I don't think i could stand being in the same house as my _lovely_ sister. What about you?"

"I think my parents would be happier if i got into Ravenclaw, but Slytherin doesn't seem so bad." shrugged Ina. They looked at Rose.

"Oh, well I think i'm destined for either Slytherin or Gryffindor." said Rose. "Though i'm pretty sure that my dad would be happier if i was in Slytherin."

"Because then he'd be your head of house?" asked Ina. Sam looked at Rose with a confused look. "Wait a minute." She was silent for a few seconds then snapped her fingers. "I knew your last name sounded familiar!" she pointed to Rose. "Your dad is the Potions Master, isn't he?"

Rose smiled. "How'd you guess?"

"My brother and sister always talk about him. Especially Gabrielle the Gryffindor, apparently she doesn't like him very much-"

Sam slapped her hand over her mouth. "I'm so sorry! I always do that, i didn't mean it, honest-"

Rose laughed. "It's okay, he's kind of.._intimidating_. He always says Gryffindors mix up "bravery" with "stupidity", but he doesn't hate all of them. I mean, my mum was a Gryffindor."

"Maybe if you got sorted into Gryffindor he would be nicer to them as a whole." said Ina.

Rose snorted. "Yeah, maybe."

The three girls spent the rest of the train ride exchanging stories, like how Ina spent her summers reading all the books in her family's private library, or how Sam had the "_nasty_" habit of turning into other people to mess with them. The Candy Trolley came around and Ina payed for their treats, she also took her tiny black cat Aurore out to stretch her thin legs. The cat was particularly amused by Athena, who hooted at the cat when it tried to touch her. Rose liked the two girls, they were nice.

In the early evening, the train finally stopped at Hogsmeade station, where an incredibly large bearded man named Hagrid directed the first years to a set of boats. Rose settled herself into one with Sam, Ina, and a pale boy with black hair, and sailed across the dark lake.

Rose's father had taken Rose to see Hogwarts many times before her first year, but tonight it was different. It was breathtaking experience, seeing it coming closer from the view of the boat.

The first years landed on the dock, where they filed into line. Hagrid helped pull a round boy out of the water and led them onwards to the large doors of the castle.

"Do know how they sort us?"

Rose turned to see the black-haired boy from her boat looking at her, slightly green looking.

"No, i don't. Sorry."

The boy gave a shuddering breath. "I hope it isn't a test. I've read all the textbooks twice already, but that might no be enough.."

"Well, you'll definitely make Ravenclaw with that attitude." said Rose sympathetically. The boy gave a short laugh, but his icy blue eyes still looked worried.

"I'm Zachary Leon, by the way." said the boy quickly. "I didn't mean to bug you."

"Oh It's okay. I'm Rose." said Rose. Zachary smiled slightly at her. "Just get into the house you want, that's what my mum said."

"Well you don't have the head Healers at St. Mungo's for a mother and father, do you?" said Zachary.

"No."

"Yeah well, our whole family has been in Ravenclaw, i have to keep up with tradition."

"You know, "said Rose. "You're the second person i've met today who's from an all Ravenclaw family."

Zachary shrugged. "The more the merrier then."

After a minute, the doors opened to show a tall witch with a tight bun of black hair and square spectacles. "I'll take them now, Hagrid." He nodded his hairy head and passed her.

The witch looked down at the children. "Right then, I'm Professor McGonagall, one of your future teachers here at Hogwarts, but before i and my fellow staff members can teach you our specialities, you must first be sorted onto one of the four Hogwarts Houses. Now come, the sorting awaits you."

Professor McGonagall led the students to the giant oak doors of the Great Hall, where the doors opened to reveal the warmth and brightness of the start of term feast.

The first-years followed Professor McGonagall down the long Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables to the front, with the older students watching them. Rose felt butterflies multiplying in her stomach.

"You know, the ceiling is enchanted." said a girl's voice. Rose looked to her left to see Ina talking to the same girl with bushy brown hair from Madam Malkin's. "It just looks like the sky outside. I read about in "Hogwarts, A History. The floating candles are enchanted too, of course."

"I knew someone else had have to read that too." said Ina. The other girl smiled at her, showing slightly large front teeth.

"You support the Chudley Cannons too?" said a boy's voice. Rose looked to her right to see a tall boy with red hair talking to Sam. Harry Potter was next to him too! Expect instead of talking, he looked focused on Sam's blue hair, his mouth hanging open slightly.

There was a call for silence, and everyone's attention was turned to an old patched hat on an rickety stool. Suddenly, the hat stirred and opened it's brim and started singing:

_"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can top them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you've a steady mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

The hat finished it's song, going back to being motionless, and there was a round of applause.

"Now," said Professor McGonagall's sharp voice. She was standing next to the rickety stool that the hat was on, holding a scroll in her hands. "When i call your name, you will come up here and sit, and i will place the sorting hat onto your head. When your house is declared, you will join them. Abbott, Hannah!"

A girl with blonde pigtails walked forward, slightly pink in the face. She sat on the stool and the hat was placed onto her head, it slid over her eyes.

After a few moments, the brim of the hat opened and yelled "Hufflepuff!"

Hannah took off the hat and walked towards the cheering table in yellow. McGonagall called the next name. "Balavan, Samantha!"

Sam's eyes widened and her blue hair turned mousy brown and lost it's spiky volume. Some people, including the red haired boy she was talking too, laughed at the sudden change.

Sam staggered up to the stool and sat down, the hat falling over her eyes too. After a moment, the hat yelled "Slytherin!"

The table in green cheered as Sam handed the hat back to Professor McGonagall. Her hair went back to being blue and spiky by the time she sat down at the Slytherin table.

More names were called. The bushy haired girl, named Hermione Granger, was sorted into Gryffindor. She seemed very proud of it. Before a very pale-looking Zachary was sorted, Rose whispered "Good Luck" to him. No surprise to Rose, he was sorted into Ravenclaw. The round boy who feel into the lake, Neville Longbottom, was sorted into Gryffindor. Soon Harry Potter was sorted in Gryffindor as well, with the table in red cheering loudly. The Twins who helped Rose get her trunk on the train was even yelling "We Got Potter!"

"Snape, Rose!" called Professor McGonagall. Rose walked quickly to the stool, catching her father's face form the staff table. She could tell that he was trying to keep his face clean of emotion.

Rose sat on the stool and McGonagall placed the patched hat on her head. Just like the students before her, the hat feel over her eyes.

_"Ah." _said a voice in Rose's head. _"What an interesting mind we have here." _It was a strange sensation having another voice in your head. Rose wiggled uncomfortably.

_"Let's see," _said the voice. _"Definitely a smart mind, and a thirst to prove yourself, and quite brave, but cautious, you like to think before you act. I see. It looks like you're fit for either Gryffindor or Slytherin, not surprising considering your parentage, which one would you prefer?"_

"Which ever one i fit into better, i suppose." thought Rose.

_"Right then."_ responded the Hat's voice.

"Slytherin!" yelled the hat. The table in green cheered loudly. As Rose went to sit with Sam, she caught sight of her father. He allowed one smile to her before he went back to his cool demeanor.

* * *

><p>"Damn." whispered George Weasley, following Rose's retreating figure. "I could have sworn we would have her in our house."<p>

"What do you mean?" asked Harry, looking at the twins.

"We'll explain later." said Fred Weasley.

After a few more names, Ron Weasley, Fred and George's younger brother, was sorted into Gryffindor.

"Bloody hat." mumbled Ron, scratching his head. "It tried to sort me into Hufflepuff."

As soon as he said that, a boy with voluminous, curly blonde hair named Evan Wright was sorted into Hufflepuff.

"Oh the irony" giggled George.

The sorting ended with a dark skinned girl with dark brown hair named Ina Zelena being sorted into Slytherin. After a few words from Headmaster Dumbledore, the empty plates on the tables filled with mouth-watering food.

"Why would you care if that girl was sorted into Gryffindor or not?" asked Harry again to George as he grabbed some of the food.

"Because," said George, filling his goblet with Pumpkin juice. "I wanted to see Snape's face when he saw his little daughter getting sorted into Gryffindor."

Harry looked at him, confused. "What do you mean "Snape's face"?"

"The bloody Potions Master, of course." said Fred, pointing to the staff table. Harry looked to see the same thin man with shoulder-length black hair from Diagon Alley sitting next Professor Quirrell, a very nervous and pale man in a purple turban. Snape looked past Quirrell's turban into Harry's eyes. Harry felt a jolt of pain shoot through his head, Harry's hand went straight to his scar.

"You okay?" asked Ron, lowering his chicken leg from his mouth.

"Yeah," said Harry, looking at Snape's now turned profile and rubbing his stinging scar. "Yeah, i'm fine."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST HUFFLEPUFF, PLEASE DON'T GET MAD AT ME. <strong>


	8. Prankster in Training

Rose was the first one to wake up following morning in the first-year girl's dormitory. The greenish-light from the lake poured into the room. The dormitory was long with hard stone walls and dark paneled wood floor. There were green and silver hangings everywhere, including the walls and from the four-poster beds that they slept in. Rose looked over to the nightstand beside her bed to see that a Slytherin tie and scarf had been left there for each girl in the dormitory. Besides Rose, Sam, and Ina staying there, they shared the dormitory with Pansy Parkinson, a girl with a face that looked slightly like a pug, Daphne Greengrass, a pretty blonde girl, Tracy Davis, a pale girl with long sheets of brown hair, and Millicent Bulstrode, a rather large girl who looked like she could break you in half if you rubbed her the wrong way.

A hour and a half later at breakfast, The Weasley Twins took a detour from the Gryffindor table and over to the foreign Slytherin table, seeking help.

"Hello fellow gingette," said George as he and Fred took a seat across from Rose. "Mind helping your favorite Gryffindor twins?"

Rose looked at them. "Help you with what?"

"Nothing too serious."

"Just something trivial."

"It's nothing really."

"So just tell me already then." said Rose impatiently.

"We want to contact the one you know as "Fred." sad George seriously.

"Not me Fred, because i'm already here and writing a letter to myself doesn't seem practical." said his twin.

Rose looked at their identical grinning faces skeptically. "Why do you want to contact him for?"

"We see great talent in him." said George.

"Meaning?"

"We want to, uh,_ take him under our wing_."

Rose huffed. "I'm guessing that if i saw no now, you two will keep bugging me for the rest of the day until i give in."

"Ah bless her George, she's catching on." smiled Fred Weasley. "So is that a 'yes'?"

"Seeing as i have no real choice, i suppose so. Do you have a spare piece of parchment and quill for me to write our address down then?"

Almost out of thin air, George produced exactly want Rose requested. Rose sighed and grab them from George.

"Just so you know," said Rose as she wrote the address on the parchment. "My mum isn't going to appreciate her little Freddie getting involved with troublemakers like you two."

Fred and George gasped in fake shock. "Rose, we're _shocked_ that you'd accuse us of such a ghastly title." said George.

"Uh huh." mumbled Rose. "There." She handed the parchment to the twins, with Fred grabbing it from her.

"Excellent," said George. The two of them got up. "Now if you'll excuse us, we can now arrange our services with your brother."

"But don't you two have a class this morning?"

"We think your father wouldn't mind it if we missed one class of his to help his son in his future of mischief-making."

As the Twins walked away, Sam and Ina walked over and sat down next Rose. "What was that all about?" asked Ina.

"Well," said Rose, watching the twins's retreating figures. "Long story short, i think i just found out first-hand why my dad doesn't seem to like Gryffindors so much."

* * *

><p>The first year Slytherins and Ravenclaws lingered outside of their first class of the day, Transfiguration. Rose got to talk again to Zachary Leon, who seemed in much better spirits after the following night, though he still seemed just as shy as he was before.<p>

Rose, Sam, and Ina silently stood with each other when a Slytherin boy with platinum blonde hair and a pointy face came over to them. He had two very large Slytherin boys behind him, almost like they were bodyguards.

"You are Rose Snape, are you not?" asked the boy. His voice reeked of arrogance. "I'm Draco Malfoy. We're in the same house."

"Yeah, i could tell." said Rose, pointing to his Slytherin uniform. He smiled. "Clever girl. I've come over here to congratulate you on following in your father's foot steps. It was a fine choice of you to join the ranks of Slytherin. Even though you are only a half-blood."

Rose grimaced. Of course, an offhand comment about her blood status. She didn't expect any less from someone like _him_.

When Rose was eight, she and Alice looked through an old book that contained pictures from their parents years at Hogwarts. The one section they focused on in particular was one of their father, which included some pictures of him as a first and second year and a tall boy with long, platinum blonde hair and a pointy face like the boy that stood before Rose now. Rose remembers her father telling them that he was once friends with a man called Lucius Malfoy in his earlier years at Hogwarts, who was the one in the pictures. Their friendship had even lasted long after Lucius left Hogwarts. Rose remembers her father saying that she had met is son, Draco, when they were about a year old, but Severus and Lucius's friendship suffered after the First Wizarding War, as Lucius was in You-Know-Who's inner circle. Almost all connections to the Malfoys had been cut off ever since then.

"So," continued Draco. "I think we should go off on a good foot. I believe our fathers would greatly approve of it." He held his hand out to her. Rose gave it an apprehensive look.

"But Draco," said Rose with fake concern. 'Wouldn't you get a muggle disease if i touch your Pure-Blood hand with my filthy _Half-Blood_ one?"

The classroom door opened and Professor McGonagall gestured the class in. Rose left Draco standing there, bewildered. Sam and Ina followed Rose in and smiled smugly at his shocked face.

The first week of classes flew by, and unlike Rose expected, having her father as a Potions professor wasn't bad at all, though trying to figure out whether to call him "Professor", "Sir", or "Dad" was a tad bit difficult. Whenever she encountered Draco Malfoy again, whether it be in the halls, class, or in the common room, Rose gave him the famous Snape galre. It usually did the trick to make him leave her alone and wipe his stupid smile or sneer off of his face.

On the following Thursday, Rose walked the Hogwarts hallways, looking for the library. Despite visiting the castle a handful of times before with her father, it still didn't help her sense of direction there. Rose was about to give up and look for a Hufflepuff when she turned a corner and bumped into someone.

"Oh god," said Rose. 'I'm sorry, i didn't see you there-"

"It's fine, it's fine." said the boy. He straightened back up. It was Harry Potter.

"Oh/" said Rose. "I'll just go then-"

"Wait!" said Harry. "Don't go, you're the girl from Diagon Alley."

"Yeah," shrugged Rose. "That's me."

"And Professor Snape is your dad?"

"Yes."

"Can i, uh, ask you something?"

Rose looked confused. "Sure, i guess."

"Do you happen to know why your dad acted weird back in Diagon Alley?" asked Harry. "I don't think he likes me very much."

"Yeah, that was pretty weird," said Rose. "Maybe i'll ask him about it-"

"No! I mean - forget i asked, don't do that, he'll probably just bring it out on me" said Harry. "He singled me out on my first Potions class." he added.

Despite herself, Rose smiled. "If it makes you feel any better, i think i know why he , uh, 'singled you out.'"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah well, my dad likes picking on Gryffindors, you see." explained Rose. "Sometimes i wonder if he'd be nicer to them if i was sorted into there instead."

Harry laughed. "Bad choice on the sorting hat's behalf then." Rose laughed in response.

"Harry, you're not lost too, are you? asked Rose after she stopped laughing.

"Well, i was actually looked for the library, my classes are killer already." said Harry. "'Cept one of the staircases turned around on me and i lost my way."

"I was looking for the library too!" said Rose. "I was just about to look for a Hufflepuff too-"

Harry gave her a questioning look. Rose giggled. "House stereotype. Apparently Hufflepuffs are particularly good finders. It's really random but hey, who knows."

Harry and Rose sent down the corridor, looking for the library together.

"Are there any other wizards in your family?" asked Harry after a few minutes.

"I have a brother and sister coming here next year, if that's what you mean." said Rose. "What about you?"

"My parents were wizards, yeah." said Harry" But i was raised by my mum's sister, Terry. Her husband died a few years ago and she _hates_ magic. She even hid or burned all my Hogwarts letters."

"You're joking." said Rose. Rose couldn't help but thankful that she lived in a family where you were accepted for your differences.

"Nope," said Harry. "I didn't even know i was magic until Hagrid broke down her door and gave me my acceptance letter himself."

"Well that's definitely what you get for burning good parchment." said Rose, shaking her head.

At the library, Rose helped Harry with his Potions essay, which Rose was more than able to fill out with at least twice as much than required. In return, Harry helped Rose with her Defense assignment, a skill that Harry seemed naturally talented in.

After almost two and a half hours in the library, The Slytherin and Gryffindor departed for the night as friends. Rose wasn't sure that her father would be happy when he found out.

* * *

><p><em>"<em>_Now that's rubbish; who's that supposed to be?"_

_"Well, that's you!"_

_"Me? Is that what I look like?"_

_"You don't know?"_

_"Busy day…"_

Fred was sitting upside down on the couch, watching an old episode of _Doctor Who_. He waved his toy Sonic Screwdriver in the air randomly, pretending it was a magic wand. One more year and he'd _finally_ get his own.

He didn't mind the local muggle school he attended, he even had some good friends there, but he was impatient, he wanted to go to Hogwarts _so badly_, he just knew that Rose would come back at Christmas and boast about all the things she learned and the fun she was having there.

"Fred! Letter!" said Lily's voice.

Fred jumped up. A letter? Who the bloody hell was sending him a letter for?

Fred walked into the kitchen, where Lily sat, feeding a barn owl scarps of toast from their breakfast. "It's from Hogwarts."

"Is it Rose?' asked Fred. Wait, why would Rose _ever_ write to him for?

"No," said Lily."It's not from Rose. Who else do you know from Hogwarts who would be writing you?"

"No idea." said Fred, taking the letter from his mother and tearing it open.

_Salutations Acid-Green-One!_

_This is George Weasley-_

_-And your name twin Fred Weasley-_

_-And we're writing to ask for us to give you the experience of a lifetime-_

_-Let's get serious, we absolutely LOVE it that you're the only son of good ol' Grumpy Gills Snape-_

_-And we thought that maybe, just MAYBE that you'd accept our offer in training you in all things mischief-_

_-You dawned on us as a prankster on the Hogwarts Express Platform, you see-_

_-And we thought it would be great if we had the chance to mold you in our image-_

_-So what do you say? Do you want to be one of Hogwarts most infamous troublemakers?_

_-And see your father's face when he realizes that it you're in our league?-_

_-Because his face when he finds out is quite funny in our imaginations-_

_-So, you in? Write us back with your answer and we'll progress from there.-_

_Mischief Managed!_

_- Fred and George Weasley, Gryffindor. _

Fred looked at the letter and smiled broadly. "So, who sent you the letter?" asked Lily.

Fred looked at her. "These two guys that me and Rose met at Platform 9¾, They're twins and one of them even has the same name as me! They're offering to train me up to be a prankster like them! I have to go write them back-"

Fred walked away from the kitchen, eager to respond back and receive his next letter from the Twins. Fred imagined his years at Hogwarts, pulling pranks with them. Fred wished his eleventh birthday would hurry up.

"Wait-" said Lily. "Did you say "Prankster like them"? Fred, you're not going to do that."

"I can't hear you, mum!" yelled back Fred as he climbed the stairs. He needed to find a parchment and quill quickly before his mother tried to stop him.

"But Fred-"

"Not now, mum-"

_"FREDERICK!"_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: THE AVPM REFERENCES WILL NEVER STOP. Also look at that, Draco's in this now! OH JOYOUS DAY!<strong>


	9. Winning Over Ron

"Are you sure she isn't trying to into your head?"

"Ron, what would she possibly have to gain from getting into my head?"

"She's a Slytherin, they're _sneaky_."

"Well she's the least sneaky one in the lot then"

Ron shook his head. "Harry, you aren't seeing the conflicts she could cause."

"Like what?" asked Harry.

"Well for one thing," said Ron. "She's the daughter of the one professor here that _hates_ you. Two, she's in Slytherin. Three, she could try to bring us down from the inside if we were friends with her. Four, she's in Slytherin. Five, she's in the house commonly known as Slytherin. Did i mention she's in Slytherin?"

"I don't think i caught it the first time actually." said Harry sarcastically. "Just talk to her. She's really not that bad."

"Says the boy who got a prefect grade back on their Potions essay because she basically wrote it for him." said Ron.

"Hey, you can have that too if you get on her good side, come on."

* * *

><p>"…'My mum almost caught me though. Luckily the owl you sent lingered outside my window so i could sent my response back to you two. Just make sure to tell him to come straight to my bedroom next time. I think she's going to try with all her might to stop us from contacting each other now." Ah, His mother must be a Gryffindor."<p>

"And to think, the ruddy Head of Slytherin house is her husband, what a world." said George. "Is it time to corrupt the Potion Master's little boy then?"

"Of course." smiled Fred. "But would sending him our secret weapon be too much?"

"Hey, it's helped us in more situations than we can count, if he's going to follow in our footsteps, i say send it as soon as possible." said George. "Plus, he can see the whole layout of the school before he gets here, any kid would love that."

"I couldn't have said it better myself." nodded Fred.

* * *

><p>"Now class," squeaked tiny Professor Flitwick. "Today i was thinking of letting you split up into pairs to practice our next charm. Pick your partners now, please!"<p>

Ina agreed to sit behind Rose and Sam for time being. Ina sat down and took out her wand (Eleven inches, Cherry, with a dragon heartstring core to be exact.) and waited quietly. A Hufflepuff boy with voluminous, curly blonde hair slipped into the seat next to her.

"Quiet class, please. Now then, today we will be covering a new charm known as "_Wingardium Leviosa._" It's a simple charm that requires basic pronunciation and the correct hand movements." said Professor Flitwick. "If done correctly, it should make the feathers that i have placed on your desks to float. Remember,_ swish and flick_! It's all in the wrist! Now, give it a go!"

The class sent off, filling the rooms with each other's attempt at the charm. The boy besides Ina looked over at her. "What's your name?"

Ina glanced at him but said nothing. The boy smiled slightly. "A quiet type, eh? Not surprising, most Slytherins don't like talking to Hufflepuffs anyway. I'm Evan Wright." Ina nodded, focusing on her feather. Evan looked at her notebook which had her name written on it in fancy curved writing. He took a mental note of it.

"Yeah," said Evan. He had a slight Irish accent. "It was no surprise to me when i got sorted in the badger house, both of my parents were sorted there too. My dad almost didn't even come here even. He's from America originally, but his dad got a job in London when he was eight so they moved over here. And he's a muggle-born too, not that it matters. Were your parents in Slytherin too?"

"No. They were in Ravenclaw. Everyone in my family has been in Ravenclaw except for me." said Ina quietly.

"Oh," said Evan. "I guess that makes you the special snowflake in the family then. You're like a Slytherclaw or something, neat."

"Shouldn't you be focusing on your feather?" snapped Ina impatiently. Evan was talking way too much and her patience was running thin.

Evan smile widened. "Why? Am i _annoying_ you?"

"Yes, you are. And we're in a class with a task at hand to complete. You should be doing that instead of making small-talk." said Ina.

"It's called 'getting to know you' actually, but whatever you say. Do you have any siblings, Ina?" asked Even sweetly, trying to keep his voice down.

Ina huffed. "I have two older sisters."

"Both in Ravenclaw?" asked Evan. Ina nodded.

Ever since Ina had been little, she has grown up under the shadow of darling duo only know as Raina and Eloise. It's not like her parents loved her any less, or her sisters were any better than her, she just never _felt_ that she lived up to their standards.

Their father, Soren, is a well-respected official in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement with roots going back to the wizarding side of New Delhi, and their mother, Adela, is famously beautiful witch from the ancient wizard Lakita family from Bengaluru. They both held very high standards for knowledge, and they would expect nothing less from their three almost identical daughters. They definitely had their mother's looks, more or less.

Raina was, for lack of a better word, very _boastful_. She's best friends with Sam's older sister Gabrielle, almost inseparable actually, and she is more than happy to tell anyone about herself. Being that she was currently in her fifth year, she was more than positive that she was going to get all "Outstanding" marks. She's also currently in a long-distance relationship with sixteen-year old wizard in New Delhi called Omar Alai. Eloise was the one girl in school that every boy seemed to trip over themselves for. She's incredible stubborn, and almost all the professors liked her, and everything came to her effortlessly. Despite being a year younger than Raina, they were almost like twins. Both tall and lean, they even had the same sleek black hair and dark blue eyes.

If Raina and Eloise were the social and academic butterflies, then Ina felt that she had to live up to them as well. Ina did look like her sisters, but she had her father's long, straight nose, and her mother's brown eyes. She also didn't like her hair falling into her face, she almost always had it back in a ponytail. Ina definitely had the brains to complete with them though, but she was painfully shy, it was an accomplishment in itself that she was able to get Sam and Rose to be her friends so quickly. Even Hermione Granger was kind to her, though she expected that since they both longed for academic success, they probably bonded over that.

"I have a little brother myself." said Evan, snapping Ina out of thought. "Jackson. He's not coming here until our fifth year though."

Ina rolled her eyes. "That's wonderful."

"Ms. Zelena!" squeaked Professor Flitwick. "Now is not the time for chit-chat with Mr. Wright! Let's see if you've attempted the charm. Give it a go."

Evan stiffed a giggle. Ina shot Evan a look of utter loathing and gripped her wand tightly. _"Wingardium Leviosa!" _said Ina with a sharp swish and a flick of her wand.

The feather lifted off the desk, hovering almost three feet in the air. Professor Flitwick clapped. "My word, she's done it! Ms. Zelena has done it! Wonderful, absolutely wonderful!"

"Professor," said Ina, looking down at Flitwick and letting the feather to float back down. "If i may, has Hermione Granger done this charm yet?"

"Why yes, she has." responded Flitwick. "How did you know?"

A tiny smile formed on Ina's face. "Oh, just a lucky guess."

"Yeah," said Evan. "If "lucky" is the new meaning for "impossibly brilliant."

* * *

><p>"Harry, i don't want to-"<p>

"Ron, i'll jinx your legs together if you keep complaining."

"You know damn well that for one, you can't do that because Quirrell is a nervous wreck who hasn't taught us anything, and two, Madam Pince will get us both worse than you whatever you'd do to me if you keep yelling at me, and i wouldn't be complaining at you if you would just stop dragging me. We all know we can avoid the worst of this situation."

"Yeah, by stuffing a roll of parchment in your mouth, but i'm going to do that until it's the last thing i've got. Now be quiet. We're in a library."

Run huffed and walked on with Harry dragging him by his robe sleeve. The Hogwarts library was grand and full to the brim of rows and rows of books.

Ron hated it.

Or at-least severely disliked it.

Finally, after looking down what felt like endless rows of shelfs, Harry found the unmistakably mass of dark red that could only be Rose Snape, who was at a table with Ina and a now purple-haired Sam, bent over a long roll of parchment, her quill scratching quickly.

Harry went over to their table with Ron trailing behind him. "Hey Rose."

Rose looked up to see Harry and smiled. "Hi Harry." She looked over to Ron. "Who's your friend?"

"Ron Weasley." said Ron in a dull drone. "I'm a ginger and in Gryffindor and my whole family and me are a bunch of blood traitors. Oops, guess we can't be friends because we have so little in common. Guess i'll just leave then-"

Ron went to leave. Harry grabbed the collar to Ron's robe swiftly, holding him back. Ron went "Ack!" and Harry let go. Ron rubbed his throat irritably.

"You don't know anything about us." said Sam, chewing on the tip of her quill. "How do you know if we have nothing in common?"

"And i happen to be a ginger too." said Rose, pointing to her hair.

"_Well_," said Ron. "I don't know if you've noticed this or not, but you three are in Slytherin, while Harry and me are both in Gryffindor. Those houses aren't usually supposed to like each other."

"Because house unity is so overrated." said Ina sarcastically. Sam shook her head.

"Well come on, how are people going to react to seeing a group of Slytherins and Gryffindors walking down the hallway being all chummy with each other?"

"They'll think "Wow, who cares if we're supposed to hate each other or not because we're in different houses. You know, because what house we're in does not mean that we instantly hate anyone who's not in it too."" said Ina quickly. Ron looked dumbstruck.

"Right," said Harry. "Can we, uh, sit with you three then?"

Rose looked and Ina and Sam with her eyebrows raised. Ina sighed and nodded her head. Sam just grinned. "Sure."

Harry and Ron sat down, with Ron looking apprehensive at the three girls.

"So," said Harry, putting his hands on the table. "What are you working on?"

"That essay for Sprout." said Rose. "I wasn't sure if my information for Devil's Snare was correct, so i just came back from double-checking it with my dad-"

"Wait." said Ron, looking over at Rose with his eyebrow raised. "You get help from your dad? Even for a simple homework assignment?"

"Like you even started it." mumbled Ina. Sam giggled.

"Yes-?" said Rose, pretending she didn't hear Ina. "I mean, he teaches here. I don't see why i couldn't ask him for help, he is my dad after all."

"So," said Ron. "Say if either me or Harry had a particular problem, would it be possible for you to help us?"

"I don't see why i couldn't."

"Okay, but what if we were, uh, _closer_ to you than we are now, would your father have to be _nicer_ to us?"

"Yes, i guess he would have to be if you were my friend." said Rose. "But you _obviously_ don't want to have anything do with a Slytherin so…"

"Now Rose," said Ron. "Let's not get crazy here. I was obviously under the delusion that you were some hateful girl who would make fun of me for my freckles and for being in the enemy house. But upon sitting in you and your lovely girlfriends' presence, it has occurred to me that you aren't as bad as i thought you would be. In fact, you aren't bad all."

"And my dad would have to be nicer to you too." said Rose.

"Yes, that too."

Rose rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "Harry, you never said you were friends with Hogwarts' number one persuader."

Harry shrugged. "I think when he heard that Professor Snape would have to be nice to him, he gave in."

Sam giggled. "Oh, Professor Snape is _not_ going to like that, now is he?."

"Not a chance." said Ina.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Funny story, i was actually searching up the meaning behind "Soren" and it turns out that it's variant of "Severus". <em>HOW COOL IS THAT?<em>**


	10. Flying and Maps

**AN: Thank you guys for all the hits and the nice feedback!**

**Special shout out to the nice James/Lily shipper who left that wonderfully worded review that didn't have _any_ spelling errors in it at all: Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to bash on Snape/Lily, because you obviously took the time to search through a whole done of Snily fics to find this one to bash on. That really makes you look mature. **

_**NOW BACK TO THE SHOW~**_

* * *

><p>"You know, I've been flying for years. I've almost been hit by a muggle helicopter, but i narrowly missed it."<p>

"What a shame it missed."

"Now Balavan, i realize that you're friends with Snape's daughter, but you don't have to be rude to me to stay on her and her father's good side. However, if you were friends with me…"

"Oh shut it, Malfoy." said Ina irritably, walking up to Sam's side. "You keep bugging us to ditch Rose, how about you start being a better person and we'll _try_ to reconsider you."

"Is that a maybe then?" smiled Draco. Sam and Ina rolled their eyes and walked on in front of him. They walked up next to Rose's side, who was chatting with Ron.

"So you mean he actually changed his voice for each character?" asked Ron.

"Yeah, shocking, i know." said Rose.

"Well how am i supposed to look at Professor Snape without imagining him changing his voice into some goofy story character now? It's going to ruin my concentration during Potions class."

Rose giggled. "Like you had any to start with it."

Ron looked to Sam. "Did you know her dad changes his voice when he reads bedtime stories for them?" He pointed to Rose. "I would have never suspected."

"That's groundbreaking news, i'm sure." said Ina.

"It kinda is!" said Ron. "Now i want to know how he sounds when he does "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot" or something."

The first year Slytherin and Gryffindor students were heading outdoors for their first flying lesson. Most of the students were excited, others like Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom seemed extremely anxious about it. Neville's grandmother even sent him a Remembrall (a hand-sized glass ball that had white smoke in it that turned red when you forgot something) that very morning. Unfortunately for Neville, the white smoke turned red the exact moment that he grabbed it, he just couldn't remember what he had forgotten.

The group of first years stopped in the open field of the castle. "Quiet down." snapped Madam Hooch, a old witch with short, spiky gray hair and hawk-like, yellow eyes who came walking behind them. "Get into a line besides the brooms i have placed on the ground for you. Come on now, hurry up. We don't have all day."

The students went into two rows. "Now," said Madam Hooch. "Put your right hand over your broom and say "UP!" Say it like you mean it, even brooms know when you don't want to leave the ground or not."

Harry looked down at his broom and yelled "UP!" The broom flew straight into his outstretched hand. He looked around at the other students, Rose's broom flew up to her hand on the first try too. Other brooms, like Neville's, lingered on the ground, refusing to go any higher than a few inches off of the ground. Neville didn't sound like he wanted to leave the ground anyway, so Harry wasn't surprised. Ron looked down at his broom and yelled "UP!". The broom didn't go up. "Up. UP. UP!" yelled Ron. On the last attempt, the broom handle shot up, slamming into Ron's face with a loud 'WHACK!'. Harry laughed as Ron rubbed his hurt face. "Shut up, Harry." mumbled Ron. Madam Hooch explained the way to properly ride a broomstick, which she commented to Draco Malfoy that he had been riding it wrong for his whole life. Harry and Ron had to fight back their laughter.

"Now mount your brooms everyone." barked Madam Hooch. "Just hover a few feet off the ground, don't get crazy here."

The sudden demand from Madam Hooch to already start flying was slightly terrifying, and as if anything else could go wrong for Neville, he accidentally went off on his broom, going higher and higher into the air with no hint of coming down.

"Longbottom!" yelled Madam Hooch. "Get down from there!" Neville still went higher and higher before he lost his balance completely. There was a loud crash. Neville had fallen off his broom and into a crumbled mass on the grass. Madam Hooch pushed the students out of the way and ran over to him.

Madam Hooch shook her head. "A broken wrist. Come on now, Longbottom, let's get you to the hospital wing." She helped him up.

"None of your are to leave the ground until i come back," said Madam Hooch seriously. "Or else i'll have you on the train back to London before you say "Quidditch."

Madam Hooch and Neville left back to the castle. Once they were out of sight, Draco Malfoy grabbed Neville's forgotten Remembrall off the ground, which had slipped out of his robes.

"If only he had given this a squeeze, then maybe he wouldn't have fallen on his fat ass." laughed Draco, rolling the Remembrall in his hand. A few Slytherins giggled in response.

"Drop it, Malfoy." said Harry dangerously, stepping up to Draco.

"What was that, Potter?" sneered Draco.

"I said _drop it_." said Harry, his dark green eyes flashing angrily.

Draco smiled and went on his broom. "I'd like to see you _try_."

Draco flew up into the air, the smokey white Remembrall clenched in his hand. Harry positioned himself on his own broom and took off after Malfoy. Flying came to Harry easily.

"What an idiot." mumbled Hermione, a broom in one hand and the other on her hip.

Harry and Draco hovered in the air and glared at each other on their brooms. "You don't have Crabbe and Goyle to protect you up here!" yelled Harry.

He was right. Draco was quite alone up there in the air without his cronies. Draco sneered at Harry and threw the Remembrall in the air. Harry's eyes locked onto the Remembrall and he flew after it. It was heading down extremely fast. Harry caught up with it and catched the orb a mere foot from the ground.

Harry landed, smiling, with the Remembrall in his hand. The Gryffindors cheered happily, until a tartan-clad Professor McGonagall came storming out.

"Harry Potter! Come with me right now!"

Harry eyes widened. He shot a look to Ron before following Mcgonagall back to the castle.

"Ah," said Draco cheerfully, standing with Crabbe and Goyle now by his sides. "Looks like our darling Potter's time is up."

* * *

><p>"I hope all your candy tastes like pickled liver." spat Alice as she walked through the front door.<p>

"Oh you don't mean that. We shared the same "home" for nine months." said Fred, following close behind her.

Alice grimaced. "Don't remind me."

Fred grinned at his twin sister. They had just came back from their last Halloween trick-or-treating session before they went to Hogwarts next year (Their father had told them that the Halloween feast included candy for the students and dressing up in muggle costume was looked down upon.) "You want to eat some of our loot in my room?"

Alice readjusted her headband of flowers from her woodland fairy costume and eyed Fred suspiciously. "Do you have a fever or something?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" said Fred, genuinely surprised by Alice's response.

"You're obviously sick, because if i remember correctly," said Alice. "And i have a pretty amazing memory-"

"Always the humble one, aren't you?" said Fred sarcastically.

"-You have a sign on your door," continued Alice, annoyed. "That reads "No Girls allowed, _especially_ Rose and Alice". Wouldn't you think it was a bit odd that you'd suddenly invite one of them into your secret fortress unless you were going kooky with a sickness or something?"

Fred rolled his eyes. "Way to be a downer. Okay, fine. If you really need to know, i have to show you something and i don't want mum seeing it."

Alice raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Nothing deadly, if that's what you think."

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was."

"Shut up. Just look at it with me, okay?"

"What are we talking about?" said their mother's voice as she walked into the home. She was side-tracked by a neighbor and let her two children go on in front of her on their way home.

Alice froze up. "Uh…"

"We were just about to go up to my room, mum." said Fred sweetly, hiding any hit of wrong-doing from his face. "You know, to compare what candy we got."

Lily gave a questioning look to her son. "Are you sure you aren't sick?"

"Why does everyone think i'm sick when i'm just trying to be nice?" said Fred, his face turning slightly red.

Lily laughed. "Okay, okay! I didn't mean it, Freddie. You and Alice go have fun, just promise not to stay up too late, you two still have school tomorrow."

"But it's Halloween!" said Fred.

"And it's the first day of November tomorrow, and that doesn't excuse you from school. Even little Doctors don't get the day off, i thought you knew that." smiled Lily, pointing to Fred's Sixth Doctor costume. It's the only one that seemed to work with his still bright green hair.

"I'm _THE_ Doctor, not _A_ Doctor…." mumbled Fred.

Lily laughed. She kissed her two children and bid them good night. Fred grabbed Alice around her thin wrist and dragged her up the staircase and down the upstairs hallway to his room.

"I swear," said Alice as she was being dragged. "If you try to blow me up with some ridiculous muggle/magic hybrid contraption again…"

"Trust me Alice, i'm not going to do that tonight. But once i get my own wand, you can guarantee that blowing your little body up will be the first thing i do." said Fred.

"I'll be looking forward to it."

They walked up to Fred's bedroom door, still covered with an obscene amount of Doctor Who posters. Fred turned the knob and opened the door wide for the both of them. He turned on the light and they walked over the threshold.

Alice had never personally been in Fred's room before, so she didn't exactly know what she was going to expect, but she did find that there was nothing in the room that wasn't purely Frederick Severus Snape.

The walls were cluttered with even more Doctor Who posters than his door, and they were also decorated with various muggle comic books and movie posters as well. They also had what looked like designs and blueprints to inventions that Fred had made himself. His desk and drawers were nothing less than cluttered. They had tiny figures of Doctor Who characters on them (along with mini-TARDIS and a blue and green lighted Sonic Screwdrivers) and stacks of old muggle and magic magazines, with cuttings coming out of the pages of them. His bed was messy, and bookshelf had all the books lopsided and unorganized. At-least he actually bothered to put his dirty clothes into a hamper. Alice's nose crinkled slightly, the room smelled like gunpowder and apples for some reason.

"What?' said Fred, looking at Alice's semi-disgusted face. "This place usually looks a lot worst."

"All my sympathy goes out to your future wife then." said Alice, pushing the door closed. "What'd do you what to show me anyway? I don't want to stay in here all night."

"You won't, trust me." said Fred a little irritably. "I wanted to show you what Fred and George sent me!"

"You mean those two guys who keep sending you letters even though you're not supposed to be contacting them at all?" asked Alice.

"The very same." said Fred happily, shuffling through his drawers.

"Mum is going to kill you when she finds out, you know." said Alice.

"Well you won't tell her anything after i show you this." said Fred, pulling out what he was looking for and sitting on his bed. "Check this out!"

Reluctantly, Alice walked over to her brother's bed and sat down on the edge of it. Fred was looking at what Alice thought was a old, scribbled on piece of parchment, but then she read the title going across the folds in big, bold letters:

_Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs_

_Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers_

_are proud to present_

_**THE MARAUDER'S MAP**_

"Marauder's Map?" asked Alice. "What's a "Marauder"?

"Never mind that." said Fred. "Look at this." He pointed to the map as he opened it.

It was the Great Hall, full of students, teachers, and what looked like ghosts hanging about, probably eating and chatting. They were all represented by a tiny black dots with their names next to it.

"Wow." said Alice, amazed. "They sent you this? Why?"

"Because i'm their prodigy, obviously." said Fred, shrugging his shoulders. "Oh, look at that!"

He pointed to a black dot labeled "Quiriunus Quirrell", it was running into the Great Hall. After a few seconds, all the student dots went crazy, running around the hall, then they stopped, and finally, after a minute, the students started leaving the hall in lines.

"What's going on?" asked Alice, looking at the map with her eyebrows raised. "Did something happen?"

"No idea." said Fred. "Hey, i found dad's dot!"

Fred pointed to the staff table, where surely enough, they found a dot labeled "Severus Snape", it wasn't following the other staff members' dots, which looked like they were going to the dungeons.

"I wonder where dad's going." said Alice.

Fred flipped to another section of the map. It showed a girl's bathroom, with a tiny dot labeled "Hermione Granger" on it. It also had a large dot labeled "Mountain Troll".

"'Mountain Troll"?" asked Alice. "Do Mountains Trolls usually go to the girls' bathroom?"

"Not uninvited." said Fred. Two more dots showed up on the map, now labeled "Harry Potter" and "Ron Weasley", which were running towards the bathroom in top speed. "Ha! I found Harry Potter! Now why is he going to the girl's loo for?"

The two dots stopped in the bathroom, and then the one labeled for Harry bounced about, eventually landing on the large one labeled for the Troll. The one labeled for Hermione ran around until it was near the one labeled for Ron."I wished i could get an exact image of what was going on."

"Maps don't get direct connections to hidden camera in Hogwarts, Fred." said Alice. "No matter how good of a map they are."

"So you're saying it's good then?" said Fred, smiling, "I'll make sure to tell Fred and George that when i write them again."

"Plus, Hogwarts can't even use electricity." added Alice.

Fred frowned. "Does that mean my plan to install a TV in my common room is out then?"

"I found dad!" said Alice, pointing again to the map. The three dots labeled for Harry, Ron, and Hermione were next to each other, there was also a group near the entrance of the bathroom, one labeled for their father, one labeled "Minerva McGonagall" and the other was Quirrell again. After a few moments, the other dots left, leaving Quirrell in the loo with the troll.

"Damn, it was just getting interesting too." said Fred, shaking his head. "Even pay-per-view isn't that good."

"Like mum would ever let you get pay-per-view." sniggered Alice. "That's really neat though, i give it my, uh, _regards_."

"Right o' then." said Fred. "The Weasley Twins will be glad to hear that my perfect little sister has the map's approval."

"You're only a minute older than me, Fred."

"Still counts."


	11. Fluffy and Quidditch

**AN: Wow! We've had the biggest influx in favorites on this Story! Thank you guys!**

**By the way, you can now follow the writer of this fanfiction here: iwanttolivewithoutyou tumblr .com (remove the spaces)**

**Also, i really hate writing dialogue for Hagrid, so please forgive me for that. **

* * *

><p>"You took down a whole mountain troll by yourselves?"<p>

"Well, Ron's brilliant wand work was the biggest help in it."

"Hermione stop, you're going to make him blush."

"Oh shut up Sam."

Sam giggled, her bright green pigtails bouncing slightly. After the troll-in-the-girl's-bathroom incident, Harry and Ron had became friends with Hermione Granger, an exceptionally smart girl with bushy brown hair and large teeth, though she originally had her issues with Ron, but after being saved by a troll, she must have forgiven him at least a little bit. She was already friendly with Ina, and having Harry and Ron as friends, she, by extension, became Rose, Sam, and Ina's friend as well. The six of them were currently sitting in the courtyard after lunch in early November.

"Are you looking forward to your first Quidditch game, Harry?" asked Rose.

Harry nodded yes. In reality, he had never been more nervous. After chasing Draco around on his broom and amazingly catching Neville's Remembrall (somehow, Neville had lost it again), Professor McGonagall took Harry back to the castle, where he was sure that he'd be expelled. Turns out that McGonagall had seen Harry flying from her office window and was impressed by his skills, resulting in him being the new (and youngest) Seeker on Gryffindor Quidditch Team in over a hundred years. Harry borrowed a book from the Gryffindor Quidditch Team Captain, Oliver Wood, about all the in's and out's of Quiddtch called "Quidditch Through The Ages."

"I reckon that Harry will catch the snitch almost instantly and make Gryffindor win the game." said Ron. Ina raised an eyebrow to him. "What? Did i say something wrong?"

"It's Gryffindor versus _Slytherin_, and we've had our house's name on that cup for the past seven years. Don't think we'll just give up that easily." said Ina simply.

"Don't get an inflated head, Z." said Ron. "Anything could happen."

Rose looked at her wristwatch. "We should get going. We have Herbology after lunch. See you guys later."

Rose, Sam, and Ina collected their things and said goodbye, walking back into the castle. On their way back, Professor Snape passed them, limping.

"What's wrong with Professor Snape?" asked Hermione, indicating to the limping teacher. Ron and Harry looked over to professor in his long robes.

"What ever it is," mumbled Ron. "I hope it really hurts."

"Just because you got a three on your potion yesterday doesn't mean you have to be rude, Ron." said Hermione.

"How was i supposed to know we had to heat the potion again until it turned blue? Anyone could have missed that…"

"No, only people who didn't read the instructions properly would have missed that."

"Thanks for the encouragement, Hermione."

Professor Snape caught Harry's eye and limped over. "Damn." whispered Ron. "We're doomed."

Professor Snape towered over the three first years, clad in his usual black and looking quite menacing. "What is that you're trying to hide, Potter?"

Harry was trying to hide his borrowed Quidditch book. Professor Snape's mouth twisted into a slight curl. "Not trying to sneak library books, are we?"

"No sir." said Harry.

"Well, I can't allow students to take school property out of the school, now can i? I'll let you off easy, Potter. I'll only take five points away from Gryffindor today. But be careful, i won't be giving you that privilege for any other occasion. Now give me that book before i change my mind."

Harry reluctantly handed Professor Snape the book, and the Professor limped away, his black robes billowing behind his thin frame.

Ron grimaced. "Like there's a rule that we can't books outside of the library! Honestly, how is Rose his daughter again?"

"She's definitely more like her mum than anything." said Harry.

"Well, thank god that Mrs. Snape's genes were the dominant ones in their daughter then." said Ron

"Just ask Snape for the book back, Harry." said Hermione. "He must be heading over to the teacher's lounge. He can't refuse if the other teachers are there."

"You're right." said Harry, getting up. "I'll be right back."

* * *

><p>Harry walked down the corridor down to the teacher's lounge, set on his plan. He walked up to the door with two statues of gargoyles next to it. The door was unlocked.<p>

"Password?" said one Gargoyles, watching Harry.

"I don't know." whispered Harry. "Be quiet."

"I told you," said the gargoyle to the other one. "These kids are getting ruder and ruder every year."

"_Please_ be quiet?" said Harry quietly, getting slightly annoyed.

"_That's_ more like it." said the Gargoyle. They both went quiet.

Harry pushed the door open slightly and peered inside. He saw Professor Snape had his pant leg rolled up and was holding his robes just slightly under his kneecap, his leg looked slightly mangled, and the Caretaker Filch was wrapping his leg in bandages.

"Bloody dog." sneered Snape. "How the hell are you supposed keep an eye on all three of it's heads-?"

Harry's weight shifted to his side and it made the floor squeak. Snape's head snapped over to Harry's direction. His black eyes widened and he dropped his robes over his leg. "Potter! What are you doing?"

"N-nothing-" stammered Harry.

"Out! OUT!" shouted Snape, advancing towards Harry. Harry ran in the top speed in the other direction and out of the corridor completely.

On the way back to the common room, Harry remember a vivid memory from only a few weeks before.

Draco Malfoy had challenged Harry to a wizarding duel, which Harry accepted, with Ron as his Second. Hermione pursued them, warning them not to do it, though when she tried to get back to the common room, she found out that the Fat Lady had left her painting for an evening stroll, so Hermione joined them. Neville had forgotten the password once again and was forced to sleep outside, and not wanting to get attacked by Peeves, the Hogwarts' poltergeist, he joined them as well. The four of them went to the Trophy Room, waiting for Malfoy to show, but he never did. "He set us up!" said Ron angrily. Harry heard the distinctive meow of Mrs. Norris, they ran to the off-limit Third Corridor, were they were face-to-face with a large, three-headed dog. By instinct, the four children screamed, waking the dog and causing it to snarl and snap at them with it's three heads. They ran and slammed the door on the dogs face and ran back to Gryffindor Common Room as fast as their small legs could carry them. Once they were back in the Gryffindor Tower, Neville went straight to bed, not wanting to have anything else happen to him, while Harry, Ron, and Hermione stayed up to discuss one thing.

"That dog was standing on a trap door, did you notice?" said Hermione, looking to the two boys.

"No, i didn't." snapped Ron. "I was a bit preoccupied with it's heads!"

"_Well_, it was on a door. It must be guarding something down there." said Hermione, turning towards the dormitories. "Now if you'll excuse me, i'm going to bed before you get anymore clever ideas to get us killed. Or worse, _expelled_."

As she snapped the girl's dormitory door shut, Ron shook his head. "She _needs_ to sort out her priorities."

* * *

><p>Back in the Gryffindor Common Room, Harry shared what he saw to Ron and Hermione.<p>

"What would Snape be doing in the Third Floor Corridor for?" asked Hermione.

"That's what i wish i knew!" said Harry. "You don't reckon he let the troll in, do you?"

"Why would he do that?" said Hermione. "He's a teacher here and he's Head of Slytherin House, why would he purposely put a dangerous troll in the dungeons when his own daughter would be heading down there at any moment?"

"Yeah, you've got as point there. But he's being a bit shady, isn't he?" said Ron.

"Whatever you say, _Ronald_." said Hermione.

* * *

><p>"What's going on with his broom?" said Ron, confused. He looked through his binoculars, trying to hold on to Harry's form.<p>

The first Quidditch game on the season wasn't going necessarily as well as they were hoping for. It was going perfectly fine until the Slytherin team decided to play even dirtier than they were before, hitting the Gryffindor teams anything they got. As of now, Slytherin had the lead. Also, Harry's broom thought it would be funny to start acting like a wild horse, bucking around and trying to throw Harry off.

"Give me those!" yelled Hermione, grabbing the binoculars from Ron's hands. She peered through them and over to the teachers' stands. she caught sight of Professor Snape, his lips were moving rapidly and his eyes weren't blinking, they were focused on Harry's flailing form.

"It's Snape!" said Hermione. "He's jinxing the broom!"

"We have to do something!" said Ron, still locked onto Harry's form, who was still trying to keep his grip on the broom.

"Leave that to me." said Hermione, running from their part of the stands.

Hermione ran top speed down the stands and up the many wooden staircases until she was under the Teachers' stands. She took her wand out and found the trailing cloak of Professor Snape. She leveled herself and flicked her wand, sending flames out of the tip and onto Snape's cloak.

After a few seconds, she heard a older man's voice say "Good lord, you're on fire!" Hermione smiled and slipped out from the under the stands and headed back to where Ron was.

Hermione looked back to the field, where Harry had regained his once-wild broom and watch him chase after the Golden Snitch, a tiny, walnut-sized ball with tiny gold wings. Harry did some crazy broom trick and fell face-first off of his broom and onto the ground. The crowd did a loud "_Oh_" as he crashed.

Harry stood up, gagging. "He's going to puke!" yelled a girl's voice.

Harry hacked up a small ball from his mouth, it's tiny gold wings flicking slightly.

"Potter's caught the Snitch! Gryffindor Wins!" screamed the commentator, Lee Jordan. The crowd went wild. Hermione clapped enthusiastically.

* * *

><p>"Now why would yeh be wonderin' what's down in the Third Corridor?" asked Hagrid, the extremely tall and big bearded Groundskeeper.<p>

"We're just wondering what's so special that needs to be hidden!" said Hermione. "Obviously Snape's been down there. He must want it too."

"Why would Snape wan' wit' the Sorcerer's Stone?" asked Hagrid.

"The Sorcerer's Stone, eh?" said Ron.

Hagrid's face went red. "Should no' have tol' yeh tha', Nope."

"Well what's so special about it? And why is that giant three-headed dog guarding it?" said Harry.

"You mean Fluffy?" said Hagrid.

"You named that _THING_?" said Ron, shocked.

"O' course i did. He's mine." said Hagrid. He stopped again. "Shouldn' have tol' yeh tha' either. Stop askin' questions, will ya'? Fluffy and the Stone is none of yeh lot's concern. It's between Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel, and tha's tha'."

Hagrid stopped again. "Should have no' said tha'. Defini'ely not."

"Well, is there any way to get around-uh, _Fluffy_?" asked Hermione gently.

"Yeh' lull 'em to sleep, o' course." said Hagrid barely listening.

"Thanks Hagrid!" said Harry happily. The three Gryffindors left the Groundskeeper, looking stricken. "Oi! Come back 'ere!"


	12. Christmas

**AN: There will a sexual innuendo later in this chapter, so be warned for that. (Also i mixed some canon facts up for humor purposes.)**

* * *

><p>Harry studied his borrowed chess pieces. They didn't like him very much.<p>

November slipped by and the freezing December snow had set in, Christmas was rapidly approaching. Ron and Harry had signed with Professor McGonagall to stay at Hogwarts for their holiday. Fred and George and their older brother Percy signed up as well. Harry and Ron were currently playing a game of Wizard's Chess. It was like Muggle Chess, except the pieces moved when you commanded them to and the attacking piece would destroy the opposing piece when they took it.

Hermione and Rose entered the Great Hall, looking for Harry and Ron. They looked at the Gryffindor table and found them playing chess. They walked over quickly.

"Hello." said Hermione, looking at the pair of them. "Shouldn't you be packing to leave?"

"Change of plans." said Ron, focusing on the game before him. "My parents have decided to go visit my brother Charlie up in Romania, so we're staying here."

"Well, have a good holiday then." said Rose, smiling at the two of them. "I left you both presents for you to open later."

Harry looked up at her. "Really? Thank you."

Rose shrugged. "It's the least that i could do."

Hermione looked at Ron. "Remember to check the library for that _information_."

"But it's the holidays!" said Ron, looking up at Hermione. "We don't have homework, and we looked all over for Nicolas-"

Hermione's eyes widened, she shot them in Rose's direction.

"_Oh_." said Ron. "Yeah, right. We'll uh, keep an eye out."

Hermione huffed. "Thank you."

Rose looked at them, her brow furrowed slightly. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing." said Hermione in a slightly tense voice. "Just school stuff. It's _really_ boring, even by my standards."

"Well i could help you. I mean i have a professor for a father and all-"

"No!" said Harry and Hermione quickly. Rose's eyes widened.

"We mean, it's only for me and Ron. We got in trouble and ...got homework over the holiday."

Rose's eyebrow went up. "But Ron just said you _don't_ have homework over the break."

"I was trying to forget it." mumbled Ron.

"See?' said Hermione. "Let's just leave them to it. The train is leaving in ten minutes anyway. We better get going."

Rose looked at the three of them with a confused look on her face. She wanted to say something, but decided against it. "Try not to do it at the last minute then." she said finally.

"We'll try our best." said Harry with a sad smile on his face. Hermione and Rose waved them goodbye and left the hall.

Harry sighed and looked back to Ron. Ron had a small frown on his face and shrugged. They didn't like lying to Rose's face like that, but they had to. They didn't think she would take it well if she found out that they had suspicions that her own father was trying to kill Harry.

"We have to be a bit more sneaky about this." said Harry. "I think Rose might be on to us."

"You mean we have to do exactly what her father is doing then?" said Ron.

* * *

><p>"Why can't i just wait in the cafe'?"<p>

"Fred, you haven't seen your sister in three and a half months. You're not staying in the cafe'."

"Well i'm going to have to see her _anyway_. Plus she's just going to show off all the cool stuff she learned."

"So why wouldn't you want to know all of that ahead of time?"

Fred pouted. "_Because_."

Lily shook her head. "Honestly Fred, i don't know about you sometimes."

"He's just stubborn." said Alice. "It's what he does."

Fred stuck his tongue out her. He had his mother's old Gryffindor scarf wrapped around his neck, which clashed horribly with the ends of his still bright green hair. Fortunately for Lily, Fred's natural hair had finally started growing back in. There was already at least four and a half inches of black grown in. She couldn't wait until she could finally snip the last of green off of her son's head.

The three of them passed through the barrier to Platform 9¾ and onto the platform. Other families were hanging around, waiting for the Hogwarts Express to pull in and drop off their children.

"I swear," mumbled Fred under his scarf. "She better not show off once she gets here."

"Oh come on." said Alice. "She's only been at Hogwarts for a few months."

"Yeah, while we're still stuck in a boring muggle school with a Headmistress that hates me." said Fred.

"Well i don't think letting let all those frogs loose from the Science Department would go over well with her." said Alice.

"I have pent-up magical abilities that need to be released into the open." said Fred seriously.

Alice giggled. "And releasing a bunch of frogs over the school helped?"

"I think turning some of them different colours would have been better, but it helped a little bit." shrugged Fred.

There was a loud horn, and the distinctive bright red of the Hogwarts Express came into view. The train pulled into the platform with billowing white smoke coming out of the smokestacks. The train doors slide open, revealing a few older Hogwarts students.

The students departed from the train, running over to their families with their trunks in tow. After a few minutes, they spotted the dark red mass of hair that could only be Rose.

Rose waved goodbyes to two girls (one with curly purple pigtails and the other with dark brown hair) and looked around for her mother. Lily waved and Rose caught sight of her. Rose smiled and started dragging her trunk and Athena's cage over to them.

"Rose!" said Alice when her older sister reached them. Alice ran up to her and hugged her. "I missed you _so_ much."

"Obviously only having me around isn't as fun as she'd like." said Fred with his arms crossed over his chest. He stepped up next to Rose.

Rose let go of Alice and looked at Fred. A slight smile curled on her mouth. "You have _got_ to be kidding me."

Maybe the fact that she hadn't seem him in three months made Fred look strangely different, but she could have sworn the last time she saw him that he was barely an inch taller than Alice, now he was a little bit taller than Rose was.

"You like it?" smiled Fred. "Apparently the puberty fairy decided to play me a visit in the last two months."

"At least your arms don't look completely out of portion now." said Rose, pointing to Fred's lanky frame.

"Where's dad?" asked Alice, looking around Rose. "He was on the train, right?"

"No," said Fred. "See that guy who looks just like our dad that's walking over here and is in all black? That's Batman. Gotham City was getting too boring for him, i thought you knew that."

"You're not funny." said Alice. Fred just grinned to himself.

Thier father walked up to them and Lily wrapped her arms around him. "Having a good year so far?"

"What's left of it." said Severus. "Should we get going then? I don't think Fred's present will like waiting any longer."

Fred's eye widened slightly. "What did you get me?"

Severus smiled slightly. "You'll find out tomorrow."

* * *

><p>"Wha' dif you gef?"<p>

"Swallow your food first, Ron."

Ron swallowed his mouthful of Chocolate Skeleton. "What did you get?"

Harry unwrapped his present from Rose. It was was a new, updated version to "Quidditch Through the Ages". It had a note on it written in spidery letters. _"I heard that my dad took the library copy from you before you could get any tips from it (Like you need it!). I think you'll like a non-scribbled on version more. Happy Christmas!"_

"Ha! You get a book and i get candy. Rose definitely knows our personalities better than i thought." said Ron, shuffling through the small box of candy Rose left for him.

Harry picked up his next present. It was a lumpy package wrapped in simple brown paper. He ripped it open to reveal an odd, silvery fabric.

"Wha' daf?" said Ron, his mouth bursting with more candy.

"No idea." said Harry. He held up the long fabric. Harry shrugged and pulled it over his shoulders.

Ron's mouth fell open. "Your body's gone!"

Harry looked down. Ron was right. Everything below Harry's neck was gone. "What the-?"

"You got an Invisibility Cloak!" said an astonished Ron. "Who sent it?"

"No idea." said Harry. He looked in the ripped package and found a note. It had slanted, curved writing on it.

_"Your father left this in my possession before he died._

_It is time it was returned to you._

_Use it Well."_

Harry turned over the note. No one signed it.

"Weird." said Ron. There was a clicking noise and dormitory door opened to reveal George and Fred standing in the doorway.

"Ah," said George. "I see Harry got a famous Weasley sweater too."

Harry looked down to the thick green sweater that Mrs. Weasley, Ron's mother, had sent him. It had a large golden "H" knitted on the front for his name.

"Why isn't Ronny wearing his?" asked Fred.

"Because i don't want to. And i don't know what you're talking about, you two aren't even wearing the correct ones." snapped Ron. He didn't like his sweater all, probably because he said his was always maroon.

Fred looked down at the large "G" on his chest. "Now Ron, even we know that mum gets us mixed up sometimes."

"Yeah," said George, pulling on his "F" sweater. "Even we know that our names are really Gred and Forge."

"What are you doing?" said a voice behind the Twins. Fred moved over to show the face of their older brother Percy looking at them. He was tall and lanky like Ron was, and he had horn-ribbed glasses on the bridge of his long, freckled nose. He was also very bossy and pompous.

"Just discussing Christmas presents." said Fred. "Nothing in the rules against that, now is there Prefect Percy?"

Percy's gold prefect badge glittered on his sweater. He looked at them through narrowed eyes. "I suppose not."

"Exactly." said George. "Now if you'll excuse us, me and Fred are off to get some food."

"We can't celebrate our holidays properly without a proper meal." nodded Fred. The two of them walked pass Percy with identical grins on their faces.

"If they try to blow up another toilet," mumbled Percy, watching their retreating forms. "I'm going to _kill_ them."

* * *

><p>"What is it?"<p>

"Just wait, she'll be right back."

"But i don't _want_ to wait."

Fred sat on the sitting room's sofa next to his father, fidgeting.

Rose rolled her eyes and looked over at Alice. Alice was nose-deep in one of the new spell books their father had given her. Her mouth was moving silently, trying to imitate the spells she was reading. Rose looked back to the new art supplies her parents had gotten for her. Maybe she could sneak them back in her trunk when she got back to Hogwarts...

The front door unlocked and Fred's head snapped up.

"Is she here?" said Fred, his voice slightly anxious.

"Just calm down, okay?" said Severus, slightly amused by his son's behavior.

Lily stuck her snowflake-covered head into the room. "Is Fred ready for his gift?"

Severus looked over his shoulder at her and nodded. Lily smiled and stepped into the room with a something wiggling in her arms. Rose's mouth fell open slightly and Alice looked up from her book and let out an squeaky sounding "Aww!"

Lily was holding a tiny, wrinkled bulldog puppy in her arms. It was pushing its little arms over in Fred's direction, his little tail wagging happily.

"You got me a dog?" said Fred, his ends of his mouth twisting into a wide smile.

"Well," said Lily walking over with the tiny dog in her arms. "Aunt Marge called me and said that she had a new litter a few months ago. Of course, this one was the most energetic of the bunch and we knew you'd love him."

She handed the puppy to Fred. The little dog pushed up on his chest and started licking Fred all over his face.

"Do you like him?" asked Severus, scratching the dog behind his ear.

"Of course i do!" said Fred between the dog's kisses.

"What are you going to name him?" said Alice, setting aside her book.

Fred thought for a moment. "Eccleston."

"Oh." said Lily. "Is that some famous solider or something?"

"No," said Fred. "He played the Ninth Doctor."

Rose had to physically hold herself back from throwing a paintbrush at his head.

* * *

><p>Th Hogwarts library was deserted. Harry carried the lantern under the Invisibility cloak, trying his hardest to not make any noise. He reached the Restricted Section. In normal circumstances, Harry would be required to deliver a signed note from a professor to even enter this section, but with Madam Pince (The school librarian) gone and the fact that it was twelve at night gave Harry easy access.<p>

Harry untied the rope separating him from the Restricted Section and walked forward. The shelfs were dusty and dark, which contrasted with the usually more livelier library. Harry sent down his lantern on a rickety table and looked at the book titles. Harry grabbed a thick book connected to a chain and opened it. Instead of filling the air with old dust, the book had a face protruding from its pages, wailing out a loud, ear-splitting scream. Harry closed his eyes tightly and snapped the book shut. The scream was still echoing in the library.

"Who's 'here?" said the wheezy voice of Argus Filch. "Go check."

Harry left the Restricted Section in a hurry, knocking over his lantern onto the ground with a loud crash. He tried to be as silent as possible but heard a meow once he was only a few feet away from an exit out of the library. He turned around to see the bright red eyes of Mrs. Norris staring at him. She must have sensed him, but she couldn't see him properly. Harry opened the door quietly and slipped out.

He heard footsteps trailing behind him. Harry had to find somewhere to hide and quick before Filch caught him. Harry looked around and saw a darkened hallway. Harry ran to it, turning the corner just as Filch burst open the library door.

Harry saw a door at the end of the hallway and ran towards it. He opened it and slipped into the deserted classroom. He left the door open slightly.

Harry heard Filch give an loud, congested-sounding huff. "We'll get 'em next time, my sweet."

Harry sighed in relief. Now he could finally get back to the Gryffindor Common Room before he got into any real trouble. He turned to leave but a sparkle caught his eye.

He turned to see a large, gold-rimmed standing mirror on the far side of the classroom. Harry walked over to it cautiously. The mirror was dusty and covered in spider-webs. It had an inscription on the top of it.

_Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_

Harry took off the Invisibility cloak and looked into the mirror. He let out an audible gasp.

Instead of just seeing him reflected in the mirror, he saw more than twenty or so people staring back at him. Harry looked behind him. No one was there.

Harry turned back to the mirror and saw a woman standing in front. She was very pretty with long red hair. It almost looked like fire. She also had dark green eyes that looked oddly familiar.

_'She has eyes like me.'_ thought Harry.

A tall man with slightly askew glasses walked up and put his arm around her. He looked just like Harry, he even had the same unruly black hair which stuck out in all directions like him. Some of the people behind them had his eyes, others had his nose, he even saw a tiny old man that looked like he had Harry's knobby knees.

Harry stomach clenched up. He knew what he was looking at.

He was looking at his family for the first time.

"Mum-?" He whispered. "Dad-?"

The silent figures smiled at him. His mother was waving at him, her face was lit up with happiness, but she was crying. She looked like she wanted to stop but she couldn't, all she could do was smile through her tears.

Harry put his hand on the cold glass. His father put his hand where Harry laid his. Harry almost hopefully expected to feel his father's hand on his own, but the glass was still just as cold as it was before. Harry knew it wasn't real, but he just couldn't drag himself away from the mirror.

Harry spent another two hours in the deserted classroom just looking at his family's smiling faces.

* * *

><p>Fred lifted Eccleston to eye level. The tiny white bulldog wigged and licked Fred's nose. He giggled and scratched the dog behind his ears.<p>

"So what do you mean by 'Harry has been acting weird'?" asked Alice. The three of them were in the sitting room, relaxing by the warm fireplace.

"I don't know," said Rose. "He's just been acting strange lately. But i have no idea why."

"It's the Gryffindor motive." said Fred. "They like putting themselves in danger."

"I don't think him acting weird means he's putting himself in danger." said Rose. "He's just being...cautious. Or something."

"Whatever you say, but that doesn't explain why your boyfriend is acting weird." said Fred.

Rose blushed red. "He's _not_ my boyfriend!"

"Sure he isn't." smiled Fred sweetly. "But you have to admit, "Rose Potter" has a nice ring to it."

Severus and Lily were standing in front of their bedroom door. Lily put her arms around her husband's neck and pulled him in for a kiss.

"It's awfully cold, don't you think? We should go warm each other up." said Lily playfully.

"Lily, our children aren't even asleep yet." said Severus, trying to hide his grin from his face.

"They're old enough to know when to go to bed." said Lily. "Plus i haven't seen you in _months_."

Severus smiled in spite of himself. "You've got a point there."

"Exactly." whispered Lily. "We just have to be quiet."

* * *

><p>"Harry! Where are we going?"<p>

"Just wait, you'll see."

Harry and Ron were under the Invisibility cloak, walking down to the deserted corridor. It was late at night and Ron was dead-tired.

Harry saw the darkened hallway and lead them down it. He opened the door to the empty classroom and gestured Ron in. He pulled the cloak off of them and dragged Ron over to the mirror.

"Look at it." said Harry. "I saw my parents in this thing!"

Ron looked into the mirror. "I just see us, Harry."

Harry huffed. "Maybe only one person can stand in front of it at a time." Harry moved to the side so only Ron looked into the mirror.

"Do you see them?" said Harry excitedly.

"No." said Ron. "I see me."

"What?" said Harry. "That's not-"

"Except i'm Head Boy" continued Ron. "And i'm Quidditch Captain. I have the Quidditch Cup in my hands."

Ron stopped for a moment. "I look _good_."

Harry's eyebrows furrowed._ Why wasn't the mirror showing what he saw? _

"Do you think this mirror shows the future?" said Ron.

"It can't." said Harry in a hollow sort of voice. "I saw my parents and they're dead."

"Oh." said Ron. "Right."

* * *

><p>Lily was sound asleep on Severus's bare chest. Severus pushed his now-ruffled black hair out of his eyes. He slowly stoked Lily's red hair and smiled at her sleeping form.<p>

If you told him fifteen years ago that he would be married to the girl of his dreams and have three devoted children, he would most definitely not believe you. Severus was almost sure that he would wake up from this elaborate dream at any moment.

Severus looked up at the ceiling. The winter moonlight was shining into the room, giving the room a blueish tint. Severus sighed and closed his eyes.

"_Daddy_! Look what i can do!"

Severus looked at his six year old daughter running towards to him, her dark red hair flying behind her. He was sitting on the patio in their home's backyard making sure his daughter didn't stray too far.

"Look at this!" said Rose. Her hands were clasped tightly over each other.

"What am i supposed to be seeing?" said Severus.

Rose opened her small hands to reveal a daisy. She focused on the flower and after a moment it started moving, closing and reopening its petals.

Severus couldn't help but remember when he met Lily for the first time all those years ago, seeing her open the flower for her sister. Of course, Rose didn't have a sister who called her a 'freak' for her abilities. Severus smiled at Rose. "That's amazing, sweetie."

Rose smiled broadly and put the daisy his hand "Daddy, am i going to be as good of a wizard like you?"

"Technically you're a witch." said Severus.

"But will i be good?" said Rose, her green eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

Severus brushed back her hair and put the daisy behind her left ear. "Of course you are. Hell, you'll be the most world-renowned witch that has ever lived."

"Ssh!" said Rose, putting her finger in front of her mouth. "Mummy says you can't say bad words."

Severus smiled slightly. "Thanks for reminding me."

Lily stirred and Severus's eyes opened slightly. Lily looked up at him. "How long was i asleep for?"

Severus rubbed his eyes. "Lost count."

Lily noticed that Severus had a tiny grin on his face. "Did you have a good dream?"

Severus brushed a strand of Lily's hair out of her face. "More like a wonderful flashback."

* * *

><p>Harry sat in front of the mirror. He had no idea what time it was. He didn't care, just as long as his family's smiling faces were looking back out at him.<p>

"I was wondering where you've been going."

Harry jumped up and turned around quickly. Albus Dumbledore, with his long silver hair and beard and deep red robes, was sitting on a desk behind him. He didn't look mad. On the contrary, he was actually smiling at him.

"I'm sorry, sir-" said Harry. "I didn't know you were there."

"No need to apologize." said Dumbledore kindly. "I see that you've discovered the power of the Mirror of Erised."

"The Mirror of-?" said Harry, confused.

"Erised." said Dumbledore as he got up from the desk and walked over to him. "It shows the deepest and most desperate desire of ones heart."

Harry looked back at the mirror. His parents were waving back at him. "D-does everyone see something in the mirror?" asked Harry.

"I suppose most would." said Dumbledore. "Except maybe for the happiest man. He would see only himself looking back at him."

"You see your parents, i suppose?" asked Dumbledore. Harry gave a short nod.

"I expected so." said Dumbledore. "But i must warn you Harry, i suggest that you do not linger anymore on what you have seen in the mirror for these past few nights."

"But-" said Harry.

"Harry," said Dumbledore with a gentle voice, his light blue eyes focusing on him through his half-moon spectacles. Harry felt like he was being x-rayed. "Men have wasted away before it, not knowing if what they have seen is real, or even possible. I surely hope that you don't meet that same fate."

"I've noticed that keeping this mirror in the school was not one of my better ideas." said Dumbledore after a few silent minutes. "So i've decided to have the mirror moved to a secret location tomorrow."

"Oh." said Harry with a hint of sadness in his voice. Dumbledore reassuringly patted him on the shoulder.

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that." said Dumbledore finally. "I think we should both be off to bed. It's getting awfully late."

Harry nodded and picked up his cloak. As he went to leave, a question formed in his mind.

"Professor-?" said Harry, looking back at Dumbledore. "What do you see in the Mirror?"

Dumbledore smiled. "I see myself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks." Harry stared.

"One can never have enough socks," said Dumbledore. "Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a pair. People will insist on giving me books."

Harry smiled slightly at the Headmaster before heading back to the Gryffindor tower.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: SPOILER FOR FRED: There is no plan for Rose to ever get married to Harry...ever.<strong>


	13. Norbert and the Forbidden Forest

**AN: The whole Norbert and dead unicorn scenes have been shortened for time. Sorry Neville, you're not in this for now. **

* * *

><p>The Christmas holidays came and went, and the new year was upon them.<p>

"Bloody hell, what do you mean Snape is refereeing the next match?"

"I mean 'Snape is refereeing the next match'."

George and Fred Weasley groaned. "_We're doomed_."

Oliver Wood nodded his head grimly. Oliver had been notorious for his excessive need to win at Quidditch, but the looming fact that Gryffindor was in the lead to win made him thirsty for victory. Also having a new girlfriend made him eager to impress her. This was bad combination for the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, because as team captain, Oliver made the practices even more brutal than ever before.

As the team was getting ready to leave after practice, a girl with long, curly black hair ran into their changing tent and wrapped her arms around Oliver's neck and kissed him full on the mouth.

"H-hey Gabrielle." said a slightly embarrassed Oliver. Gabrielle Balavan smiled at him broadly. Oliver heard the Weasley Twins stiffen giggles behind him.

Gabrielle was very attractive. She had light olive complexion, which with her thick dark hair gave her an unique exotic look to her. Her eyes were a shade of light green, and she was very curvy.

"Not sabotaging the Gryffindor Quidditch team, are you?" said a boy's voice. Gabrielle turned around to see her younger brother Louis looking at them with just his head sticking into the tent. His light face was cracked into a grin.

"I'm in Gryffindor you idiot." said Gabrielle irritably, not removed her arms from around Oliver's neck. "You're not a very good Ravenclaw, you know."

Louis's blue eyes widened in fake shock. "There's absolutely no need to be rude, Gabby."

"Leave now before i turn you into Quaffle." said Gabrielle in a dangerous tone, her hand hovering over a pocket of her robe where the handle of her wand was protruding.

Louis giggled and left the tent, his thick mop of curly auburn hair bouncing slightly.

Gabrielle rolled her eyes. "I have a git for a brother and girl with crazy powers for a sister, how am i supposed to work with that?"

"Hey," said George Weasley. "I would be more than happy to have a younger sibling who could change their looks at will."

"Yeah," said Fred Weasley. "Except our family's ginger genes are so strong, i think any metamorphmagus in our family would only be able to change between light red, medium red, and dark red."

The lids over Gabrielle's eyes lowered. "That's fascinating."

"Always happy to entertain." said George happily.

* * *

><p>"I found him!"<p>

Hermione slammed a thick, crusty old book on the table. Ron and Harry jumped slightly.

"Found who?" asked Ron.

"Nicolas Flamel, of course!" said Hermione proudly. "I checked this out weeks ago for a bit of light reading."

Ron looked at the thick book in disbelief. "_This_ is light?"

Hermione looked at him and shook her head. "Honestly, don't you two read?"

She opened the book to a bookmarked spot and pointed to paragraph.

"Nicolas Flamel," read Hermione aloud. "Is famed alchemist and the only known maker to the Sorcerer's Stone." Ron and Harry looked at each other from the corner of their eyes.

"The Sorcerer's Stone," continued Hermione. "Is said to hold many great powers, including turning any metal into gold and producing "The Elixir of Life."

"The stone can make you immortal?" said Harry. "No wonder Snape wants to steal it. Anyone would want that."

"But we can't have a evil git for a professor get it." said Ron.

"Exactly." said Harry.

* * *

><p>"Great game, Harry!"<p>

Harry looked to his right to see that Rose had caught up with him. "Thanks."

"Sorry 'bout my dad though." said Rose, her smile flattening a tiny bit. "I don't think he meant to penalize you guys for…well everything i guess."

Harry shrugged. "We still won, right?"

"Well Gryffindor won, not Slytherin by a long shot, but it was still a good game." said Rose.

Harry looked past her shoulder to see tall figure in all black walk quickly in the opposite direction of the crowd. The figure was walking towards the Forbidden Forest.

"I'll uh..be right back." said Harry, his eyes following the figure into the darkness.

"Wait, where are you go-?" said Rose. Harry waved her off and walked in the opposite direction, his broom under his arm. Rose looked stricken. Sam walked up to her. "What's up?"

"I don't know." said Rose. "But Harry is acting stranger than my brother after a new "Doctor Who" episode."

"Huh, my dad acts like that too." said Sam. "_Weird_."

Harry flew up into the air and over the Forbidden Forest, keeping his focus tight on the retreating figure. Harry flew down, so he was hovering in the branches of the trees. He landed over an opening in the forest.

"I ho-honestly don't g-g-get why you insisted on m-meeting here, Se-severus."

"You know precisely why i told you to meet me here, Quirrell."

Harry looked down at Quirrell's trembling figure. even in the darkness, Snape's profile was still easily seen. "What do you know about the Sorcerer's Stone?"

"I d-don't k-know w-w-what you're talking a-about." stuttered Quirrell.

"Really? Because i think do know exactly what i'm talking about." said Snape. He sounded angry. "What's your means of protecting the Stone?"

"I c-c-can't tell y-you."

Snape exhaled loudly. "Very well. We'll discuss this later. Know where your true loyalties lie, Quirrell. "

Snape threw the hood of his cloak over his head and walked away, leaving Quirrell standing there, trembling.

"He's trying to figure out a way to steal the Stone." said Harry when he got back to the castle. "He must know how to get past Fluffy by now. He just needs to know what Quirrel's obstacle is."

"So the Stone is only safe as long as Quirrell is in the way?" asked Hermione.

"The Stone will be gone by next Tuesday." said Ron.

* * *

><p>"Uck!"<p>

Ron pushed Fang's drool off of his robes. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting in Hagrid's extremely toasty cabin, sipping his homemade tea.

"Lotta defenses wen' into the protection of the Stone, yeh see." said Hagrid. Hermione had used her large brain of hers to make Hagrid spill the beans once again.

"The first' one is 'rom Sprout, 'hen Flitwick, McGonagall, Quirrell, 'hen Snape." said Hagrid. "Why do yeh ask?"

"Just interested." said Hermione, sipping on her large mug of tea.

Harry pulled on the collar of his shirt. He was starting to sweat slightly. "Hagrid, why is it so hot in here?"

Hagrid smiled behind his bushy beard. "Oh nuthin'"

There was a tiny clicking noise. Hagrid jumped up (none too gracefully) from his seat and put patched pink oven mitts on. He walked over to the rustic fireplace and grabbed a large, dark green egg from a pot hanging over the fire. He placed it gently on the table.

"Hagrid-?" asked Ron. "What is tha-"

Before Ron could finish, a piece of the egg popped off, and another, and another, until finally a tiny, beady-eyed lizard head poked it's head out. The creature's claws broke down the rest of the egg until it was free. It stretched, showing off its foot long wings on the creature's back.

"Is that a dragon-?" said Hermione, her eyebrows raised.

"You betcha." said Hagrid happily. "Always wan'ed one."

"No offense Hagrid." said Harry, looking at the tiny dragon. "But where exactly did you get a dragon from?"

"Won 'em o' course. 'N a car' game." said Hagrid proudly.

"But Hagrid." said Hermione. "You live in a wooden hut, and a dragon breathes fire."

"He' be a good dragon," said Hagrid. "Won' ye', Norber'?

"Norbert?" said Ron.

"He's gotta have a name, don' he?" said Hagrid. Ron shrugged.

There was a loud crunching sound outside of the hut. The four of them whipped their heads to the cabin's window, where a streak of platinum blode was rushing away.

"Malfoy." said Harry angrily. "He saw the dragon!"

"Hagrid," said Hermione in a tense voice. "You have to get rid of him."

"But-"

"Hagrid, either we" She gestured to herself and Ron and Harry. "get expelled and you get fired or Norbert goes."

Hagrid looked down at Norbert with a frown. The tiny dragon looked back at him with mild interest. "I don' kno' Hermione..."

"Hagrid!"

Hagrid looked back up at the three of them. Their young faces were anxious "Oh, all righ'"

"Good." said Ron. "Now if you'll excuse us, we have to go sneak back into the castle before Malfoy snitches on us."

The three Gryffindors walked quickly, trying to get back to the Gryffindor Tower before Peeves found them.

"Wha' do we have here?"

They stopped and turned around slowly, Filch was looking down at them with a nasty grin on his face. "Oh, we are in _trouble_."

* * *

><p>Draco's face was nothing less than smug. He couldn't help but have a smile on his face.<p>

"What do you have to say for yourselves?" said Professor McGonagall, her dark hair in an uncharacteristic loose bun. "Well?"

"We-" started Harry. He didn't know what to say without getting Hagrid in trouble too. He looked over to Ron and Hermione, they were keeping quiet.

"Very well." said Mcgonagall. "Seeing as you three have no obvious reason to be out after hours, i have no choice but to give you all detention."

"Yes ma'am." said the three Gryffindors in unison.

"And take fifty points away form Gryffindor." contained McGonagall. "_Each_."

"But professor!" said Harry. "What about the House Cup?"

"As much as it pains me to do so, Potter, you three were still breaking the rules." said McGonagall. "I will sent you all four of you notes as to when you will serve out your detentions."

Draco's face lost his smile. "Excuse me professor, but did you just say "all _four_ of you?"

"Indeed Mr. Malfoy." said McGonagall sharply. "As noble as your attentions were, you were still out of bed after hours as well. You will serve detention with these three as well."

Harry couldn't helped but smile at Draco's stunned face.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry you lost all those points, Harry."<p>

"It doesn't matter."

Rose smiled at him sympathetically. "At least it wasn't my dad this time, right?"

The ends of Harry's mouth twitched slightly. "It just took us forever to get those points in Quidditch, and then we lost it all in one bloody night."

"It could be worst." said Rose.

"Yeah, like your dad trying to kill me."

"What?"

"Nothing. I'll see you later Rose."

Harry left the Gryffindor table, where Rose looked slightly out of place with her Slytherin uniform. She sighed and walked back to the table on green across the hall.

Harry walked up to an empty corridor, not wanting to see the angry looks of the other Gryffindor students' faces. Losing a hundred and fifty points in one night didn't go over well with them.

There was a classroom door that was slightly open. It sounded like someone was crying. Harry slowed down, trying to hear what was wrong.

"P-p-please, i c-ca-can't d-do t-this an-anymore..."

Harry brow furrowed. It sounded like someone was threatening Quirrell.

"F-f-fine, i-ii-i'll d-do i-it."

Harry looked from behind the door. Quirrell had his back to him and he was readjusting his turban. He looked ghastly pale.

"Snape is threatening Quirrell." said Harry. He ran to the library after what he saw. He knew Hermione and Ron would be interested to know.

"Let's go tell Dumbledore then!" said Hermione. "Snape's getting even closer to the Stone now!"

"We can't." said Harry. "There's no proof."

"Damn." mumbled Ron. There was a tap at Ron's shoulder. He looked up and saw Ina standing there with three tiny scrolls in her hand.

"Professor McGonagall said i had to give these to you." said Ina, handing each of them a scroll. "Why are you talking about Rose's dad for?"

"No reason." said Ron as he untied his scroll. Ina raised an eyebrow to him.

"What?" said Ron.

"Nothing." said Ina as she turned away from them.

Harry unrolled his scroll. "We have detention at eleven."

"And we have to meet Filch to learn what we have to do?" moaned Ron. "What else could go wrong?"

"We have to spend time with Draco." said Harry bitterly.

"Oh yeah." said Ron. "Now it's just one poisonous snake bite away from complete _hell_."

* * *

><p>Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco walked towards Hagrid's cabin with Filch leading he way.<p>

"If we still ha' our ol' ways of punishments around 'ere," wheezed Filch, the lantern in his hand bobbing slightly. "I'd have the lot of ya' in the dungeons, hanging by yeh 'humbs."

Ron and Hermione exchanged panicked looks. Harry looked straight ahead. Draco just looked mad.

They reached the cabin, where Hagrid was adjusting a wooden crossbow, his oversized boarhound Fang at his side.

"Ready for 'his lot then?" asked Filch. Hagrid nodded his big bushy head solemnly.

"Good lord man." said Filch. "Get a hold o' yourself. It's jus' a dragon."

"'Hey sen' Norber' away." said Hagrid sadly. "To Romania."

"Well that's good, isn't it?" said Hemrione. "He'll be with his own kind."

"But what if he don' like Romania?" said Hagrid, his beetle-black eyes widened in sadness. "Or wha' if 'hey're mean to 'em?"

Filch rolled his eyes. Hagrid took a shaky breath and controlled himself. "Let's ge' goin' then."

Hagrid looked towards the Forbideen Forest and gestured his alrge hand to follow him. Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed. Draco stood his gound.

"Oi," said Hagrid. "We hav' to get goin'"

"We can't be going in there." said Draco. "We're not supposed to."

"Yes, we are." said Harry.

"No, we aren't." said Draco, his voice filled with fear. "It's haunted and-" There was a distant howl. "And there's werewolves in there!"

"Shu' it Malfoy." growled Hagrid angerly. "We're goin' into the Fores' and tha's tha."

Reluctantly, Draco followed them into the darken forest.

While in there, the four students stood close together, trying not to get separated.

Hagrid stopped abruptly. "Tha's wha' we're lookin' for."

The four children looked around Hagrid and saw a blindingly white figure on the ground. Even with the lack of moonlight shining through, the creature glowed a faint sparkle.

"Hagrid?" asked Hermione. "What's that?"

"A unicorn." said Hagrid. "There has been a lot o' attacks recen'ly. See 'he silver on 'he ground?"

Hagrid pointed to a small puddle of silver liquid next to the unicorn. "Unicorn blood." said Hagrid grimly.

Harry felt oddly hollow looking at the dead unicorn. It was so beautiful and innocent. Who would ever attack one?

"Righ' 'hen." said Hagrid. "We hav' to spli' up. Ron and Hermione, you come wit' me. Draco, go wit' Harry."

"What?" said Draco and Harry at the same time.

"We hav' to collect 'he unicorns." said Hagrid. "I brough' yeh a lantern if yeh need one."

Draco looked up at Hagrid "Fine, but i get Fang."

"Go ahead." said Hagrid. "Bu' he's a bloody coward."

Draco took the lantern from Hagrid and Harry took Fang's leash. They went to the left of the forest while Hagrid, Ron, and Hermione went to the right.

"This all your fault." said Draco after a few minutes.

"Really?" said Harry. "Because i don't remember asking you to go sneaking around on us and getting all of us in trouble."

"I didn't know i would be dragged int it too."

"Well now you know."

Draco sneered at Harry and kept on walking. There was faint glow in the distance.

Harry and Draco walked around a large, fallen tree and saw a dark, cloaked figure standing over a dead unicorn. It was making odd sucking noises.

The figure looked up, there was silvery blood dripping from its lips and down its chin.

Draco screamed and ran with Fang, leaving Harry all alone. Harry was frozen into silence. He couldn't move.

The dark figure stood up, and without assistance, it started floating over to Harry. There was a cruel snarl on its face.

There was a loud galloping noise, and what looked like a horse jumped over to the clearing and on its hind legs. the dark figure retreated in a flash.

"Did he hurt you?"

Harry looked up. What he assumed was horse was actually a centaur with a palomino body, light blond hair, and astonishingly bright blue eyes.

"Did he hurt you?" repeated the centaur.

"N-no." said Harry, still shaken by what just happened.

The centaur turned his blond head to the dead unicorn. Its blood was splattered on the forest ground.

"It's a sin to kill a unicorn." said the centaur, turning his head back to Harry. "Drinking its blood is even worst."

"The unicorn is a pure, innocent creature." explained the centaur. "It never hurts or hunts a living creature. Killing one and drinking is blood will curse you."

"What would anyone drink its blood?" asked Harry. He thought it was disgusting.

"Unicorn blood can keep you alive," said the centaur. "But once that blood touches your lips, you'll be cursed with a half-life."

"Who would do that?" asked Harry.

"Can you think of anyone so evil, so bent on immortality, that they would do such an unspeakable crime?" said the centaur.

Harry thought of Voldemort. "I have a hunch."

There was crunching noises. Harry turned around to see Hagrid, Hermione, Ron, and Draco coming towards him. Hermione had Fang's leash in her hands. Hagrid had his lantern in one hand and the back of Draco's robes in the other.

"Let go of me, you giant oaf!" demanded Draco. "Wait until my father hears about this!"

"Yea', yea'," said Hagrid irritably. "Keep on sayin' tha' Malfoy. Yeh alrigh' 'Arry?"

"Yeah." said Harry. "He saved me." He pointed to the centaur.

"Good man, Firenze." said Hagrid. "Yeh been alrigh'?"

"The centaurs still do not approve of my friendly bonds with you, Hagrid." said Firenze. "No matter how many times i tell them our animosity towards you and your kind is not the best of circumstances."

"Eh," shrugged Hagrid. "They'll come aroun' even'ually. Come on yeh lot, we nee' to get Malfoy back to the cas'le before he starts up again."

"Oh, my father will not be happy when he hears about this!" said Draco angrily.


	14. Through the Trapdoor

"I swear to god, if i never see an exam paper again, i'll be happy." said Sam, pushing her turquoise fringe out of her face.

The end-of-the-year exams had finally wrapped up, and the students were just happy to finally get some seriously needed rest and relaxation before they could finally leave for the summer.

"I just hope our scores were good." said Hermione anxiously. "Did you know our scores actually determine if we get to go into our Second year or not?"

"I knew." said Ina in a tense voice. "Miss one question and you'll be stuck in First year all over again.

"Stop worrying." said Rose. "You're both super geniuses. You'll both be _fine_."

They walked outside of the castle, where Harry caught sight of Hagrid sitting outside of his hut playing a flute. Fang was at his feet sleeping.

"See you guys later." said Harry. Harry had a serious question he needed to ask Hagrid. Harry lead the way to Hagrid's hut. Rose shook her head when Harry, Ron, and Hermione were at least ten feet away.

"Harry still acting weird?" asked Sam.

"Yeah, but i don't want to freak him out if i say i notice what he's doing," said Rose. "Because i don't actually have any idea _what_ he's doing."

"The male species are single-layered, un-academically minded group of imbeciles." said Ina.

"English please." said Sam.

"Boys are shallow, brainless gits." said Ina, her eyes following Evan Wright's figure walking in the opposite direction.

* * *

><p>"Hagrid!" said Harry. Hagrid looked up at the three Gryffindors. "'Ello 'Harry. Why yeh runnin' for?"<p>

"I've been wondering, where did you get Norbert from anyway?" said Harry. "I don't think they can legally sell them at Diagon Alley."

"I told yeh, i won 'em." said Hagrid.

"Well who gave him to you then?" asked Harry.

Hagrid thought for a moment. "I don' know, i didn' see his face..."

"What?"

"He was wearin' a cloak, and it was a dark pub..." mumbled Hagrid. "And he was paying fer my drinks and all. He was playin' a tough game, i'll tell ya' that much, but i still won."

"And this stranger must have obviously gotten how to get past Fluffy from you too." said Ron sarcastically.

"Now that yeh mention it," said Hagrid. "He did seem awfully interested in Fluffy."

Ron's eyes widened slightly. Hermione tugged Harry on the robe sleeve. "I have an idea." she whispered.

* * *

><p>They ran towards Dumbledore's office, their robes flapping around their ankles.<p>

"We just tell Dumbledore's what going on and the Stone will be safe, right?" said Ron.

"Right." said Hermione. "Hopefully he'll hear us out."

Before they could even get a few feet away from the office, Professor McGonagall appeared there with a few books held in her arms.

"Professor!" said Hermione. "Where's Professor Dumbledore? We need to tell him something."

McGonagall looked down at them through her square spectacles. "He's in London."

"What?" said Harry. "For how long?"

"The Headmaster got an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic, Potter. I don't think it's any of your concern-"

"But professor!" said Harry. "It's matter about the Sorcerer's Stone!"

Professor McGonagall's eyes bulged. She almost lost her grip of the stack of books. "How did you know about-?"

"We've known about it for awhile actually." said Hermione.

"Well," said McGonagall, slightly ruffled from the situation. "I can assure you three that the Stone is no way in danger."

_She's obviously never seen Snape in action._ thought Harry.

* * *

><p>"You're a little scary sometimes, you know that? Brilliant...but scary."<p>

Ron looked down at a now stiff-as-a-board Neville. It was late at night in the Gryffindor Tower and if McGonagall and wasn't going to help them, then they had to take the safety of the Stone into their own hands. The three of them had gotten up when everyone was asleep, ready to go back to the Third Corridor when they found a very determined Neville awake in the common room, trying to keep them from "losing Gryffindor any more points." With a heartfelt "sorry" beforehand, Hermione sent a quick Full Body-Bind Curse at him and with a thump, Neville hit the ground, his legs and arms pastered to his sides.

"I'll unfreeze you when i get back, okay?" said Hermione to Neville's frozen form. Neville's eyes darted from left to right quickly.

The three of them rushed to the Third Corridor. The door leading to Fluffy was slightly ajar. They heard soft, mellow music coming from behind it.

They stepped into the room. Fluffy's three heads were sleeping soundly. Harry looked to his right and saw a harp playing itself in the corner.

"Snape must have left that there." said Hermione. "All we need to do it move one of their paws and slip under the door-"

The harp abruptly stopped playing. Fluffy's three heads stirred, opening their bright brown eyes at them.

The three of them panicked. They needed something musical and quick.

Harry felt a lump in his pocket. He pulled out a bumpy flute made of wood that Hagrid gave him for Christmas. Harry put the flute to his mouth and played a simple tune. Fluffy's three sets of eyes lowered. They fell back to sleep, snoring gently.

Ron, Hermione, and Harry pushed the three-headed dog's paw off the trapdoor and slip through. Instead of a flat surface, they feel down a long, slimy feeling slide.

After a minute, they landed on what felt like a bed of wet noodles with leaves. Veins wrapped themselves around them.

"What the hell is going on?" screamed Ron as vein wrapped around his arms.

"I don't know!" yelled Harry.

"Stop moving!" said Hermione. "This is Devil's Snare! The faster you move, the faster it will kill you! Just relax!"

"Kill us faster?" yelled Ron. "Oh yeah, now i can relax!"

"Be quiet!" said Hermione. "Let me think. Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare... What did Professor Sprout say? It likes the dark and the damp-"

"So light a fire!" said Harry.

"Yes, of course-" said Hermione. "But there's no wood!"

"HAVE YOU GONE MAD?" yelled Ron. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"

"Right, right-" said Hermione. She wiggled and grabbed her wand from her robes. She mumbled something and a bright blue ball of fire blossomed under them. The Devil's Snare unwrapped itself and the three of them fell down onto the hard stone ground. There was a downward, sloping passage. They passed through into the next chamber. A swarm of many thin birds were flying about.

"These birds..." said Hermione with a questioning look on her face. "They can't be here just for decoration."

Harry looked up at them intently. The harder he looked, the less and less they actually looked like birds...

"They're not birds!" yelled Harry. "They're keys! _Winged_ keys."

"Of course!" said Hermione. "They must unlock that door down at the other side." she pointed to the large door on the opposite side of the room.

"How do we get the right one?" asked Ron. "They all looked exactly the same."

Harry noticed one, it had a broken wing.

"I think i found it." smiled Harry. He looked to his left and saw a stack of brooms. He grabbed one and shot into the air and using his Seeker talent, he grabbed it with one hand.

He landed and they ran to the other side of the chamber, putting the wiggling, old-fashioned key into the door and unlocking it.

"How did you know this one was it?" asked Ron. The "old" key had shiny blue wings.

"It had a broken wing," said Harry. "I assumed that Snape must had been a little too rough with it. It kinda gave it away though."

"Brillant thinking, Harry." said Hermione. They passed over the threshold into the next chamber.

This chamber was dark and looked like a graveyard.

"No way..." breathed Ron. "It's a giant Chess set!"

"How do we get across?" said Hermione.

"Isn't it obvious? We have to _play_ our way across." said Ron. "Follow my lead."

Ron's grand skill in Wizard's Chess payed off. He was able to almost checkmate the King on the white side, but sacrificed himself to the white Queen for Harry to checkmate the King in his spot. Harry and Hermione were allowed to pass while Ron was left knocked out on the giant chessboard.

The next chamber smelled god awful. "What's that smell?" asked Hermione, covering her nose. They heard faint breathing. They looked closely to see a unconscious Mountain Troll laying on the ground.

"Thanks for that one, Snape." said Harry under breath. They walked to the next chamber.

This chamber was lid by torches, filling it with yellow light. When they entered the chamber, the entrance filled with purple flames. The way to the next chamber was full of black flame. There was table in the middle of the room with seven different shaped bottles laying on top. a Hermione and Harry walked forward. Upon further inspection, they noticed that there were no labels on the bottles. There was piece of parchment on the table. Hermione grabbed it and read it aloud.

"_Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,_

_Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,_

_One among us seven will let you move ahead,_

_Another will transport the drinker back instead,_

_Two among our number hold only nettle wine,_

_Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line._

_Choose, unless you wish to stay here for evermore,_

_To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:_

_First, however slyly the poison tries to hide_

_You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;_

_Second, different are those who stand at either end,_

_But if you would move onwards neither is your friend;_

_Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,_

_Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;_

_Fourth, the second left and the second on the right_

_Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight._"

"This isn't magic-" said Hermione. "It's logic - a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever."

Harry looked worried. "But so will we, won't we?"

Hermione shook her head. "Of course not, everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire and one will get us back through the purple."

Hermione thought for a few moments. Harry watched her anxiously.

After a few minutes, Hermione spoke. "If i have this figured out. This one-" she pointed to the one of the farthest left. "Is Poison. The next one is Nettle wine."

"_This_ one," said Hermione as she picked up the third one. "Should get you through the black flames." There barely enough potion left for one person.

"You take it." said Hermione, handing Harry the flask. Harry looked down at the flask then back to Hermione.

"You'll be okay, Harry." said Hermione. "You're a great wizard. You really are."

"Not as good as you." said Harry.

"Me? Books and cleverness. There are more important things: friendship and bravery." said Hermione. "And Harry, just be careful." Harry nodded and took off the stopper and drank the potion.

Harry turned around towards the black flames and took a deep breath. He stepped over the threshold and Hermione disappeared behind a wall of black flames.

Harry expected to see the sneering face of Professor Snape looking back at him when he stepped into the next chamber. But Snape wasn't there at all.

* * *

><p>It was Quirrell.<p>

Harry was bewildered. "Professor-?"

Quirrell turned around to face him, an uncharacteristic wicked grin was cracked on his pale face. The Mirror of Erised was behind him.

"But Snape-" said Harry.

Quirrell laughed. "Oh yes, he seems like the type, doesn't he?" His stutter was gone. "Who would ever expect poor, s-s-st-stuttering Quirrell next to the most loathed teacher in Hogwarts? I must say, the odds played in my favor."

Quirrell turned back to the Mirror, placing a hand on its cool surface. "This Mirror, it holds the key to the Stone, i know it..."

Harry couldn't believe what he was seeing. "But Snape, he jinxed my broom!"

Quirrell laughed again. "No you daft child. _I_ jinxed your broom, and i almost succeeded too if Snape wasn't muttering that damned counter-curse under his breath."

Harry's eyes widened. "Snape was trying to _save_ me? But i thought he hated me..."

"Oh trust me," said Quirrell. "He does hate you, but he never wanted you _dead_. How do you think his precious little daughter will react to the news of her friend dying at the hands of her father? Honestly, you children are so _naive_."

"Please Master," said Quirrell in a whisper. "Help me get the Stone that is rightfully yours."

_"Use the boy."_ said a high-pitched, snake-like voice.

Quirrell turned back to Harry. Harry felt a chill go down his spine.

"You!" bellowed Quirrell. "Look into the Mirror now!"

Harry slowly walked up and looked into the depths of the Mirror. Instead of seeing his family, he saw himself staring back at him. His reflection pulled out a roughly cut, ruby-red stone from his pocket and put it back, winking at him.

Harry felt a weight drop into his pocket._ The Stone is in his pocket._

"What do you see?" demanded Quirrell.

"I-i-" said Harry. "...I see myself shaking hands with Dumbledore. I just won the House Cup for Gryffindor."

_"He's lying."_ said the snake-like voice.

"Tell the truth boy. What do you see?" said Quirrell, his face deranged.

Harry stood there defiantly. "That's what i saw." Quirrell's hands clenched up in anger.

_"Let me see the boy..."_

"You can't Master," said Quirrell. "You are not strong enough..."

_"Do as i say, Quirrell."_

_Who was he talking to?_ thought Harry.

Quirrell gave a shuddering breath and put his hands to his purple turban and unwrapped it slowly. Harry didn't know what he was expecting next...

Quirrell finally got his turban off and turned around. Harry let out a gasp.

A face with red eyes and two tiny slits for a nose looked back at him from the back of Quirrell's head. A blinding flash of pain shot through Harry's forehead._ Voldemort was on the back of his head!_

_"Give me the Stone, Harry Potter..."_ said Voldemort with his cold voice.

"_N-never_." said Harry. His forehead was burning. He made a run for it.

_"GRAB HIM!"_ yelled Voldemort. Quirrell lunged forward. Harry looked back and saw that Quirrell was flying across the room after him. Quirrell grabbed Harry in a rage. Quirrell's hand brushed past Harry's face and before he knew it, he screaming.

Harry looked at Quirrell and saw that his hand was bursting with boils.

Harry reacted on impulse. He ran forward and put his hands on Quirrel's face, which burned with contact, then he grabbed onto Quirrell's arm, holding on tight with Quirrell screaming all the while. The pressure in Harry's head was about to explode. Harry felt his arm wrench away before everything went black...

* * *

><p>Harry woke up with bright summer sunlight shining onto his face. He pushed himself up on his elbow and looked around. He was in the hospital wing. Harry saw table full of gifts and candy next to his bed.<p>

The hospital wing door opened and the tall figure of Dumbledore walked in. "Ah, good to see you're up."

Dumbledore walked over with a smile on his old face.

"Sir-" said Harry. "We were trying to save the Stone. I thought Snape was trying to-"

Dumbledore put his hand up. "No need to explain, Harry. I know the whole story already. Funny thing, what happened down in the dungeon between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret. So, naturally, the whole school knows about it."

"But what about the Stone?" asked Harry. "Did Quirrell succeed? Did he get it?"

Dumbledore smiled. "He did not. In fact, the Stone has been destroyed. Most unfortunately for him, Voldemort left Quirrell to die down there. Quite an awful way to go, don't you think?"

"But i thought Voldemort was gone." said Harry. "Why was he on the back of Quirrell's _head_?"

"There are other ways for Voldemort to come back, i assure you that Harry." said Dumbledore. "I'm afraid to say but he cannot be killed so easily as one would think."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that Voldemort's soul lives on. Not fully alive, but not fully dead." said Dumbledore. "Quirrell must have found his mangled soul on one of his hands-ons travels before this school year, allowing Voldemort to latch onto his soul. You saw the deceased unicorns in the Forbidden Forest, did you not?"

"Yes." said Harry. "But i thought that was _just_ Voldemort-"

"Voldemort must have taken a great toll on Quirrell's well-being to drive him to drink unicorn blood then." said Dumbledore. "Such a shame. Hagrid was quite proud of the herd that lived in the Forest."

Harry looked at his sheets. "Quirrell couldn't even touch me though. He burned up when he did."

"There is a good reason to that." said Dumbledore. "Quirrell could not touch you for one reason snd one reason only."

"What?" said Harry."

"Love." said Dumbledore simply. "When your mother died to protect you all those years ago, she put a shield between you and Voldemort with her sacrifice. Her love is the thing protecting you, and if there's one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it's love."

Harry was silent for a few minutes. "What about the Stone? It fell into my pocket after i looked into the Mirror but not for him-"

Dumbledore chuckled. "Only a person who wanted to find the Stone - find it, but not use it - would be able to get it. That is one of my more brilliant ideas. And between you and me, that is saying something."

Harry smiled. "How long was i out for?"

"Quite a while." said Dumbledore. "Most unfortunate for your House's Quidditch team. They suffered their worst defeat against Ravenclaw in three hundred years without your Seeker skills to drive them to victory."

"Oh..." said Harry.

Dumbledore looked over at the table full of gifts next to Harry. "Do not fret Harry, look at all these splendid gifts your classmates have sent you! Though if i remember correctly, Madam Pomfrey had to remove a toilet seat from the Weasley Twins, apparently they said you'd appreciate the thought."

Dumbledore grabbed a large box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans from the table. "I was most unfortunate in my youth to come across a vomit-flavored one, and since then I'm afraid I've lost my liking for them." said Dumbledore. "But, I think I could be safe with a nice toffee."

Dumbledore put a light brown coloured bean in his mouth and chewed. He smiled. "Mm, alas, _earwax_."

Harry laughed and Dumbledore started to walk away. "Wait!" said Harry.

"Yes?" said Dumbledore kindly, turning back to Harry.

"No one in the wizarding world ever says You-Know-Who's name. Why do you?" asked Harry.

"Call him Voldemort, Harry. Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself." said Dumbledore. The hospital wing door opened again to reveal a girl with a long mass of dark red hair poking her head in.

"Ah," said Dumbledore. "I best be off then. Get some rest Harry, goodness knows you need some."

Rose entered the wing as Dumbledore went to leave.

"Good afternoon Ms. Snape, everything going well?" asked Dumbledore.

"Yes sir." said Rose. She has holding a leather-bound book in her hands.

"Excellent." said Dumbledore. He left the wing.

"You know," said Rose was she walked over to Harry's bed. "I heard an _funny_ story. Apparently a certain boy with round glasses and a lightning bolt scar on his head thought my father was trying to _kill_ him."

Harry blushed pink. "I'm sorry Rose, he just seems to hate me so much, i couldn't help but-"

"Don't apologize" said Rose. She was smiling. "I can see where you're coming from. I get it."

Harry looked at her with his eyebrows raised. "Really?"

"Really." said Rose. She sat down on the edge of his bed. "And for your information, he doesn't hate you _all_ that much."

"Yes he does." said Harry. "Why else would he single me out every Potions class?"

"I did some investigating myself about that actually." said Rose. "I asked my mum about it and apparently our fathers weren't the _best_ of friends during their school years."

"Really?" said Harry. "Like they didn't like each other?"

"More like they completely and utterly _loathed_ each other to beyond principle" said Rose. "My mum says you look like almost exactly like your dad, so i think my dad must get some - uh- _angry_ feelings when he sees you."

"Great." said Harry. "Do i have to get surgery now?"

Rose giggled. "I don't think so. But i have some good news, i think finally struck a deal with my dad. He promises to act at least civil to you from now on."

"Or?" asked Harry. There had to be a catch in this somewhere.

"Or i purposely drop out of school and join a roaming group of gypsies around Europe." said Rose. "I think by the sheer look of terror on my dad's face must have meant that he accepted my offer. "

Harry laughed. "You're definitely a true-breed Slytherin."

Rose patted the book on her lap. "This is for you by the way."

She hand him the book. Rose watched him for his reaction.

Harry opened to a random page. His eyes widened.

It was pictures of his parents smiling up at him.

"Where did you get this?" asked Harry.

"My mum recovered it after your parents passed." said Rose. "I thought you'd like it more."

"Thank you Rose." said Harry, flipping through the pages. He saw one picture that looked like the Snape's wedding. Harry's father had his arm wrapped around Professor Snape's shoulders. He didn't look too happy about it.

"Anytime." smiled Rose.

* * *

><p>"We were so damn close!"<p>

"Are you jealous?"

"Oh shut up Chess Master."

Ron smiled. Sam stuck her tongue out at Ron from across the train compartment. At the very last minute, Dumbledore had rewarded Gryffindor House with added points for the work Harry, Hermione, and Ron did for protecting the Stone. Neville got some as well just for standing up to them. It took Gryffindor from last place to winning the House Cup, beating Slytherin down to second place.

The Hogwarts Express was just about to leave the Hogsmeade station back to London.

"It feels weird, doesn't it?" asked Rose, looking out of the window at the Hogwarts Castle. "Going Home."

Harry smiled at the castle. "I'm not going home, not really."

The train lunged forward and after a few minutes, the windows were filled with lush green scenery of the Scotland countryside.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Up next: Chamber of Secrets! (a.k.a more Fred antics, Dobby, and Lockhart galore! Even some new characters! (Trust me, one of them is a <em>tough<em> _piece of work_.) (Also, we're cutting down the DW references to just the Seventh Doctor and below, we realized that it wouldn't make too much sense if Fred knew about the Doctor's after the revamp in 2005, unless Fred was a Seer, which he's not.)**


	15. Sam and the House Elf

**AN: Onto Chamber of Secrets! Time for Fred to be the most embarrassing person alive.**

* * *

><p>Harry looked up at the pasty orange ceiling. He was never sure why his Aunt Terry liked such unsaturated colours, but he had to make do. It was better than sleeping under the stairs after all. At least there was no spiders crawling on him when he slept.<p>

"Potter!" screeched Aunt Terry. "Get down here!"

Harry sighed and reluctantly got off his bed. He stepped out into the hallway and slowly made his way down the staircase and into the living room of Number 8, Conium Way.

Harry stood in the living room's archway, looking at his Aunt readjusting the headband on her pin-straight hair.

Aunt Terry glanced at Harry's direction. "About time you got down here. We have to discuss matters for tonight."

Whenever Aunt Terry said "discuss", Harry knew it usually meant that she would belittle or demand something out of him. Harry wasn't surprised, Aunt Terry wouldn't want _anything_ to go wrong tonight.

Christian Krauss, Terry's deceased husband, was a rude, angry, arrogant man with a no-nonsense attitude. Originally from Germany, he moved to England in the early seventies when he was only eighteen years old. He was businessman with exceptional negotiating skills (and he never took "No" for an answer.) He was persuasive with clients and made his architecture company one of the finest in England. He met Terry one day when their trains at King's Cross were running late. Christian loved her straight-forward attitude. Terry loved that he hated magic and all that fantasy nonsense just like her. Their son, Darius, was the product of their courtship.

Christian died only a few years earlier when Darius and Harry were about eight. He was raging in his car one day when he was stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. One thing lead to another and his heart couldn't take it anymore. Terry put on a brave face, and now being the sole bread-winner in the family to support her son and nephew, she took her husband's now vacated spot at his company. Needless to say, most of the employees were more terrified of her than they were of her husband.

"Now listen here, Mr. and Mrs. Fahey are coming for dinner tonight and i want absolutely _nothing_ to go wrong, you understand?" said Aunt Terry, her skinny finger waving in front of Harry's nose. "This is a huge deal for my company and i don't you and your _abnormality_ to ruin it."

"So i have to stay in my room and pretend i don't exist?" said Harry sarcastically. Harry still hasn't forgotten how his Aunt had purposely hidden and burned his Hogwarts letters last year.

"Precisely." said Aunt Terry. Darius sat on the couch behind her, munching on a handful of assorted nuts.

Darius looked like an awful lot like his father. In his youth, Christian Krauss was a tall, muscular man, but with age his belly got a tad bit plumper. His head was plastered with short, dark curly hair that he tried to smooth down with pine smelling hair gel. Darius was him in miniature, same curly hair and all, except it was his mother's light brown shade. Darius was lazy, spoiled, and loved to ridicule Harry, whether it be his glasses or his advantage height and weight-wise to him, he didn't care.

"Yeah Potter, no one wants you here." said Darius in-between stuffing his face. Harry grimaced at him.

"Now Darius, honey, what are you going to do once the Faheys are here?" said Aunt Terry in the sugared tone that she only used for her son.

"Escort them to the living room," said Darius in a pompous voice. "Where i shall liven up the evening with my well-crafted jokes..."

Harry's eye twitched. He left the room as his Aunt and Darius discussed their plans to impress the Faheys into signing whatever deal Aunt Terry was proposing to them. On the way up the stairs, Harry felt oddly lonely. He just wished he'd have one letter to keep him company.

Hedwig had made constant trips throughout the past month to his friends at Hogwarts, sending them letters, but he hadn't got a single letter back. Not one from Ron, or Hermione, not even Rose. Had they not gotten them? Had they forgotten him? Harry had no clue.

Harry sighed and turned the doorknob to his bedroom. He shut the door behind him quietly. He was going to flop face first onto his bed but he couldn't. Someone was already on it, _Jumping_.

* * *

><p><em>'-No escape from reality. Open your eyes, Look up to the skies and see,-"<em>

Fred looked up at his bright green ceiling. A large poster of the Joker was looking back him. Eccleston was snoozing on Fred's shoulder, drooling slightly on his t-shirt. Fred was absentmindedly scratching the bulldog's ear with his left hand. A large set of bulky headphones were on his Fred's head, blasting a muggle band called "Queen" into his ears. A torn-open acceptance letter to Hogwarts laid on his desk. Fred remembered vaguely that his older sister Rose had told him about "being on his best behavior" earlier that morning. Apparently some of her Hogwarts friends were coming over. Fred assumed that it was best for him to just say out of her way for the time being.

* * *

><p>"-And over down this way is my bedroom." said Rose.<p>

"Why is it so quiet?" asked Sam. Indeed, the hallway was almost dead silent.

"I don't know." said Rose. "Usually Fred is blasting some muggle music right about now."

"Maybe he's asleep." said Ina, looking around. She was very interested in the Snape's home. It was mixture of wizard and muggle culture under one roof.

"Our Fred?" said Alice. "Don't make me laugh. He talks in his sleep for goodness sake."

"Let's check his room then." said Rose. "And if he's not there, then he's obviously lost."

"Fingers crossed." said Alice. The four girls walked down the hallway towards the door covered in magazine clippings and a handmade sign warning that no girls were allowed inside.

"T.A.R.D.I.S?" said Ina, saying each letter individually. "What's a _Tard_-is?"

"Some Doctor Who thing." said Rose. "Which is ridiculous, a 1950's police box that travels through space and time. Who thought that one up?"

Rose knocked on the door. "Fred! You in there?" There was no answer.

Rose knocked again, louder. "Fred!" No answer. She knocked again to no avail.

"We're going in." said Alice melodramatically. She had only been in Fred's room once the previous year. She didn't like it all that much. "Rose, blast it open."

"I'm not doing that!" said Rose. "The Ministry would take my wand away!"

"No they couldn't." said Ina. "You live in a primarily magic household. They wouldn't be able to trace any magic you do back to you. Too many possible sources where it could have came from."

"Well the door's unlocked." said Sam. She had twisted the knob and opened the door slightly. "Let's go then."

The fours girls slipped into the room. Fred was standing and jumping on his bed, his black hair poking in random directions from under his bulky headphones. He looked like he was playing an invisible guitar. Eccleston was looking up at him with his long, pink tongue sticking out of the side of his wide mouth.

"_So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye-?_" sang Fred in an extremely off-pinch tone. His eyes were closed. "_So you think you can love me and leave me to die? Oh, baby, can't do this to me, baby-_"

Rose and Alice bit their lips, tears of laughter swarming in their eyes. Ina was giggling behind her hand. Sam stepped onto Fred's bed, staying in tune with his jumping as to not give her away. Fred's eyes were still closed shut.

"_-Just gotta get right outta here-!" _sang Fred.

"Ah!" yelled Sam, jumping onto Fred and wrapping her arms around his chest. Fred flew backwards onto his bed with Sam on top of him, the breath pushed out of his lungs.

Fred's eyes snapped open and he saw a pair of bright violet eyes looking back him. "What the-?"

Fred looked around the girl, strands of his hair in his face. "Rose!"

"Yes Freddie?" said Rose through her giggles.

"I said no girls in my room! That includes your friends too!" said an annoyed Fred. His face was flushed with embarrassment.

"So you're Fred huh?" said Sam, smiling. "Rose you sly girl. You never said your brother was cute."

Fred blushed red. She thought he was… _cute_?

"That's a matter of personal opinion, Sam." giggled Alice. "Though it looks like Fred appreciated your compliment." She pointed to his reddened face.

Sam rolled off of Fred and got off his bed. She stuck her hand out. "Want to help show us 'round?" asked Sam with a smile. Fred grabbed her hand and she helped him up.

"Sorry 'bout that." said Sam when the five of them were back walking down the hallway. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't _scare_ me." said Fred. "You just caught me off guard while i was in my musician alter-ego mode."

Sam laughed. Fred didn't exactly know why, but he had an oddly warm feeling in his chest about her. He could't put his finger on it, but he knew it wasn't there before.

* * *

><p>"What the-?"<p>

A small creature in a dirty pillowcase was on his bed, no bigger than three feet tall. It had bat-like pointed ears and a long, pencil-like nose. It was giggling while jumping on Harry's bed. It turned and saw Harry.

"Mr. Potter-" said the creature solemnly. "It's so good to see you!"

Harry stood there bewildered. "Uh..."

"I'm sorry sir." said the creature, its large ears drooping at the sight of Harry's expression. "I did not mean to intrude..."

"It's - uh-" said Harry, not sure what to say. "- not to be rude or anything, but who _are_ you?"

"I am Dobby sir." said the creature with a bow that made his long nose hit the bed. "Dobby the House Elf."

"No offense Dobby." said Harry. "But now isn't exactly the best time for me to have a house elf in my room." Harry could hear his aunt talking to the Faheys downstairs, her screechy laugh could be heard all the way upstairs.

"Dobby has a reason to be here!" said Dobby. "He came with a warning for Mr. Harry Potter!"

"What?" whispered Harry. Dobby's squeaky voice was getting too loud.

"Harry Potter must not return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" said Dobby anxiously, his large, tennis-ball green eyes looking up at Harry.

"What?" said Harry. "No Dobby, you don't understand. I _have_ to go back. I don't belong here. I belong in your world, at Hogwarts-"

"Bad things are happening at Hogwarts, sir." said Dobby.

"Like what?" asked Harry. "What bad things are happening at Hogwarts?"

Dobby went to speak but slapped his hands over his mouth. He stook his head and grabbed Harry's bedside lamp and started bashing himself on the head with it. "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!" yelled Dobby, slamming the lamp onto his head. Harry panicked, he could hear that the talking downstairs had stopped abruptly.

"Dobby!" whispered Harry urgently. "Please stop! Please!"

Dobby stopped, the lamp held his tiny, shaky hand. "I'm s-sorry sir, but Dobby has been forbidden to tell anyone anything."

"Okay, okay." said Harry. "Just be quiet, _please_?"

There was a sharp rap on his door. Harry whipped around quickly. "Hide!"

"But sir-" said Dobby. Harry grabbed Dobby around his pillowcase and threw him in the closet. The door opened.

"What - the - _devil_ - are - you - doing?" whispered Aunt Terry viscously. "We can hear all the way down there-!"

"I'm sorry." said Harry. "I'll be quiet. Honest."

Aunt Terry narrowed her eyes. "See to it that you do, Potter." She snapped the door shut.

Dobby walked out of the closet with his hand on his bruised head. "S-sorry sir, Dobby did not mean to get you in trouble-"

"It's fine." said Harry. "Just - sit down-"

"Sit down?" asked Dobby, his big eyes widened in shock. "Dobby has never been asked to sit down by a wizard before! To be treated like an _equal_- "

Harry raised an eyebrow. "You must have not met too many decent wizards then."

"No sir, he has not- " said Dobby. Dobby realized what he was saying and ran over to Harry's dresser and started banging his head against it. "Bad Dobby! _BAD DOBBY_!"

"Dobby-!" said Harry in an aspirated whisper. "Stop! _Please_-!"

Dobby stopped, his hands clinging onto the dresser to steady himself. Dobby looked up, his eyes slightly unfocused. "Sorry sir. Dobby had to do that. He almost spoke ill of his family-"

"Family?" asked Harry.

"Yes sir. House elves are to serve to only one wizarding family until the day we die." said Dobby. "Dobby had to iron his hands just for coming here to warn you." Dobby held up his bandaged hands.

"Why do you wear the pillowcase then?" asked Harry.

"Tis' a sign of a house elf's enslavement, sir." said Dobby sadly, picking at his pillowcase. "If we're handed a single piece of decent clothing, the house elf is set free. But Dobby is certain that he will never be set free in his lifetime."

Harry was still confused. "But why are warning me for? Why goes through all that trouble for me?"

"Even among house elves, you are famous, sir." said Dobby. "You brought down He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. House elves were treated like vermin before he was gone. Of course, Dobby is treated like vermin." He gave a tiny half-heartfelt laugh.

"Dobby, you don't understand." said Harry. "I have to go back to Hogwarts, all my friends are there-"

"Even though none of them have been writing you back?" said Dobby.

"Yeah-" said Harry. He stopped himself. "Wait, how did you know they haven't been writing me back?"

Dobby looked embarrassed. He pulled out a thick stack of parchment wrapped in twine from his pillowcase. "Dobby thought... If Harry Potter his friends had forgotten him... he would want to stay here instead..."

"You stopped my letters from being sent to me?" said Harry angrily. "Give me those!"

"Dobby will hand over the letters on one condition!" squeaked Dobby as he gripped the stack of letters tightly. "Harry Potter must promise to not return to Hogwarts!"

"No deal." said Harry. He lunged forward. Dobby's eyes widened and he ran off the bed and under Harry's legs. Dobby slided into the halway.

"Wait!" yelled Harry. "Don't go down there!"

Dobby skidded down the staircase and ran on his tiny legs to the living's room archway. Aunt Terry's steaming Lemon Mince pie sat on the table behind the aged Mr. and Mrs. Fahey. Harry could hear that Darius was in the middle of some ridiculous story of him saving a group of orphans from an burning building.

"_Dobby_-!" breathed Harry. "Please - _don't_-"

Dobby looked at Harry sadly and with a snap of his thin fingers, Aunt Terry's pie was in the air, floating towards Mr. Fahey's head...

* * *

><p>"Who locks their own nephew up?" said Rose, her legs hanging off the arm of the sofa.<p>

"Someone who's seriously mental." said Fred, sitting next to her with his feet resting on the coffe table. His eyes looking over at the Weasley Twins' letter. "'-We wrapped a hook on our dad's car bumper to the bars and ripped them off.' Bloody hell, why doesn't dad have a flying car?"

"Because it's not legal." said Alice from their father's favorite dark armchair. "What else does it say?"

"'Got Harry out with his trunk and owl', 'His skeletal aunt was raging'," said Fred nonchalantly as he looked down the piece of parchment. "'His oaf cousin fell out the window on his arse-'. Ha! Imagine Dudley doing that! Oh and they went back to their place. Apparently their mum wasn't too happy about it when she found out what they did."

"Well do you think you'd react if your kids went out during the middle of the night with a flying car to bust their friend out of their Aunt's house?" said Alice without taking a breath.

"Nonsense, i'd be ecstatic if my kids did that." said Fred with a smile.

"I honestly cannot imagine you with kids." said Rose.

"Thank you for believing in me and my future children." said Fred sarcastically. "Oh and apparently some house elf stopped all of Harry's mail from getting to him."

"Is that why he hasn't been writing me back?" asked Rose. "I thought he forgot me!"

"I doubt he'd forget little ol' you." said Fred. "Oh, Georgie says that Ginny is _really_ enjoying that Harry is that the Burrow with them."

"But I thought she was - uh - _infatuated_ with him." said Rose a bit awkwardly.

"Exactly." said Fred. "Hasn't said a single word to him since he's got there. Hmm, when are we going to Diagon Alley?"

"Mum says we can go tomorrow." said Alice. "Why?"

"'Cause they wrote that they're heading there tomorrow as well." said Fred. "Excellent. I can finally meet the famous Harry Potter."

"I offered to let you write him." said Rose.

"What? And have a house elf steal it so he'll never read my fantastically written message?" said Fred with his eyebrows raised. "No thank you."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Up next: Lockhart and a new character known as <em>Charisse Wargrave. <em>Trust me, you'll_ love _her_._**


	16. Flourish and Blotts and The Missing Car

Fred poked Alice's hair with his new wand. "What would you do if i turned your hair pink?"

"I'll turn you inside-out, you berk." said Alice, keeping a tight grip on the thin box in her hand.

Fred turned to look behind him. "Hey Rose, do you like that my wand is bigger than yours?"

"Do you like that you have absolutely no idea how to use it and i'll send a Bat-Bogey Hex at you faster than you can say 'Oh god please stop.'? said Rose.

Their parents had let their three children off by themselves after the Twins received their wands. They were off getting some special gift for Fred and Alice and the children were sticking together through a very crowded Diagon Alley.

"Very funny." said Fred, looking down at his Hogwarts supply list. "Let's go get these damn Lockhart books. 'Wonder why dad won't tell us who the new Defense teacher is…"

"Well the last one had You-Know-Who on the back of his head." said Rose. "The new one can't be worst than _that_."

"Unless it _is_ You-Know-Who," said Fred. "In which case, i'm going to have to send a very angrily worded letter to the Headmaster."

"I bet you will." said Rose. "Though i wouldn't past that theory up. We have to buy almost all of Lockhart's books, that's almost just as evil as whatever You-Know-Who would do." The three of then turned into Flourish and Blotts. A large sign stood outside the store that read '_GILDEROY LOCKHART BOOK SIGNING TODAY!_'

"What are there so many women here?" asked Fred, looking around at all the middle-aged women and what looked like their daughters in the store. "They're not all here for me are they?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Just keep our spaces in line, okay? Alice and i will go get our books."

"Right then." said Fred. His two sisters went off in two different directions of the store. After a few minutes, a boy about Fred's height with red hair walked over.

"Hey Fred," said Ron Weasley. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for my sisters to get our school books and for our parents to come find us." said Fred.

Over the summer, The Weasley Twins had came over to the Snape's home on a variety of occasions (much to their father's _displeasure_) and they decided to bring their younger brother and sister along. Rose was already friends with Ron, so they the time they had to be under the same roof were full of chat over Quidditch (which Rose had a surprisingly vast knowledge about) and Alice and Ginny had taken a great liking to each other. The only thing their father cared about was that the Weasley Twins didn't pull some ridiculous prank on him. He already had to deal with them enough at Hogwarts, the fact that his own son was their little prodigy didn't make him happy in the slightest.

"How are the Chudley Cannons doing?" asked Fred.

"Horribly." mumbled Ron. "At this rate they'll barely make it into the Top Ten in the league."

"At least it's not the Bottom Ten." shrugged Fred. After a few minutes, a boy with round glasses and a girl with a long plait of bushy hair walked over. The boy was brushing dust off his cloak.

"-I'll be happy if i never end up in Knockturn Alley ever again." said the boy as he picked dust out of his ruffled black hair. He saw Ron. "Hey Ron."

Ron had a tiny grin on his face. "Did ya' make a wrong turn in the Floo Network?"

"Oh ha ha." said the boy sarcastically.

Fred looked around Ron. "Hello."

The boy looked at Fred and his dark green eyes widened. His mouth hung open slightly.

Fred looked around confusedly. "Did i say something wrong?"

The boy went to speak but couldn't say a word. Rose walked up behind him with a stack of books in her arms.

"_Ah_," said Rose in a satisfied voice. "I see that you've met my brother."

* * *

><p>Harry whipped around to see Rose Snape standing behind him. Her face was cracked in a smile.<p>

"Your _brother_?" asked Harry. The boy looked more like Professor Snape in miniature. He even had the same shoulder-length black hair and hooked nose.

"My little brother, yeah." said Rose.

"_Excuse_ _me_," said the boy. "But i'm not _little_. I'm much taller than you."

"Shut it Frederick. Harry knows that isn't what i meant." said Rose.

"Harry?" asked Fred. "As in Harry _Potter_?"

"Yes-?" said Harry.

Fred laughed. "Ha! I thought Rose was lying about knowing you!"

"Why would i lie about knowing Harry?" said Rose, her face getting a reddish tint.

"Because that's just what you do." said Fred.

Harry looked back at Rose. "If _he's_ your bother, then where's his twin?"

"She's around here somewhere." said Fred. "Hopefully she isn't lost."

"Aww," said Rose. "Freddie actually cares about the welfare of his sister."

"Not really." said Fred. "If she's lost then dad will blame it on me. I don't feel like getting in trouble today."

"Did our ears deceive us?" said a voice behind them. "Or did we just hear that our little Freddie-boy doesn't want to get into trouble?"

George and Fred Weasley poked their heads over, their faces identical to the last freckle.

"Surely our training is not proving as effective as we thought?" said Fred Weasley.

"Of course it's working you goons, I mean _getting_ punished for whatever i did or didn't do, i'm completely fine _causing_ trouble though." said Fred.

"Spoken like a true Weasley." said George Weasley happily. "Did your mum cut the last of your green from your hair?"

"Yes," said Fred sadly. "My parents looked oddly happy about it too."

"Oh _right_," whispered Harry to Rose. "You said you accidentally turned his hair green last year, didn't you?"

"I'm still wondering why my wand did that actually." said Rose. A small head of fiery red hair walked over.

"Hi Ginny." said Harry. Ginny's face turned bright red like her hair and she turned back to stand with her mother.

Rose giggled. "She's really taken to you, isn't she?"

"Yeah, but she can barely stay in the same room as me without breaking something or embarrassing herself." said Harry. "She won't even talk to me!"

"She _likes_ you." said Rose. "Give her time, she'll ease up eventually."

"Hey mum," said George Weasley, looking back at his short, plump mother. "Are you happy that Gilderoy Lockhart is here?"

"Mum _fancies_ him." laughed Fred Weasley.

"Nonsense." said Mrs. Weasley, her kind face blushing. After a minute, a couple came walking toward them, kissing on the lips. The woman was holding a kitten in her arms while the man had a cage held in his hand.

Fred looked back and his face blushed red. "Mum! Dad! What are you doing?"

Lily Snape removed her lips from her husband's. "Hello sweetie, how are you?"

"Our parents love embarrassing Freddie." whispered Rose into Harry's ear.

"Explains the public display of affection then." Harry whispered back. "Does he not like that?"

"Only when it's mum and dad." giggled Rose. Harry looked over to Fred and saw that his face was still red.

"Where's Alice?" asked Severus Snape. It was odd seeing a teacher outside of Hogwarts. At least he was still in his usual black.

"Uh..." said Fred.

"I'm down here!"

Harry looked down at what he thought was a talking stack of books, but realized that it was actually a girl about Ginny's size pushing her way past Fred. She dropped the stack of thick books on the ground and Harry saw that she looked like Rose, except her hair was jet black like her twin, she also had her father's dark, cold eyes.

Alice blew a strand of her hair out of her face. "Remind me to burn all of these when the year is over."

Harry looked down and saw that there was a handsome, wavy blond wizard with a perfect white smile looking up at him from the cover of the top book. "Who's that?"

"Gilderoy Lockhart." said Fred. "The most idiotic, self-absorbed celebrity to ever live."

"He's not idiotic!" snapped Hermione. "He's one of the most heroic wizards alive today!"

Fred snorted. "Sure he is, but if you ask me, He looks like he spends more time on his hair than defeating evil creatures."

"Agreed." said George Weasley behind them. "Come on Fred, we have to go get our Herbology books."

"And we need to get going before _he_ shows up." said Fred Weasley, pointing towards the table in front with a handful of moving pictures of Gilderoy Lockhart stood.

The Weasley Twins slipped out of the crowd and into the other side of the store. A tiny man with bulky camera walked over and stepped on Harry and Fred's feet.

"Oi!" said Fred, pulling back his feet. "Watch were you're going!"

"Watch were you're standin'." snapped the photographer. "I'm makin' headlines here!"

The women in the store started cheering loudly as Gilderoy Lockhart walked into view, his particularly straight and shiny teeth twinkling in the light. His wavy hair was under a pointed, gold-trimmed hait that matched his turquoise robes.

"Now, now ladies and gentlemen!" said Lockhart as he went to stand behind the table in front "Calm down please! My signature will be on every set of your books before you all leave this store today, i assure you!"

The three Snape children gave out the same aggravated groan.

The cameraman bumped back into Harry. Harry jaw clenched up slightly. "Can you stop please?"

"Now listen here-" said the cameraman, turned back to Harry. He went to retort and his eyes shot up to Harry's forehead. "_Oi_, you're Harry Potter!"

The cameraman grabbed Harry around the arm and dragged him towards Lockhart. Surprised by Harry's appearance, Lockhart looked down at Harry with his toothy grin and pulled Harry close to him by the shoulder. "Smile Harry, we'll make the front page together!"

A bright flash went off from the camera and Harry coughed up the hazy purple smoke it produced.

"When young Harry Potter walked into Flourish and Blotts today to purchase my autobiographies," said Lockhart, still keeping a strong grip of Harry's shoulder. "He didn't expect to walk away with my complete defensive works, free of charge." An assistant roughly shoved a thick stack of books into Harry's arms.

"That is not the only thing i wish to share with you all today," said Lockhart. "I also wish to announce the newest addition to the staff at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. That's correct folks, i have humbly accepted the position of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher!"

The group of children moaned. Fred looked back at his father, he had a sour look on his face.

"I'll make sure to teach all these youngsters all i know," said Lockhart happily. "Never fear!"

Harry finally got free of Lockhart's grip and staggered back to the group. "Here Ginny," said Harry. "Take these, i'll buy my own copies." Harry tipped his free stack into the cauldron Ginny was carrying.

"Let's go get some fresh air." said Rose.

"Yeah," said Fred. "It smells too much like blond git in here." Hermione looked at him angrily.

They walked towards the front, the crowded Diagon Alley beyond the opening. "Oh, look at _darling_ Potter. Can't even go to a bookstore without making the front page!"

They turned around to see the sneering, pointed face of Draco Malfoy looking at them.

"Shut it Malfoy." said Harry angrily.

Draco grinned at them. "Oh, got a bark to go with your bite now, do you Potter?"

"Leave him alone." said Ginny, walking up to them.

Draco looked at her and back to Harry, smiling. "Look at that, Potter's got himself a girlfriend!"

Ginny blushed red. Draco smiled a cruel smile at Harry. "I didn't know you had to have _girls_ defend you now-"

"Now, now Draco," said a cool voice. "Play nicely."

They looked up to see a tall man with the same pointed face as Draco looking down at then. Harry had seen him earlier when he accidentally ended up at Knockturn Alley and he saw Draco and his father selling some "hazardous" possessions to a shady Dark artifact store known as "Borgin and Burkes".

"Mr. Potter! Lucius Malfoy. We meet at last." said Draco's father with what looked like warm smile on his pale face. His eyes directed themselves to Harry's forehead. "Forgive me...your scar is legend. As, of course, is the wizard who gave it to you."

"Voldemort killed my parents." said Harry defiantly. "He was nothing more than a murderer."

Lucius Malfoy raised an eyebrow to Harry. "You must be very brave to mention his name. Or very foolish..."

"Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself." said Hermione.

Lucius looked at Hermione. "And you must be Miss Granger. Yes, Draco's told me all about you." Hermione shot a narrowed glance at Draco. "And your parents." continued Lucius. "Muggles, aren't they?"

Lucius directed his gaze over to what could only be Mr. and Mrs. Granger, who were talking to a very excited looking Mr. Weasley. He loved anything muggle.

"Let me see." said Lucius as he looked down at Ron and Ginny. "Red hair, _vacant_ expressions, tatty second hand book," He picked up a old spellbook from Ginny's cauldron.. "You must be the _Weasleys_."

Ron's ears brushed as red as Ginny's face.

"And let _me_ see," said Fred, his arms crossed over his chest and his green eyes flaring. "Smug expression, over-exaggeration beliefs in one's self importance, and the need to look down at other people even though you are no better than them, you must be a _Malfoy_."

Lucius lip curled slightly. "Frederick Snape i believe? My, my it has been a long time, you were much smaller when i last saw you. You look so much like your father."

"And you two," said Lucius, looking at Rose and Alice. "You look like your _mother_. It's been quite awhile, i don't remember all the minor _details_. She's a muggle born, is she not?"

"Yes." said Rose, her face turning red.

"Such a shame really." said Lucius. "Your father could have had so much better than _that_..."

"Now Malfoy, i can't possibly be hearing you insulting my wife, are you?"

Severus had appeared behind them, one hand still holding the owl cage while the other was hovering over his wand in his side pocket.

"Of course not, _Snape_." sneered Lucius. "I was just making small-talk with your children. It's been too long..." Lucius held his hand up to him.

"Not long enough," said Severus, ignoring Lucius's outstretched hand completely. "Now if you'll excuse us, we're trying to _leave_."

"But of course." said Lucius. He dropped Ginny's book back into her cauldron witha loud _THUD_. "Come along Draco. We're getting in the way."

Draco looked at Harry. "See you at school." He followed his father out of the store.

* * *

><p>"Now what am i going to name you?" asked Fred, looking into the owl cage. The tiny Barn Owl hooted at him happily. "Dad picked a good one, didn't he?"<p>

"Name her something historic or meaningful." said Alice, holding the silky brown and black kitten in her arms. "Isn't that right, Joan?"

"Sarah Jane Smith it is then." said Fred. "Sarah for short."

"Is that a Doctor Who thing?"

"Of course." said Fred happily. Rose and Alice rolled their eyes and sighed.

"Don't make that noise at me!" said Fred. "Sarah Jane was very important character!"

"And Joan was one of history's defining female warriors who helped France win major battles in the Hundred Years' War!"

"Yeah, she was also burned at the stake. Do you who else burns at the stake? Witches. That wouldn't be too good for you." said Fred.

"Not with a simple Flame-Freezing Charm." said Rose. "And if Alice's brains are anything, she'll probably know and have mastered the charm by the end of the week."

Fred huffed. "You two always ruin my fun."

* * *

><p>Charisse Wargrave walked through King's Cross with her hand held tightly by her mother's. Her father was carrying her heavy luggage easily under his two muscular arms.<p>

"These muggles sure are dirty, aren't they?" snapped Newton Wargrave, looking around the station with his dark eyes narrowed.

"They don't know proper hygiene, dear." said Medea Wargrave, pushing a loose strand of her sleek black hair behind her ear. "I'll never know how they manage without magic..."

"Like savages." sneered Newton, his bushy black brows contracted as he looked at people passing by them. "What are they lookin' at?"

"They're just dumbfounded by being in our presence." said Charisse sweetly. Her father looked down at her and smiled. "More like your presence, isn't that right darling?"

The Wargraves were an old, wealthy Pure-blood family, their family tree going back to the Middle Ages. Ever member in their family had been in Slytherin house, with the exception of Medea, as she grew up in Italy and attended a prime magical school there. Charisse was the first born female in the family in many years, as her father had been the eldest of five boys. Indeed, Newton and Medea were definitely older when they finally had Charisse some eleven years ago. Considering that Charisse was their only child, they spoiled her rotten, her being unhappy was not an option. Charisse was also raised in her parent's very pro Pure-blood views. Her father was even close friends with Lucius Malfoy, All the important families were always friendly with one another.

The three of them walked through the barrier that separated Platform 9 and 10 and onto the shining Platform 9¾.

"Much better." said Newton. He helped Charisse lift her luggage on board.

"Remember to write me every single day." said Medea as the clock got closer to eleven.

Charisse looked at her mother. She looked just her. "Of course, mummy."

"Make sure Slytherin has a excellent new student by the end of the day." said Newton proudly.

"Nothing less." said Charisse. "_Especially_ Hufflepuff." Newton patted Charisse on the top of her head. "That's my girl."

Charisse kissed her parents goodbye and rushed onto the train.

* * *

><p>The Weasley Twins lead Fred down the train. "Did ya' sneak the Map into your luggage?"<p>

"'Course i did." said Fred. "Youd didn't expect me to let you never see it again, did you?"

"Never." said George Weasley happily.

"Oi!"

The Twins and Fred turned around to see Percy Weasley stomping towards them, his golden prefect badge twinkling when the sunlight hit it.

"What is it now, Percy?" asked Fred Weasley.

"This." said Percy, holing up a teared open envelope.

"So?" asked George. "I don't see how your mail has anything to do with us."

"It's not that." snapped Percy. "Mother just mailed me this. Apparently the car is _gone_."

"The car?"

"Father's car. The only you two flew to steal Harry from his home during the summer, that car!" snapped Percy. "What did you two do with it?"

"We didn't do anything." said Fred Weasley. "And if you haven't noticed, if we _did_ have it, we'd be flying it right now, not riding on this train."

Percy narrowed his blue eyes at them. "You two have absolutely no idea what happened to it?"

"No, we don't." said George. "It's not unheard of that cars get stolen, you know.

Percy raised an eyebrow to them. "I suppose your right..."

"Of course we're right." said George. "Come on Fred one and two, lets get out of here before Prefect Percy starts handing out detentions for more things we haven't done."

The Twins and Fred continued to walk down the train. Percy huffed and walked the other direction. As he walked, Percy passed the compartment with his sister talking to Alice. As they got deeper in conversation, Sam talked with Rose, who was right next to her in the same compartment. Sam glanced out the window and for a wild moment, she thought she saw a Blue Ford Anglia _flying_ through the air above the train. But that was silly, cars couldn't _fly._..

* * *

><p><strong>AN: As much as i love the LuciusSnape friendship in the books, we can't exactly have that in this story. It kinda makes me sad to be honest with you.**


	17. Slytherin, Greenley, and the Howler

Ginny's hand was clinging to the sleeve of Alice's robes. Alice's hand was clinging onto the Fred's arm.

"You need to calm down," said Fred, trying to shake his sister's tight grip from his arm. "It's just a Sorting."

"What if we get sorted into the wrong house though?" asked Ginny anxiously as she eyed the doors to the Great Hall.

"That's ridiculous. No house is _wrong_." said Fred. "Though i don't think the Hufflepuff colours would go well with your hair…"

The wide oak doors opened and Professor McGonagall gestured them to follow her in the warm hall.

The new group of First Years led their way into the hall and stopped in front of a rickey stool with a old patched hat sitting on top of it. The hat opened its brim and sang a song about the qualities of each Hogwarts house. A respectful applause followed soon after the hat stopped singing.

"No offense," whispered Fred to Alice and Ginny. "But everyone in our year looks short." Fred stood at-least one head taller than everyone else. "I feel isolated here."

"Then shrink yourself then." snapped Alice. Professor McGonagall unrolled a long piece of parchment. The light shined through and Alice could see that it was a list full of their names. She gave a tiny shudder. A few students were sorted. While a small, mousy-haired boy named Colin Creevey was being sorted in Gryffindor, Professor McGonagall was summoned elsewhere. Professor Flitwick took over the sorting for her.

"Wonder what that was about." whispered Alice as she watched McGonagall leave the Great Hall.

"Someone flew a car into the Whomping Willow." said a dreamy voice behind them. They looked around and saw a girl with wait-length, dirty blond hair standing behind them, her silvery eyes wide in what looked like a permanently surprised expression.

"How do you know?" asked a girl next to her with dark hair.

"I saw it through the window there," said the blond girl, pointing out the Great Hall windows.. "The tree didn't look too happy about it."

The other one looked out the window through narrowed eyes under her blunt, pencil straight fringe. "I don't see a thing. Are you sure you can see correctly?"

"Quite certain." said the blond girl. Professor Flitwick squeaked. "Lovegood, Luna!"

"Excuse me." said the blond girl, making her way to the stool in front and sat down. Flitwick placed the hat on her head, after a few moments the hat bellowed "Ravenclaw!"

The dark girl gave a huff. "Not surprising, all the weirdos are always in _Ravenclaw_." Luna made her towards the table in blue and sat down next to Zachary Leon, who was clapping happily for her.

A few more students were sorted. "Snape, Alice!" said Professor Flitwick.

Alice froze up, Fred stiffened a giggle. "Ladies first."

Fred pushed her slightly and she slowly made her way towards the stool. She sat down awkwardly and the hat was placed on her head. It fell over her eyes.

"_What a mind we've got here!_" said what could only be the Hat's voice. It was speaking in her head. "_My word, you are very much like your father, but where do put you? Ravenclaw perhaps? No? You certainly have a strong urge to prove yourself underneath this shy exterior of yours._"

"Just pick one please." thought Alice miserably. "I hate everyone looking at me." She rubbed her hands nervously on her lap.

"_Very well then._" sat the Hat. "_I know just where to put you._"

"Slytherin!" yelled the hat. The table in green cheered loudly as Alice slid off the stool. She walked quickly to the table and Rose was there to give her a quick hug and peck on the crown of her hair before they both sat down.

"Snape, Frederick!" said Professor Flitwick as the cheering calmed down from the Slytherin table.

"Damn." whispered Fred. Ginny poked him the back to get going. "I know, i know."

Fred made his way to the stool and sat down. The hat fell over his eyes as well when it was placed on his head.

"_Interesting_." said the Hat. "_Very interesting._ Y_ou're distinctively different from your sisters, yet you are more alike than you care to admit. Very smart boy, but a tad bit reckless-_" Fred's lip curled in a smile. "_But which house_?"

"Which one will annoy my sisters more?" thought Fred.

"_I think you know that one, my boy._ _Is that what you want_?" asked the Hat.

"Yeah, i do." thought Fred.

"_Well, If you insist..."_

* * *

><p>Harry and Ron walked behind Filch in silence. They were in more trouble than they have ever been before in their whole lives. But it wasn't like they wanted to fly the car in the first place!<p>

When Harry and Ron had attempted to run their way through the barrier onto the Hogwarts Express platform, they were sealed out. No matter what they did, they couldn't get through. Considering that they missed the train (which left at exactly 11 o'clock), they had to think up of some way to get to Hogwarts. That's where Mr. Weasley's car came in. Ron knew that his parents could Apparate so they really didn't need the car to return home anyway, so why not take the car to fly to Hogwarts? That's exactly what Harry and Ron did. The car ride wasn't necessarily exciting until they landed on the tracks and were almost ran over by the Hogwarts Express and when Harry was hanging on the outside of the car due to a broken lock on the car door. Then there was the Whomping Willow.

The car was losing momentum as they flew over the Black lake, but the car still tried its hardest to land on something solid. The one tree in Hogwarts that could beat them up was not preferred. The tree punished the car that landed on it, bruising it beyond belief, it even shot one of its branches through the windshield. The car was fed up and threw Harry, Ron, and their luggage out onto the wet grass. The car slammed its doors shut and drove into the Forbidden Forest. Ron's wand even snapped in half, barely hanging together by the thin strand on unicorn hair in its core.

Harry and Ron walked towards the large windows of the Great Hall, where they saw Ginny standing next to the Snape twins. Fred towered over teh rest fo his classmates. As a small boy with mousy-brown hair was being sorted, they heard a wheezy intake of breath behind them.

"Oh we are in _trouble_."said Filch happily, his skinny cat Mrs. Norris in his arms. "Come with me."

Filch knocked on the door to Professor McGonagall's office, a voice behind it said "Enter."

Filch opened the door and let Harry and Ron step over the threshold before him, a crooked, yellow grin cracked on his face.

Professor McGonagall stood next to the lit fireplace, her gaze sharp under her square-spectacles. "Explain your yourselves."

"We couldn't get on the platform!" said Ron desperately. "We couldn't get on the train so we-"

"Flew an unregistered car?" said McGonagall sharply. She pointed to a copy of the _Evening Prophet_ on her desk. "You were _seen _Mr. Weasley by no less than seven muggles. Do you know have any idea how serious this is?"

Ron and Harry gave each other sidelong glances, keeping their heads down. There was a sharp rap on the door.

"Come in." said McGonagall. The door opened to reveal Professor Dumbledore and (strangely) Professor Snape behind him. Dumbledore walked into the office, Snape stood in the doorway.

"Why did you do this?" asked Dumbledore. Harry couldn't bare to look at him in the eye. The sound of disappointment in his voice made Harry wish he was just yelling at him instead. It was awful.

"We're sorry, sir." said Harry, looking down at his trainers.

"We'll go pack our luggage up." said Ron sadly.

McGonagall looked at him with a surprised expression. "What are you talking about Mr. Weasley?"

"We're getting expelled, aren't we?" asked Ron. Harry looked at Snape, his face was blank of emotion.

"Not today." said McGonagall with the ends of her thin mouth twitching. "But i will be sending a letter home to each of your families and you both will be serving separate detentions for what you have done."

She looked at Dumbledore, he have tiny nod. McGonagall looked back them. "You two will eat in here," She waved her wand towards her desk where a tray of sandwiches and a flagon of Pumpkin Juice appeared. "And return to Gryffindor Tower after you're finished eating. I suggest not boasting about what you two have done, or i will extend your punishment accordingly."

McGonagall walked towards the door and exited with Dumbledore. Filch gave an angry look to the both of them and left the room. Snape still stood in the doorway.

"What house did my sister get into?" asked Ron weakly. Snape raised an eyebrow to him. "Your sister is in Gryffindor, Weasley."

"Oh good." said Ron. "Mum will be happy about that..."

"What about Fred and Alice?" asked Harry, trying to keep the silence between them to a minimum.

A smile curled on Snape's mouth. "Both in Slytherin." He looked towards Ron. "Your brothers didn't look particularly happy when they found out.."

"I wouldn't think so..." said Ron. After a few moments of silence, Snape turned to leave.

"Do try not to get into too much trouble this year, Potter." said Snape swiftly. He shut the office door with a snap.

"At least he's bothering to be nicer to you." said Ron after a minute, making sure Snape was at least away from the door when they started speaking again.

"Looks painful." said Harry with a shrug, grabbing a chicken sandwich from the plate of McGonagall's desk. He noticed a torn-open, purple enevople on the ground.

"What's this?" asked Harry, picking it up.

"Dunno." said Ron. "Who's it for?"

Harry turned over the envelope. It had "Kwikspell" written on it in swirly golden ink. It was written to Argus Filch. Ron stiffened a giggle.

"What's so funny?" asked Harry.

"Kwikspell," laughed Ron. "That's a beginner course for the lot of wizards and witches who can barely wave a wand properly."

"Why would Filch need this for then?" asked Harry. Ron looked at him with his eyebrow raised. "What?"

"Well," said Ron. "I have my suspicions..."

"Like what?" asked Harry.

Ron took a deep breath. "If he's taking a Kwikspell course, i might just reckon that Filch might be a Squib." whispered Ron.

"A what?" asked Harry.

"A Squib." said Ron. "People born into magical families who can't do magic, kinda the opposite of Muggle-borns. Definitely rarer than Muggle-borns, i can tell you that. Their families usually make them live in the muggle world because they can't do magic to fit into our world. I think my mum has a second-cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him..."

Harry looked at the envelope in his hand. "Maybe that's why he hates all the students, he's _bitter_."

"Probably." said Ron, grabbing another sandwich from the platter.

* * *

><p>Rose, Sam, and Ina walked over to sit next to Harry, Ron, and Hermione at the Gryffindor table the following morning. "Who would seal a barrier for?" asked Rose. "What's the point?"<p>

"I wish i knew." said Harry, poking at his toast with his fork.

Rose looked to her right to see her younger siblings walked towards her. They didn't look happy.

"What's up?" asked Rose.

"Frederick is not in the best of moods." said Alice, waving her hands towards her twin.

"We can see that." said Sam, looking over a Charms book.

"Did Alice try to make you not wear your Doctor Who scarf, did she?" asked Rose dully.

"Not that." said Fred. "Though that would be awful. And it's _The_ Doctor, the Fourth Doctor to be exact, not "Doctor Who". No, we just got our schedules."

"And?" asked Hermione, not looking up from her opened Lockhart book.

"Look at our first class." said Fred gravely, handing his schedule to them. Ron grabbed it and looked at it with a disgusted face. "Tough luck there."

"It's our first damn class at this school and we have _Lockhart_ first." said Fred. "Would it be wrong if i just pretended that i had the stomach fu and be done with it?"

"Madam Pomfrey is a genius." said Ina, "She'd cure any illness, fake or not, in ten seconds flat. Best not to try to sneak anything past her." Fred gave a moan.

"Look on the bright side." said Rose. "If dad's defensive knowledge is anything, you'll be able to jinx the hell out of him by the end of the month."

"I guess thats' true." said Fred, grabbing his schedule back and stuffing it into the pocket of his robes. The Weasley Twins walked over to them from the other end of the Gryffindor table, they had someone trailing behind them.

"'Ello Freddie," said George Weasley happily. "We wanted to introduce you to someone."

"Told 'em all about you." said Fred Weasley with a grin. "He's _very_ interested in your muggle knowledge."

They stepped aside to show a third-year Gryffindor boy behind them. Despite only being a year older than Harry or Rose, he was very tall and lean, his arms already showing signs of muscular definition. His mop of auburn hair was wavy on his head, he brushed some of it out of his aqua blue eyes. His face was cracked in a friendly smile.

"Matthew Greenley." said the boy, extending his hand towards Fred. "You're Professor Snape's son, right?"

"Yeah," said Fred as he shook Matthew's hand. "What gave it away? Was it how the whole Gryffindor table groaned when i was sorted into Slytherin last night or how i look just like him?"

"A little bit of both." smiled Matthew. He looked down at his sister. "And you're Rose Snape?"

"The only and only." said Rose.

Matthew looked at Alice. "Forgive me, I can't seem to remember your name."

"It's Alice." she said shyly. "It's okay, i kinda blend into the background. No one remembers me."

"That's nonsense." said Matthew. "Who'd forget a pretty girl like you?"

Alice blushed pink. Rose giggled. Fred could hear George whisper "Oh get a room you two." to his twin.

Matthew turned back to Fred. "I heard some two little Weasels-" The Weasley Twins smiled broadly. "That you have a pretty impressive knowledge of all things muggle."

"I might know a bit." said Fred.

"Well, can i offer you the choice to join in on a conversation me and a few others are having at the other end of the table? Evan Wright of Hufflepuff and Dean Thomas of my House are talking 'bout some show called "Doctor Who." with a few others. I'm from a pure-blood family so i have no clue what the bloody hell they're talking about. Want to join?"

Fred smiled. "I'd be foolish not to." He turned towards the others. "I'll see you guys at Lunch."

Fred followed Matthew down the table. They saw that Evan and Dean were talking animatedly with a confused looking Zachary Leon and Seamus Finnigan looking at them. Before they left, Matthew gave a quick smile to Alice and a wave. Alice gave a slightly confused wave in response.

"_Aw_," said Fred Weasley happily. "Young love. You can't get any sweeter than that."

"Never." said George Weasley with his eyes closed in mock bliss.

Alice blushed red. "We're not in love!"

"Acceptance is the first step, dear." said Fred Weasley. Alice looked at the Twins angrily. A flurry of owls swooped into the Hall, dropping off mail. The Weasley's old and battered looking owl Errol landed in front of Ron, knocking over a flagon of juice all over the table cloth. A red envelope was held in his beak.

Ron looked horrified. Rose's eyes widened. Neville nudged him in the shoulder. "Just open it now, before it gets worst."

"What is it?" asked Harry. He didn't see what was so scary about a small, red envelope.

"It's a Howler." whispered Sam.

"A what?"

"A Howler." whispered Rose. "People only get those when the sender is _really_ mad."

"My Gran sent me one once." said Neville. "I didn't open it and - it was _awful_."

"Just open it, Ron." said Ina. "It'll be over quick."

Ron nodded and gave a shuddered breath and opened the Howler slowly. Harry noticed the Weasley Twins and the girls put their fingers in their ears, but he didn't know why...

_"RONALD WEASLEY!"_ bellowed Mrs. Weasley's voice, magically magnified under the Great Hall's roof. _"HOW DARE YOU STEAL THAT CAR! I AM ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED!"_

Mrs. Weasley's voice was so loud and powerful it actually knocked dust off the ceiling. Ron's red forehead was the only thing visible as he sliped lower and lower under the table. Harry could tell that the Hall was silent to hear the Howler to its full magnitude. He en saw that most fo the students turned to look in the booming voice's direction.

_"YOUR FATHER'S NOW FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, AND IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT! IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE, WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT HOME!"_ yelled the Howler. It turned towards Ginny, who was sitting a tiny bit away from them. "Oh and Ginny, dear, congratulations on making Gryffindor. Your father and I are _so_ proud."

The Howler tore itself up and burst into a small ball of flames, leaving only ash on the table. After a few minutes, the Hall filled up with chatter once again.

"Well _that_ was pleasant." said Alice sarcastically.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: BEFORE I GET COMMENTS SAYING "ONE SNAPE KID SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN GRYFFINDOR!", let me just say now that there <em>will<em> be a Snape child in Gryffindor. You just won't meet him or her for a _long_ time. (Is that spoiler-ish? Probably.) **


	18. Creevey, Mudblood, and the Hidden Voice

**AN: It makes me way too happy that a lot of you like Fred so much. Out of all the characters we've made up, he's probably our favorite. **

* * *

><p>"<em>What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite brand of perfume andor cologne_?' Is this a joke?"

"Didn't you read any of the books he assigned us?"

"No, i've been using them for doorstoppers."

"Fred, you're insufferable."

"Thank you."

Fred turned over the three-page quiz that Lockhart had handed out to class. He said it was an "Essential Knowledge" test. Fred doubted that, all the fifty-four questions were about Lockhart himself instead of actual defense that they should be learning.

"You will have thirty minutes to complete this little quiz." said Lockhart with his toothy grin. "Your time begins…_Now_!"

A wild scratching of quills on parchment filled the room. After a few minutes, Fred looked over to Alice to see that she already filled out the first page of the test before he even scribbled his name on the top.

"_Alice_," whispered Fred from the corner of his mouth. "Let me see your answers."

"No." said Alice quietly, her eyes never coming off the parchment in front of her.

"Come on-"

Alice shot him an angry look from the corner of her eye. "I said _no_."

Fred huffed. "_Fine_. I'll just make them up as i go."

"It's not like you haven't done that before." snapped Alice. Alice wasn't in a good mood. The night before she met the girls who would be sharing the dormitories with her and while most of them were okay, there was an exception. Charisse Wargrave was her name. She was snobby and made a rude comment about Alice's blood-status (Chair, as Alice now referred her as, was very picky when it came to the "quality" of your blood, and having a Muggle-born mother was looked down upon in her book.) Alice knew that there was blood-prejudice in Slytherin hosue, but she didn't realize it was _that_ bad.

A half an hour later after finishing the required test (which somehow, Fred had gotten at least half of it right by making up the most feminine answers he could think of.) they sat through Lockhart talk about his many "great" achievements (He said that he didn't want any "fragile First years getting hurt in their first class" so he made them listen to his long rambles about himself.) The bell _finally_ rung and Fred and Alice happily left the classroom before everyone else finished packing up their supplies. Fred saw a portrait of Lockhart winking at him from one wall of the room. He stuck his tongue out at it before snapping the classroom door shut behind him.

"You owe me big time." said Ron, trying to push his hair down.

Rose giggled. "At least my dad didn't take a picture." The Slytherins had Potions with the Gryffindors that day and Rose had taken it upon herself to make sure her Hair-Raising Potion was more than perfectly made. She dared Ron to drink it and by the look of his red hair sticking straight towards the sky, she was very happy with the results.

"How long does this last?" asked Hermione, trying to help Ron push it down.

"Depends on how well the potion was made." said Ina, flipping through her spellbook for something to bring the hair down.

"So about two weeks then?" said Harry, grinning at Ron's ridiculous hair. Harry looked towards the doors of the Great Hall. "Look out Rose, your brother looks annoyed."

Fred and Alice walked up, Fred slumped into the empty seat next to Sam.

"Bad first day?" asked Sam sympathically.

"Well Transfiguration wasn't too bad. McGonagall is sorta scary though." said Fred. "But _Lockhart_," He groaned shaking his head. "His head is more overinflated than a damn Hot Air balloon!"

Hermione shot him an angry look. "He's one of the most accomplished wizards in our time."

"Listen," said Fred. "If i was some great-looking guy, i bet you that i could sell thirty times more books than he ever could."

Sam raised an eyebrow to him. "Who says you aren't good looking?"

Fred blushed bright pink. "I never - uh - i didn't - um -" He was silent for a few moments. "What was the question again?"

Rose and Ina shot a look to each other and giggled.

"Well just be warned." said Alice, trying not to look at Fred's embarrassed face. "Lockhart is going to give you lot a test before anything really gets going. Which really isn't saying anything, he just talks about himself the whole time. But who knows, he might have something more exciting for his older classes."

"The answer to number one is '_lilac_'" said Fred, his face still a light shade of pale pink. Sam rested her face on her hand and sighed. They heard a rapidly clicking noise. They looked behind Ron.

What looked like a giant antique camera lowered itself to reveal the same small, mousy-brown haired boy that Harry and Ron saw getting sorted the following night. "Hiya Harry!"

Harry looked at the young boy's beaming face. "Uh...hi."

"I'm Colin Creevey!" said the boy eagerly. "I'm in Gryffindor too!" He pointed to his red and gold uniform. "I know all about you!"

Harry didn't know what to say. "Yeah, i heard all aout you on the train ride here," continued Colin. "I didn't even know was a wizard until i got my letter! Big shock to my dad, he's a milkman, but i'm taking a ton of pictures for him to see!" Colin clicked the camera and a large flash went off. "Some fourth year even promised to give me a potion to make the picture start moving!" Colin stood there, breathing heavily. There was an awkward silence.

"Well, see ya' later Harry!" said Colin happily. He sped off. Ron looked at Harry, trying to hold back a laugh. "Looks like you've got a fan."

"Shut up." sapped Harry. He already had enough attention just for having a scar on his head, he didn't need anymore.

"He's really not _that_ bad." said Alice as she faced Harry. "He's in our Defense class. 'Course he's just as impressed by Lockhart as he is to you, but don't take that the wrong way or anything."

"At least he's not as - ahem - _infatuated_ with you as Ginny is." said Ina, fighting back a smile. She pointed towards the end of the table where the youngest Weasley sat, her freckled face blushing.

"Ah," said Ron. "You got yourself a fan club, Harry."

Harry groaned. "I can never just have a quiet, normal year, can i?"

"This is Hogwarts." said Fred solemnly. "There is no such thing as "a quiet, normal year" is there?"

* * *

><p>"Wait, so the Mandrake actually looks like a baby and it knocks you out if you hear it scream?"<p>

"It does! Of course, it only knocks you out when they're young, their screams kill when they've matured."

"Blimey."

Fred walked along side Zachary Leon and Evan Wright the following week. He vividly remembered Rose talking about Zachary all over the summer because of how nice he was to her and how they both helped each other out throughout the year during particularly tough lessons, that and Fred stole Rose's diary and by what he read, he had concluded that she was secretly in love with him. Fred was completely okay with his conclusion.

"What classes are you taking next year, Evan?" asked Zachary.

"We're barely a week into this year and you're _already_ thinking about next year?" asked Evan. "Are you mad?"

"_No_," said Zachary. "I'm just thinking about the future is all."

"Stay in the present," said Fred. "I remember my gran tellin' me once "Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present."

"Isn't that from a book?" asked Evan.

Fred shrugged. "What can i say? My gran is a fan of Alice Morse Earle."

"Interesting choice." said Evan. Zachary just looked on slightly confused, growing up in a pure blood family didn't necessarily let him be in contact with most of muggle culture.

Harry and Hermione walked over quickly with Ron clinging on to their shoulders. Ron belched out a long, slimey slug on to the ground.

"Uck!" said Evan. "What happened?"

"Long story," said Harry. He was in his Quidditch uniform. "We're taking him to Hagrid's. He's closer than the Hopsital Wing."

Harry and Hermione walked on towards the large wooden hut on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, Ron's head bobbing slightly with a thin trail of slime hanging off his bottom lip. Fred looked over to Zachary and Evan. "I'll see you guys later."

Fred ran over to the three Gryffindors. "So what _did_ happened...?"

* * *

><p>Draco Malfoy sat on one of the jet-black leather sofas in the Slytherin Common room, his feet resting on the wooden coffee table in front of it. The large glass windows allowed the lake's greenish light to flow into the room. His first week back at Hogwarts was particularly pleasing. Potter and Weasley got detention, Weasley got a Howler, and now, Weasley was spitting up nasty slugs because of his own broken wand, nothing could get better...<p>

_"MALFOY!"_

Draco turned his head towards a raging Rose, her dark red hair flying around her angry face.

"What seems to be troubling you, my dear?" said Draco in false sweetness.

"You know damn well what's troubling me!" said Rose, her face red. "Using that - that - _word_ like it's just some funny joke! Well it's not!"

"I have no idea what you are talking about." said Draco.

Rose's eyes narrowed into slits. "You know exactly what i'm talking about! My brother told me all about it-"

"Ah," said Draco. "Frederick is such a sweetheart, isn't he?"

"Don't change the subject. Don't think for one moment that you saying that awful word just because you think it's okay-"

"It's "Mudblood", Snape. Let's not be silly and try to sugar-coat it." said Draco. "I don't see why you would be so offended if i used that word anyway. It was attended for Granger and her only-"

"I don't think you realize this, Malfoy," said Rose dangerously. "But i happen to be her friend, and i also happen to have a Muggle-born for a mother. Any insult them is an insult to me, and i won't stand for it."

Draco smirked. "Really? And how are you going about that? Tell the Headmaster on me? You have no proof. I can't be punished for something you never saw or _heard_."

For the first time since they started arguing, Rose smiled at him. "Oh on the contrary, Filch is more than happy to have you clean out the Owlery this Saturday."

Draco's eyes widened. "You _can't_ be serious..."

"Poor Draco." said Rose with fake sorrow in her voice. "How did he _ever_ forget that i have his Head of House for a father?"

"You didn't..., you can't do that!" said Draco angrily.

"Really?" said Rose. "Because i think i did. Funny thing about my father, he actually knocked out two full-grown men when he was about sixteen because they called my mother a certain _word_, so don't think he'll take those kind of _slurs_ lightly, Malfoy."

Rose turned away on her heel. Draco stared at her, his mouth hanging slightly open.

_'And people thought i didn't have the cunning to be in Slytherin,"_ thought Rose. '_I beg to differ.'_

* * *

><p>Harry scratched his quill lazily. For his punishment for flying a car into the Whomping Willow, Harry was forced to spend the night with Lockhart, signing his fanmail. Ron had been sent to clean the trophies in the Trophy Room without magic with Filch supervising. Harry would give anything to be in Ron's place instead. Lockhart filled the silence with his ramblings about Harry trying to follow him in his famous foot-steps. Harry had to resist the urge to throw a ink pot of lilac ink in his dumb face.<p>

"Celebrity is as celebrity does." said Lockhart happily, signing a winking headshot of him. "Remember that."

"Mmm hmm." said Harry, barely listening. Harry had to deal with Lockhart releasing Cornish Pixies into the classroom on his first class with him (which for some odd reason, Lockhart could not control a single one of them) and deal with him trying to take pictures together for a very eager Colin. Harry was scribbling Veronica Smethley's street when he heard a voice. A voice full of pure, icy venom. It sent a shiver down Harry's spine. It was _hissing_.

_"Come ... come to me... Let me rip you... Let me tear you ... Let me kill you . ._

"What?" said Harry loudly.

"I know!" said Lockhart. "Six solid months at the top of the best-seller list! Broke all records!"

"No," said Harry frantically. "That voice!"

"Sorry." said Lockhart, looking puzzled. "What voice?"

"That - that voice that said... didn't you hear it?" asked Harry. He did hear it, didn't he?

Lockhart was looking at Harry in high astonishment. "What are you talking about Harry? Perhaps you're getting a little drowsy..."

"Great Scott!" said Lockhart, looking towards an golden cloak on his desk. "Look at the time! We've been here nearly four hours! I'd never have believed it, time really does fly when you're having fun, doesn't it?"

Harry didn't answer. He was straining his ears to hear the voice again, but there was no sound now except for Lockhart telling him he mustn't expect a treat like this every time he got detention. Feeling dazed and confused, Harry left.

"Are you sure Lockhart didn't hear anything?" asked Ron quietly once he returned back their dormitories later that night.

"Positive." said Harry, readjusting his head on his pillow.

"What if he's lying?" asked Ron thoughtfully. "He doesn't seem like the most reliable sort..."

"Maybe." said Harry, trying to keep the thought of voices instead his head to a minimum.


	19. Ghosts and Enemies of the Heir

**AN: Thank you for the grammar advice and so forth. I'll try to make sure everything is constant as possible. :)**

**Now, excuse the random bit in the beginning, i haven't properly introduced the ghosts yet so...**

* * *

><p>Alice looked through The Bloody Baron's eerie form with her nose scrunched up. Out of all the Hogwarts ghosts, The Baron was the easily most intimidating, with his gaunt face and his clothes stained in silvery blood. The Grey Lady of Ravenclaw was the quiet type, her beautiful features almost always empty of emotion. She almost never lingered to talk to anyone alive. Nearly-Headless Nick (or Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington as he'd rather be referred to as) was very kind, even to those not in Gryffindor house, though he seemed easily offended when it came to his bravery. The Fat Friar was just a jolly, happy mass of a ghost who always had a mug in hand.<p>

"How d'you get those anyway?" asked Fred, pointing to The Bloody Baron's stained outfit. The late October light shined through the ghost's slightly-transparent form.

"It's a long, tedious story, m'boy." said The Baron in a hollow voice. "Best not to get into it just now."

"I have time." said Fred sweetly, putting his face into what looked like a puppy begging for a treat.

The Bloody Baron considered him for a moment and turned around, floating out of the Great Hall, leaving Fred confused.

Fred looked at Alice. "What did i say?"

Peeves flew into the Great Hall, cackling. "You can't catch me, Filchy!"

Filch ran in after him, Mrs. Norris trailing behind him. He was waving a broom in the air frantically.

"Get back 'ere! NOW!" yelled Filch. Mrs. Norris hissed angrily.

Peeves just laughed, flying around the ceiling. The students watched the commotion with smiles on their faces, giggling here and there.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Why does this school even _have_ a poltergeist for? He doesn't do anything besides cause trouble."

"I like him." said Fred, watching Peeves fly around with his wicked grin on his face. He was avoiding the floating carved pumpkins that were decorating the Great Hall for the Halloween Feast that following night.

"Well of course you like him," snapped Alice. "He's just you, loves causing mayhem and all that."

"Good to know you've been paying attention." snorted Fred. "But for your information _Al_, i remember dad saying that Peeves been here for as long as anyone can remember, so why get rid of him now? Plus do you have any idea how dangerous it is to get rid of a poltergeist? They make trees come alive and try to drag you to hell and they make you get stuck in the telly. Not to mention that they eat whatever building they occupy. We don't want Hogwarts getting eaten by the _spirits_, now do we?"

"You need to stop watching muggle movies, Fred." said Alice.

"Say what you will sweetie," said Fred in a matter-of-fact tone. "But "_Poltergeist"_ is a classic and you know it."

Alice rubbed her forehead in annoyance.

* * *

><p>"Tell me again why i agreed to let you bring us here again?"<p>

"Because you two are my best friends and i didn't want to go to a ghost birthday party by myself?"

"It's actually a _Death_day party, Harry."

"You know what i mean."

Ron looked around mournfully. He knew that Harry had made a deal to go to Nearly-Headless Nick's bloody Deathday party, but he at least expected the crowd to be a little bit more _lively_. But then again, they were _dead_ after all.

Harry spotted a table near on counter of the dark, damp room. "Look! Food!"

"Oh thank _god_." groaned Ron. They were missing out on the Halloween feast and he was _starving_.

The three of them walked over to the table. Ron grabbed what looked like a piece of cake and hurled it towards his mouth until Hermione slapped it out of his hand. "Don't eat that!"

"Why not?" snapped Ron. Hermione pointed to the food in his hand.

"Uck!" yelled Ron, flinging the piece from his hand. It was pale in colour and covered in a light, fuzzy green mold. All the food was.

Ron looked at the food "Bloody hell. Can we just go already? There's no point of us to be here anyway."

Ron was right. Nick was barely paying attention to them anyway, he was too busy arguing with the leader of the Headless Hunt, his head wobbling on his ruffled collar as they rapidly argued with each other.

"Yeah," said Harry. "Let's go."

The three Gryffindors departed the party. Ron started blabbering about how hungry he was and how ghosts didn't know how to properly care for the living, but Harry was barely listened. Harry heard hissing, the very same hissing he heard in Lockhart's office. It was getting fainter...

Harry ran for the voice, trying to not lose it. "Harry?" asked Hermione. "Where are you going?"

"It's that damn voice-" said Harry, trying to concentrate. "Come on..."

Ron looked Hermione and shrugged. They followed Harry.

Harry followed the voice to an empty corridor. There was water everywhere. "What the-?" said Harry. "Where did it go?"

"What's with all the water?" asked Ron, looking at his freckled reflection in the trail of water.

"Probably Moaning Myrtle." said Hermione. "Her bathroom is up here, she always floods it when she's upset."

"Not overdramatic at all." smiled Ron. Ron looked over at the wall and his smiled flattered.

"What's wrong?" asked Harry, looking at Ron's frigtened expression.

"Sp-spi-_spiders_." said Ron in shaky voice, pointing at the wall. Harry and Hermione looked to see a trail of spiders crawling out of the cracks in the wall.

"So?" asked Hermione.

"I _don't_ like spiders." said Ron anxiously.

Hermione looked at him. "Since when? You use them all the time in Potions class."

"They're fine when they're _dead_." snapped Ron. "I just don't like their legs is all - they move around all _creepy _like..."

Hermione giggled. "Isn't _that_ a bit overdramatic?"

"No!" snapped Ron. "You try having your teddy bear turned into a spider when you're three! Once second it's just plain ol' bear, then the next second it has eight legs and..." Ron shuddered. Hermione tried to hold back her giggles for Ron's sake.

Harry sniffed the air. It smelled odd. "Do you guys smell anything?"

"No." said Ron. "Why?"

"It's smells weird..." said Harry.

Hermione took a deep breath. "It does smell a bit strangely. Almost like ..." Her words trailed off.

"Like what?" asked Harry.

Hermione glanced at him. "_Blood_."

"Now what are the chances of blood being around here?" asked Ron skeptically. He looked over to the wall behind Harry's head. His mouth dropped open. "Uh.."

"What?" asked Hermione. "Did you find it-?" She looked to what Ron was looking at it. Her eyes widened. Harry turned around. He let out a gasp.

Mrs. Norris was hanging from the tail on a torch bracket, still as a board, her yellow eyes wide and unblinking. There was writing on the wall, written in what could only be fresh blood, shining bright red in the light.

_THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE._

"Let's get out of here..." said Harry urgently. Before the three of them could get out of the area, a loud rumbling issued around them. The Halloween Feast must have just ended. A wave of students walked towards them in both directions, blocking their way out. The queue saw the writing on the wall stopped dead in their tracks, their conversations stopping and filling the air with a very uncomfortable silence.

"The Enemies of the Heir _Beware_?" said the sneering voice of Draco Malfoy. "You'll be next, _mudbloods_."

* * *

><p>"What's going on?" asked Sam. She couldn't see over anyone with her short frame.<p>

"Make yourself grow then." said Ina. "You can do that you know, being a Metamorphmagus has that advantage."

Sam pouted. "But that's not _fun_." A idea popped into her head. "Hold on. Fred, i'm going on your shoulders."

"What?" said Fred. "No you're not-"

"Shut it." said Sam. She jumped up on to his back and wrapped her arms around his neck. He hastily grabbed her legs as they went around his waist so she wouldn't fall off. She put her chin on his right shoulder. "See? Not so bad."

"Of course not." mumbled Fred, staring straight ahead to make sure that she couldn't see his face blushing bright pink. He flicked some her turquoise hair off his face.

"All right you lot," said a squat Slytherin prefect in front. "The Headmaster said to get back to the common room."

"Why? We want to see what's going on." asked Sam.

"Never you mind." snapped the prefect. "Get going, come on."

The group of Slytherins sighed and turned to head down to the dungeons. Sam stayed on Fred's back.

"Aren't you going to get off?" asked Fred.

"Nope." said Sam simply.

Fred huffed. He didn't see the point in arguing. She was very persistent. "_Fine_. Let's get going then." He turned at followed the rest of the Slytherins. His sisters and Ina trailed behind them.

"Does your brother _ever_ let anyone do that?" whispered Ina.

"Not unless he _really_ likes them." said Alice quietly. "Which is saying something, the last crush he had was some lady named "Sarah Jane Smith", and she's not even _real_."

"Don't tell Fred that." said Rose, smiling at Sam's head rested on Fred's shoulders.

* * *

><p>"We did he do to my cat?" screeched Filch. His pale were red and filled with tears. Dumbledore had brought Mrs. Norris's rigid form to Lockhart's office. Harry, Ron, and Hermione trailed behind him, not looking at each other. McGonagall and Snape followed closely behind. Dumbledore was hovering an inch above the cat's frozen face, looking it over and gently touching her with his wand here and there as she laid on Lockhart's polished desk.<p>

"If only i was there sooner." said Lockhart in a mournful tone. "I know the exact counter-curse that could have prevented this from happening."

"Ask 'em then!" yelled Filch through his dry sobs. "He'll tell ya' how he killed my poor Mrs. Norris."

"I would never hurt her!" said Harry loudly. He felt the stares from the professors staring at him, even the many pictures of Lockhart on the walls were looking at him in curiosity.

Dumbledore straightened up. "She is not dead, Argus."

Filch looked through his fingers that were covering his face. "Bu-but why is she all - _stiff_?"

"She's been Petrified." said Dumbledore simply. ("Aha!" said Lockhart in the background. "I thought so!") "Though i see no reason how it happened.." continued Dumbledore, ignoring Lockhart's comment.

"Ask him!" said Filch angrily, pointing his skinny finger at Harry.

"Now Argus," said Dumbledore calmly. "There is absolutely no way for a Second year to have done such powerful dark magic like this."

"He did it! I know he did!" yelled Filch. "He - he," He stopped for amoment. "He knows i'm a _squib_! He saw my Kwikspell letter!"

_So Ron was right._ thought Harry.

"I highly doubt that Potter actually gives a damn about your blood status, Argus." said Snape, who was standing halfway in the shadows. Filch shot him an angry look.

Filch turned back to Dumbledore. "How's she suppose to get better?" asked Filch desperately.

"If what Pomona has told me is true," said Dumbledore. "Than she should have her new batch of Mandrakes matured and brewed into a Restorative Draught to restore Mrs. Norris in no time."

"I'll make it." said Lockhart quickly. "I've made it hundreds of times. I can make it in my sleep-"

"Excuse me," snapped Snape coldly. "But i believe that i am the Potions Master of this school." There was an awkward silence.

"You may go." said Dumbledore politely to the three young Gryffindors. They left in a hurry, trying to avoid the dangerous look in Snape's eyes as he eyed Lockhart with great dislike.

"Do you think i should have told them?" asked Harry as they walked towards the Gryffindor tower.

Hermione cocked an eyebrow at him. "Told them what?"

"That i heard a voice and it lead us there." said Harry like it was no big deal.

Hermione's eyes widened. "How long have you been hearing voices?"

"Not too long," said Harry. "It only happened one other time, and that was in Lockhart's office. Why?"

"Because..." said Hermione, who looked somewhat deep in thought. "Hearing voices _isn't_ a good sign, not even in the wizarding world."

That didn't make Harry feel better at all.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: My favoriter part of CoS is coming up. I'll give you a hint: It involves Lockhart flying backwards. <strong>


	20. Secrets, Bludgers, and the Dueling Club

For the days following, the school could talk of nothing else except the seemingly random attack on Mrs. Norris. Filch kept it fresh in everyone's minds by pacing in the spot where she had been attacked, as though he thought the attacker might come back to strike again. Rose had seen him scrubbing the message on the wall with Mrs. Skower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover almost hourly, but to no effect; the words still gleamed as brightly as ever on the stone. When Filch wasn't guarding the scene of the crime, he was skulking red-eyed through the corridors, lunging out at unsuspecting students and trying to put them in detention for things like "breathing loudly' and "looking happy", which to Fred's annoyance, had had happened to him at least three times in the last week.

Ginny was very disturbed by the accident as well. Accroding to Ron, she was a great cat lover.

"Don't worry." said Alice, keeping a tight grip on her friend's arm. "Rose told me all about her. We're much better off without her anyway." Ginny's lip trembled slightly.

"They'll catch the lunatic and throw 'em out of here in no time." said Fred bracingly. "I just hope he's got time to Petrify Filch before he's expelled..."

"I'm only joking!" He added hastily as Ginny shuddered violently and Alice gave him a very angry look.

What is a 'Chamber of Secrets' anyway?" said Ina a week after the attack.

"It's a chamber - that's _secret_."

"I would have never guessed."

Evan Wright giggled. Despite how much he positively _annoyed_ Ina, he still always loved to sit near and happily converse with her.

"Don't you have class?" asked Ina irritably.

"'Course i do." said Evan. "'Cept it's Potions, and i'm downright awful at it."

"How unfortunate."

"Can't you help a friend out?"

Ina looked at him. "Since when were we friends?"

"Since that one time i sat next to you in Charms." said Evan. "Remember? I told you all 'bout my family and then you got in trouble for talking to me even though i was doin' most of it anyway."

"Oh yes, of course." mumbled Ina.

Evan smiled. "And i've been bugging you for almost two years, that has to count for something, right?"

Ina shrugged. "I suppose so. But i don't have Potions with you. You're in the Hufflepuff-Ravenclaw class."

"Then i'll bug Zachary 'bout it then." said Evan. "Where is he?"

"He's chatting with Rose at the Ravenclaw table." said Ina, pointing to the redhead and the shy boy talking rapidly about something. She was laughing at something he must have said.

"Thanks Ina." said Evan. He departed towards the Ravenclaw table. Sam walked over and sat down next to Ina. "What class do we have first?" she asked as she rubbed her eyes.

"History of Magic." said Ina.

Sam sighed. "Well, at least i can get another hour of sleep in before Herbology."

* * *

><p>Professor Binns, the History of Magic teacher, was the only ghost to teach at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, he was not as exciting as one would think. He was drab and boring, and spoke in a voice that sounded like a old vacuum cleaner ruining out of energy. The most interesting thing he did was enter the class through the chalkboard, other than that his long-winded lectures bored everyone in sleep in ten minutes, five if it was humid. The Slytherins and Gryffindors sat in the classroom, their focus lost completely as Binns went on and on about some Warlock Convention. Hermione raised her hand.<p>

Professor Binns looked up from his notes with a slightly stunned expression on his semi-trasnparent face. "Miss - er -?"

"Granger," said Hermione in a clear voice. "Professor. I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets."

Rose snapped out of looking out of the window. Neville's elbow slipped off his desk. Sam's dark blue head lifted up from her arms on her desk. Everyone's attention went straight to Binns.

Professor Binns blinked. "My subject is _History_ of Magic. I deal with _facts_, Miss Granger, not myths and _legends_."

He cleared his dry throat and continued his lecture. Hermione's hand went back into the air, waving for his attention. "Miss Grant?"

"Please, sir, don't legends always have a basis in fact?" said Hermione.

Professor Binns looked amazed at her determination. "_Well_," said Professor Binns slowly, "Yes, one could argue that, I suppose..."

He looked over the notes in his hand, shuffling them. "However, the legend of which you speak is such a very sensational, even _ludicrous_ tale..."

He peered at the class, every face was locked on to him. He was obviously thrown by the odd surge of interest.

"Oh, very well."said Binns irritably. "Let me see... the Chamber of Secrets..."

"You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago - the precise date is uncertain - by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age. The four school Houses are named after them: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. They built this castle together, far from prying Muggle eyes, for it was an age when magic was feared by common people, and witches and wizards suffered much persecution."

He paused, looking at all the focused faces looking at him, and continued on.

"For a few years, the founders worked in harmony together, seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringing them to the castle to be educated. But then disagreements sprang up between them. A rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others. Slytherin wished to be more _selective_ about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy. After a while, there was a serious argument on the subject between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school."

Professor Binns paused again. He pursed his lips, making him look like a wrinkled old tortoise.

"Reliable historical sources tell us this much," said Binns dryly. "But these honest facts have been obscured by the fanciful legend of the Chamber of Secrets. The story goes that Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in the castle, of which the other founders knew nothing about."

"Slytherin," said Binns. "According to the legend, sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that none would be able to open it until his own true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to unseal the Chamber of Secrets, unleash the horror within, and use it to purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic."

Silence filled the room as Binns finished. It wasn't the normal, sleep silence. It was tensed, full of unease. Binns looked at the class with a slightly annoyed expression on his old face.

"The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course," snapped Binns. "Naturally, the school has been searched for evidence of such a chamber _many_ times, by the most learned witches and wizards. It does not exist. A tale told to frighten the gullible."

Hermione's hand shot back on to the air. "Sir - what exactly do you mean by the 'horror within' the Chamber?"

"That is believed to be some sort of monster, which the Heir of Slytherin alone can control," said Professor Binns in a reedy voice.

The class exchanged nervous looks.

"I tell you, the thing does not exist," said Professor Binns, shuffling his notes angrily. "There is no Chamber and no monster."

"But sir," said Seamus Finnigan. "If the Chamber can only be opened by Slytherin's true heir, no one else would be able to find it, would they?"

"Nonsense, O'Flaherty," said Professor Binns in an aggravated tone. "If a long succession of Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses haven't found the thing -"

"But, Professor," piped up Ina, "you'd probably have to use Dark Magic to open it -"

"Just because a wizard doesn't use Dark Magic doesn't mean he can't, Miss Zabala," snapped Professor Binns. "I _repeat_, if the likes of Dumbledore -"

"But maybe you've got to be related to Slytherin, so Dumbledore couldn't -" began Sam, but Professor Binns had had enough.

"That will do!" snapped Binns sharply. "It is a myth! It does not exist! There is not a shred of evidence that Slytherin ever built so much as a secret broom cupboard! I regret telling you such a foolish story! We will return, if you please, to history, to solid, believable, verifiable fact!"

And within five minutes, the class had sunk back into its usual drowsiness.

"I always knew Salazar Slytherin was a twisted old loony," Ron told Harry and Hermione as they fought their way through the teeming corridors at the end of the lesson to drop off their bags before dinner. "But I never knew he started all this pure-blood stuff. I wouldn't be in his house if you paid me. Honestly, if the Sorting Hat had tried to put me in Slytherin, I'd've got the train straight back home.."

"Thanks Ron."

Ron turned to see Rose trailing besides him. Her face was slightly red. "Not everyone is _evil_ in Slytherin, you know."

"We know that." said Ron. "You don't give a damn about someone's blood, you're not like them..."

"Exactly." snapped Rose. "So don't think that you can just lump everyone together into one stereotype." She sped off towards the stairs leading to the dungeons.

"What's up with her?" asked Ron.

"Well..." said Hermione. "I think she might she might be a bit sensitive about her house."

"So?" asked Ron. "We all know she's way better than most of the lot in that house anyway, why should she care?"

"Because maybe she doesn't appreciate the assumptions that was made when she was sorted there." said Hermione. "Maybe she thinks that everyone will think she's biased just for her house. But we all know she's not."

"Well that's rubbish." muttered Ron. "Fred and Alice were sorted into the same house and they're both just as fine as her. No need to be all uppity about it.."

Harry was barely listening. His stomach dropped as soon as Professor Binns started talking about the Chamber. Harry had never told Ron and Hermione that the Sorting Hat had seriously considered putting _him_ in Slytherin. He could remember it vivldly as though it were yesterday, the small voice that had spoken in his mind when he'd placed the hat on his head the very year before: '_You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin would help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that...' _said the hat. But Harry, who had already heard of Slytherin House's reputation for turning out Dark wizards from Ron, had thought desperately '_Not Slytherin!'_ and the hat had said:_ 'Oh, well, if you're sure ... better be Gryffindor...'_

Fred ran up to them. "Harry!"

"Yeah?" asked Harry. Fred looked out of breath, almost like he ran all the way to them.

"I heard something from a Ravenclaw in Charms. They're saying you're-"

"The Heir of Slytherin?" said Harry sarcastically, finishing Fred's sentence. Fred looked at him in amazement. "Yeah, how'd you-?

"Lucky guess." said Harry. "Do rumors really travel that fast around here?"

Fred shrugged. "Suppose so. But don't worry, i jinxed him good, Madam Pomfrey is going to have a handful trying to get those tentacles off his face tonight." He smiled and departed.

"People will believe anything." spat Ron with a disgusted face.

"D'you really think there's a Chamber of Secrets?" Ron asked Hermione as they progressed up on to an empty staircase.

"I don't know," she said, frowning. "Dumbledore couldn't cure Mrs. Norris, and that makes me think that whatever attacked her might not be - well - _human_."

Harry felt a shiver go down his spine.

* * *

><p>"Who can it be, though?" said Hermione in a quiet voice. The three of them were searching through the library the very next day. "Who'd want to frighten all the Squibs and Muggle-borns out of Hogwarts?"<p>

"Let's think," said Ron in mock confusion, putting is finger on his chin. "Who do we know who thinks Muggle-borns are scum?"

He looked at Hermione for her reaction. Hermione looked back with an unconvinced expression on her face. "If you're talking about Malfoy-"

"Of course I am!" snapped Ron. "You heard him-_ 'You'll be next, mudbloods!'_ Come on! you've only got to look at his foul rat face to know it's him-"

"Malfoy, the Heir of Slytherin?" said Hermione skeptically.

"Look at his family," said Harry, closing the books on his lap "The whole lot of them have been in Slytherin. He's _always_ boasting about it. They could easily be Slytherin's descendants. His father's definitely evil enough."

"They couldve had the key to the Chamber of Secrets for centuries!" said Ron. "Handing it down, father to son..."

"_Well_," said Hermione cautiously, "I suppose it's possible.."

"But how can we prove it?" asked Harry.

"There might be a way," said Hermione slowly, dropping her voice even more with a quick glance across the room at Madam Pince, the librarian. "Of course, it would be difficult. And dangerous, very dangerous. We'd be breaking about fifty school rules, I expect-"

"If in a month or so that you feel like explaining, you will let us know, won't you?" said Ron irritably.

"All right," said Hermione coldly. "What we'd need to do is to get inside the Slytherin common room and ask Malfoy a few questions without him realizing it's us."

"But that's impossible," Harry said as Ron let out a laugh.

"No, it's not." said Hermione. "All we'd need would be some Polyjuice Potion."

"What's that?" said Ron and Harry in unison.

"Snape mentioned it in class a few weeks ago-"

"D'you think we've got nothing better to do in Potions than listen to Snape?" muttered Ron.

"Don't tell Rose that. Anyway, it transforms you into somebody else." said Hermione. Ron was confused. "Think about it! We could change into three of the Slytherins. No one would know it was us. Malfoy would probably tell us anything. He's probably boasting about it in the Slytherin common room right now, if only we could hear him..."

"This Polyjuice stuff sounds a bit dodgy to me," said Ron with a frown on his face. "What if we were stuck looking like three of the Slytherins forever?"

"It wears off after a while," said Hermione impatiently. "But getting hold of the recipe will be very difficult. Snape said it was in a book called '_Moste Potente Potions'_ and it's bound to be in the Restricted Section of the library."

There was only one way to get out a book from the Restricted Section: You needed a signed note of permission from a teacher.

"Hard to see why we'd want the book, really." said Ron, "if we weren't going to try and make one of the potions."

"I think," said Hermione, "that if we made it sound as though we were just interested in the theory, we might stand a chance.."

"I doubt Snape will fall for that one." said Ron. "But we might get another to sign. They'd have to be really thick though..."

* * *

><p>After the pixies accident, Lockhart had resorted to going into long re-dramatizations of his many adventures, with Harry usually as the vampire, yeti, or werewolf that he was fighting.<p>

"Nice loud howl, Harry - exactly - and then, if you'll believe it, I pounced - like this - slammed him to the floor - thus with one hand, I managed to hold him down - with my other, I put my wand to his throat -I then screwed up my remaining strength and performed the immensely complex Homorphus Charm he let out a piteous moan - go on, Harry - higher than that - good - the fur vanished - the fangs shrank - and he turned back into a man. Simple, yet effective - and another village will remember me forever as the hero who delivered them from the monthly terror of werewolf attacks."

The bell rang and Lockhart got to his feet eagerly.

"Homework - compose a poem about my defeat of the Wagga Wagga Werewolf! Signed copies of Magical Me to the author of the best one!" The class gave put a ruffled sounding groan.

Harry returned to the back of the classroom as the rest fo the class left. "Ready?"

"Yes." said Hermione anxiously, making sure that everyone was gone. "All right..."

Hermione apporached Lockhart's desk nervously. "Er - Professor Lockhart?" Hermione stammered. "I wanted to - to get this book out of the library. Just for background reading." She held out the piece of paper, her hand shaking slightly. "But the thing is, it's in the Restricted Section of the library, so I need a teacher to sign for it - I'm sure it would help me understand what you say in _Gadding with Ghouls_ about slow-acting venoms-"

"Ah, _Gadding with Ghouls_!" said Lockhart happily, taking the note from Hermione and smiling widely at her. "Possibly my very favorite book. You enjoyed it?"

"Oh yes," said Hermione eagerly. "So clever, the way you trapped that last one with the tea-strainer-"

"Well, I'm sure no one will mind me giving the best student of the year a little extra help," said Lockhart warmly, and he pulled out an enormous peacock quill.

"Yes, it's nice, isn't it?" said Lockhart, misreading the revolted look on Ron's face. "I usually save it for book-signings."

He scrawled an enormous loopy signature on the note and handed it back to Hermione.

"So, Harry," said Lockhart, while Hermione folded the note with fumbling fingers and slipped it into her bag. "Tomorrow's the first  
>Quidditch match of the season, I believe? Gryffindor against Slytherin, is it not? I hear you're a useful player. I was a Seeker, too. I was<br>asked to try for the National Squad, but preferred to dedicate my life to the eradication of the Dark Forces. Still, if ever you feel the need for a little private training, don't hesitate to ask. Always happy to pass on my expertise to less able players..."

Harry made an indistinct noise in his throat and then hurried off after Ron and Hermione.

"I don't believe it," said Harry as the three of them examined the signature on the note. "He didn't even look at the book we wanted."

"That's because he's a brainless git," said Ron. "But who cares, we've got what we needed-"

"He is not a brainless git!" said Hermione shrilly as they half ran toward the library.

"Just because he said you were the best student of the year-" muttered Ron.

They dropped their voices as they entered the dusty silence of the library. Madam Pince, the librarian, looked down at them with her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Moste Potente Potions?" she said, trying to take the note from Hermione; but Hermione wouldn't let go.

"I was wondering if I could keep it," she said breathlessly.

"Oh come on," said Ron irritability, wrenching it from her grasp and thrusting it at Madam Pince. "We'll get you another autograph. Lockhart'll sign anything if it stands still long enough."

Madam Pince held the note up to the light, as though determined to detect a forgery, but it passed the test. She stalked away between the  
>lofty shelves and returned several minutes later carrying a large and moldy-looking book. Hermione put it carefully into her bag and they left, trying not to walk too quickly or look too guilty.<p>

A few minutes later, they headed to the out-of-service girls' bathroom near where Mrs. Norris attacked, where a very overemotional ghost named Moaning Myrtle haunted. With her blotchy skin, lank hair, and extremely thick glasses, she hovered around the stalls, her sobs filling the air. Ron was first against ever going into the place, but with such a hassle of ghost lingering there, Hermione reassured them that no one would ever bug them, considering that no one ever went wherever Myrtle was anyway.

Hermione opened _Moste Potente Potions_ carefully, and the three of them bent over the damp-spotted pages. It was clear from a glance why it belonged in the Restricted Section. Some of the potions had effects almost too gruesome to think about, and there were some very unpleasant illustrations, which included a man who seemed to have been turned inside out and a witch sprouting several extra pairs of arms out of her head.

"Here it is," said Hermione excitedly as she found the page headed _The Polyjuice Potion._ It was decorated with drawings of people halfway through transforming into other people. Harry sincerely hoped the artist had imagined the looks of intense pain on their faces.

"This is the most complicated potion I've ever seen," said Hermione as her eyes scanned the recipe. "Lacewing flies, leeches, fluxweed, and knotgrass," she murmured, running her finger down the list of ingredients. "Well, they're easy enough, they're in the student storecupboard, we can help ourselves. Oooh, look, powdered horn of a bicorn, don't know where we're going to get that - shredded skin of a boomslang. That'll be tricky too... and of course a bit of whoever we want to change into."

"Excuse me?" said Ron sharply. "What d'you mean, _a bit of whoever_ _we're changing into_? I'm drinking nothing with Crabbe's toenails in it-"

"You'll need nothing like that." snapped Hermione as continued. "We don't have to worry about that yet though, because we add those bits last ...

Harry had another worry on his mind.

"D'you realize how much we're going to have to steal, Hermione? Shredded skin of a boomslang, that's definitely not in the students' cupboard. What're we going to do, break into Snape's private stores? I don't know if this is a good idea..."

Hermione snapped the book shut. "We'll get them, don't you worry."

"And how are we going to do that?" asked Ron skeptically.

"Just trust me, okay?"

* * *

><p>Rose sorted through her father's private stores. Ever since she was little, she had been fascinated with Potions, and now that she was at Hogwarts, her father had given her and her siblings special permission to be able to go into his private stock whenever they pleased. One of the many privileges of having a professor for a parent.<p>

She grabbed a few bottles and walked out the stores, snapping the door shut behind her.

"Why did you want these for anyway?" asked Rose as she handed Hermione the bottles. "My dad is going to be wondering why these are gone..."

"Trying to stay ahead of the curve, you know." said Hermione, looking over the bottles. "Always good to stay on top of yourself. Thank you so much by the way."

"Don't mention it." said Rose with a wave of her hand. "It's nothing."

"No, really." said Hermione earnestly. "This is going to help a lot."

"Help what?" asked Rose.

"Long story." said Hermione. "But i'll tell you this, a lot of people here will appreciate it."

Rose just smiled. She didn't want to give it away that she knew that Hermione was gathering ingredients for Polyjuice Potion. She knew the potion all too well, as Fred had tried to sneak it into her system when they were eight when their father had brought home a sample after the sixth year exams. He was extremely determined to get a brother. Whether that meant sneaking a potion to turn his sister into a copy of himself was completely okay with him.

* * *

><p>Harry laid on the ground, moaning. He knew his arm was broken.<p>

The first Quidditch game of the year went off without a hitch until a Bludger, completely ignoring every ether player, focused in on him and chased him down the field. Harry caught the snitch, leading to Gryffindor winning the game, but the Bludger hit him off his broom and surely enough, he was where he was now, his arm throbbing with pain.

Fred looked down at him. "I've seen worst."

"Shut it, Frederick." snapped Rose. They had rushed down from the stands and were standing around him. Hermione was urging for someone to bring him to the Hospital wing.

"Stand back!" said a voice rushing towards them. Harry saw a glitter of teeth.

"Oh no, not _you._" moaned Harry.

"Doesn't know what he's saying," said Lockhart loudly to the anxious crowd of students hovering around them. "Not to worry, Harry. I'm about to fix your arm."

"No!" said Harry. "I'll keep it like this, thanks..."

He tried to sit up, but the pain was terrible. "I don't think that's a good idea, mate." said Fred. They heard a familiar clicking noise nearby.

"I don't want a photo of this, Colin." said Alice's voice loudly. She was trying to keep Colin from coming closer with his oversized camera.

"Lie back, Harry," said Lockhart soothingly. "It's a simple charm I've used countless times -"

"Why can't he just go to the hospital wing?" said Rose.

"He should really, Professor," said a muddy Oliver Wood, who couldn't help grinning even though his Seeker was injured. "Great capture, Harry, really spectacular, your best yet, I'd say-"

Through the thicket of legs around him, Harry spotted Fred and George Weasley, wrestling the rogue Bludger into a box. It was still putting up a terrific fight.

"Brace yourselves" said Lockhart dramatically, who was rolling up his jade-green sleeves.

"No - _don't_ -" said Harry weakly, but Lockhart was twirling his wand and a second later had directed it straight at Harry's arm.

A strange and unpleasant sensation started at Harry's shoulder and spread all the way down to his fingertips. His arm felt numb, he couldn't feel it anymore.

"Ah..." said Lockhart awkwardly. "Yes, well, that can sometimes happen. Um, but, uh, the point is, uh, you can no longer feel any pain. And, very clearly, the bones are not broken."

Harry looked down at his arm and almost fainted. His arm was poking out of his Quidditch robes, except it didn't even look like an arm. It resembled an inflated rubber glove.

"Broken?" said Fred in shocked voice. "There's no bones left!"

"Much more flexible, though." said Lockhart. Surely enough, he could easily bend Harry's wrist all the way backwards.

Lockhart couldn't hear Fred mumbled '_idiot_' under his breath.

* * *

><p>Harry laid against the pillows in the Hospital wing. The moonlight was shining through the windows, illuminating the half empty Skele-Gro on the bedside table. Harry's arm felt like it was full of splinters. The joys of having your arm grow back from scratch.<p>

He heard a crack in the darkness and felt weight on his leg. He looked down to see a bright pair of tennis-ball green eyes looking back at him.

"Mister Potter came back to school," whispered Dobby miserably, a single tear hanging off the tip of his thin, pointy nose. "Dobby warned and warned Harry Potter. Ah sir, why didn't you listen to Dobby? Why didn't Harry Potter go back home when he missed the train?"

Harry heaved himself up on his pillows and looked at him angrily. "What're you doing here? And how did you know I missed the train?"

Dobby's lip trembled and Harry was seized by a sudden suspicion.

"It was you!" snapped Harry. "You stopped the barrier from letting us through!"

"Yes, sir. Indeed." said Dobby, nodding his head vigorously, making his ears flap around. "Dobby hid and watched for Harry Potter and sealed the gateway to the train and Dobby had to iron his ears afterwards"- he glanced towards his burnt-looking ears that were roughly covered in bandages- "but Dobby didn't care, sir, for he thought Harry Potter was safe, and never did Dobby dream that Harry Potter would get to school another way!"

Dobby gave a shuddering breath. "Dobby was shocked when he heard Harry Potter was back at Hogwarts, he let his master's dinner burn! Such a flogging Dobby never had, sir..."

Harry slumped back onto his pillows. "You nearly got Ron and me expelled," he said fiercely. "You'd better get lost before my bones come back, Dobby, or I might strangle you."

Dobby smiled weakly. "Dobby is used to death threats, sir. Dobby gets them five times a day at home."

Dobby mopped his bulging eyes and said suddenly, "Harry Potter must go home! Dobby thought his Bludger would be enough to make -"

"Your Bludger?" said Harry, anger rising once more. "What d'you mean _your Bludger_? You made that Bludger try and kill me?"

"Not kill you, sir, never kill you!" said Dobby, shocked. "Dobby wants to save Harry Potter's life! Better sent home, grievously injured, than remain here sir! Dobby only wanted Harry Potter hurt enough to be sent home!"

"Oh, is that all?" said Harry angrily. "I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you wanted me sent home in pieces?"

"Ah," groaned Dobby. "If Harry Potter only knew!"More tears were dripping  
>onto his ragged pillowcase. "Terrible things are to happen at Hogwarts, perhaps happening already, and Dobby cannot let Harry Potter stay here now that history is to repeat itself, now that the Chamber of Secrets is open once more-"<p>

Dobby froze, terrified of what he said. He then grabbed Harry's water jug from his bedside table and cracked it over his own head, toppling out of sight. A second later, he crawled back onto the bed, his eyes unfocused, muttering "Bad Dobby, very bad Dobby..."

"So there is a Chamber of Secrets?" Harry whispered. "And did you say it's been opened before? Tell me, Dobby!"

He seized the elf's bony wrist as Dobby's hand inched toward the water jug. "But I'm not Muggle-born - how can I be in danger from the Chamber?"

"Ah, sir, ask no more, ask no more of poor Dobby," stammered the elf, his eyes huge in the dark. "Dark deeds are planned in this place, but Harry Potter must not be here when they happen - go home, Harry Potter, go home. Harry Potter must not meddle in this, sir, 'tis too dangerous -"

"Who is it, Dobby?" Harry said, keeping a firm hold on Dobby's wrist to stop him from hitting himself with the water jug again. "Who's  
>opened it? Who opened it last time?"<p>

Dobby gave a sad shake of the head, and with a snap of his long fingers, he disappeared from sight. Harry gave a aggravated groan. Harry heard footsteps coming towards the doors. Harry went completely still. The doors opened to reveal Professor Dumbledore backing into the wing. He looked like he was caring a statue. Professor McGonagall appeared a second later, carrying its feet. Together, they heaved it onto a bed.

"Get Madam Pomfrey," whispered Dumbledore. Professor McGonagall hurried past the end of Harry's bed out of sight. Harry laid still, pretending to be asleep.

He heard urgent voices, and then Professor McGonagall swept back into view, closely followed by Madam Pomfrey. He heard a sharp intake of breath.

"What happened?" Madam Pomfrey whispered to Dumbledore, bending over the statue on the bed.

"Another attack," said Dumbledore. "Minerva found him on the stairs."

Slowly and carefully, he raised himself a few inches so he could look at the statue on the bed. A ray of moonlight lit up the statue's frozen face.

It was Colin Creevey. His eyes were wide and his hands were stuck up in front of him, holding his large camera.

"Petrified?" whispered Madam Pomfrey.

"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "But I shudder to think ... If Albus hadn't been on the way downstairs for hot chocolate - who knows what might have -"

The three of them stared down at Colin. Dumbledore leaned forward and wrenched the camera out of Colin's rigid grip.

"You don't think he managed to get a picture of his attacker?" said Professor McGonagall. Dumbledore didn't answer. He opened the back of the camera.

"Good gracious!" said Madam Pomfrey.

A jet of purple smoke hissed out of the camera. The smell of burnt plastic filled the air.

"Melted," said Madam Pomfrey. "All melted..."

"What does this mean, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked urgently.

"It means," said Dumbledore, "that the Chamber of Secrets is indeed open again."

Madam Pomfrey clapped a hand to her mouth. Professor McGonagall stared at Dumbledore. "But, Albus - surely - who?"

"The question is not _who_," said Dumbledore, his eyes on Colin. "The question is _how_..."

* * *

><p>Harry left the Hospital Wing the next morning. With his aspirations to follow his parents in their field in being a professional Healer, Zachary Leon looked over Harry's arm with wonder.<p>

"It doesn't hurt?" he asked, bending one of Harry's fingers.

"Not really." said Harry. "It hurt a lot worst last night. But it feels much better now."

"Amazing." said Zachary. "Truly stunning..."

The news of Colin's Petrification went through the school like wildfire. The first years filed through the school in tight-knit groups, fearful that the attacker would strike again. Fred took in stride.

"I think it's brilliant." said Fred happily as the December snow filled the castle's windows. "First year we get here and we have _this_ going on. What did mum and dad have in their school years that was this exciting?"

"Didn't mum say that they had a werewolf in their year though?" asked Alice anxiously. She wasn't as thrilled as her twin.

Fred shrugged. "Something like that."

Meanwhile, hidden from the teachers, a roaring trade in talismans, amulets, and other protective devices was sweeping the school. Matthew Greenley thought it was funny.

"I've been seeing kids who i know for a fact are half-blood or more that are getting onions and newt tails to protect them." he said. "Of course, i don't think they notice that they don't actually work."

"Looks neat though." said Evan Wright, twirling a dark green crystal in his hand that Fred have given him.

In the second week of December Professor McGonagall came around as usual, collecting names of those who would be staying at school for Christmas. Harry, Ron, and Hermione signed her list. They had heard that Malfoy was staying, which struck them as very suspicious. The holidays would be the perfect time to use the Polyjuice Potion and try to worm a confession out of him. Fortunately for Hermione getting the ingredients from Rose, the potion was nearly complete. All they needed was a piece of the person they would turn into.

A few days later, as they sat at the Gryffindor table talking, Rose and Sam walked over with a piece of parchment.

"Do you hear?" asked Sam excitedly.

"Hear what?" said Ron.

"They're starting a Dueling Club!" said Rose. "First meeting is tonight! You three in?"

"I don't see why not." said Harry, looking at the parchment Sam handed him.

"You reckon that monster can duel?" asked Ron.

"It could come in handy, you know." said Rose. She and Sam departed back to the Slytherin table. Later, at eight o' clock that night, they returned to Great Hall, where the four long tables had disappeared. A golden stage stood on one wall. Fred Snape beckoned them over.

"Who do you reckon will teach us?" asked Hermione as they edged through the crowd.

"Maybe Flitwick." said Ron. "I heard he was a dueling champion when he was younger. Maybe it'll be him."

"Just as long as it isn't-" started Harry, but he cut himself off with a groan. Lockhart walked onto the stage, his robes dark plum in colour with gold trimmings. Surprisingly, Professor Snape accompanied him. He was in his usual black.

"Oh my _god_." said Fred with a wicked grin on his face. "Did Christmas come early?"

Hermione looked at him with a shocked expression. "Why are you happy for? Your dad might get seriously hurt up there!"

Alice stiffened a giggle. "I doubt he will, Hermione." said Rose happily.

Lockhart waved an arm for silence and called "Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!"

"Now," said Lockhart. "Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start his little dueling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend  
>yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions - for full details, see my published works."<p>

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," said Lockhart, flashing a wide smile. "He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry - you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!" He gave a tiny wink in Fred, Rose, and Alice's direction.

Fred snorted. "I'd like to see him try." Rose and Alice laughed in agreement.

Snape's upper lip was curling. Harry wondered why Lockhart was still smiling; if Snape had been looking at him like that he'd have been running as fast as he could in the opposite direction.

Lockhart and Snape turned to face each other and bowed. At least, Lockhart did, with much twirling of his hands, whereas Snape jerked his head irritably. Fred giggled again.

They raised their wands like swords in front of them.

"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," Lockhart told the silent crowd. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."

"I wouldn't bet on that." Rose murmured.

"One - two - three -"

Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at their opponent; Snape cried: "_Expelliarmus_!" There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet: He flew backward off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it to sprawl on the floor.

There was cheering, though most fo the girls were dead silent. Fred was holding his sides, not bothering to hide his laughter. Hermione was dancing on tiptoes. "Do you think he's all right?" she squealed through her fingers.

"Who cares?" said Ina, looking over Hermione's bushy hair. She never really cared for Lockhart.

Lockhart was getting unsteadily to his feet. His hat had fallen off and his wavy hair was standing on end.

"Well, there you have it!" he said, tottering back onto the platform. "That was a Disarming Charm - as you see, I've lost my wand - ah, thank you, Miss Brown - yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was _pretty_ obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy - however, I felt it would be instructive to let them see..."

Snape was looking murderous. Possibly Lockhart had noticed too, because he said, "Enough demonstrating! Let's get a student pair up here!"

Fred shot his hand straight into the air, waving it to be picked. "Sorry m'boy," said Lockhart. "I'm afraid you don't know enough to properly defend yourself."

"Well maybe if you actually taught us something instead of talking about yourself all of the time, i could defend myself!" snapped Fred. Lockhart didn't hear him.

"Ah, yes," said Lockhart. "How about Harry and Weasley then?"

"A bad idea, _Professor_," said Snape. "Weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest spells, as you can easily tell, it's not currently in the best state." Ron looked at his broken wand. "We'll be sending what's left of Potter up to the hospital wing in a matchbox."

"Right then." said Lockhart. "Let's see, how about Malfoy and Potter then?"

Harry's stoamch clenched up. Draco was looking at him with an evil smile on his face. "Well, get up here! Let's see what you've both got!"

Ron gave Harry a tiny push and he reluctantly walked on stage. Draco walked on as well, his pointed face smirking.

"Scared?" muttered Draco as they positioned themselves, their wands held tightly in their hands.

"You wish," said Harry out of the corner of his mouth.

"On the count of three," said Lockhart. "One - two - three!"

Malfoy raised his wand quickly and bellowed, "Serpensortia!"

The end of his wand exploded. A long black snake shot out of it, falling heavily onto the floor between them, and raised itself, ready to strike. There were screams as the crowd backed swiftly away, clearing the floor.

"Don't move, Potter," said Snape lazily, walking past Draco "I'll get rid of it..."

"Allow me!" shouted Lockhart eagerly. He brandished his wand at the snake and there was a loud bang. The snake, instead of vanishing, flew ten feet into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack. Enraged and hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward Justin Finch-Fletchley, a Hufflepuff boy in Harry's Herbology class, and raised itself again, its fangs exposed to strike.

"Leave him alone!"yelled Harry. The snake looked back him, and after a moment, it slumped to the floor, its eyes looking just at Harry. Harry felt the fear drain out of him. Harry knew that the snake wouldn't attack again, but he didn't why.

He looked up at Justin, grinning, expecting to see Justin looking relived or grateful in some why, but he wasn't. His face was scared and angry.

"What do you think you're playing at?" shouted Justin. He turned and stromed out of the hall.

Snape stepped forward and with a wave of his wand, the snake vanished in a small puff of black smoke. Snape, too, was looking at Harry in an  
>unexpected way: It was a shrewd and calculating look, and Harry didn't like it. He was also dimly aware of an ominous muttering all around the walls. Then he felt a tugging on the back of his robes.<p>

"Come on," said Rods voice in his ear. "Move - come on-"

Ron steered him out of the hall, Hermione hurrying alongside them. Harry had a fleeting look at Rose before he left. As they went through the doors, the people on either side drew away as though they were frightened of catching something. Harry didn't have a clue what was going on, and neither Ron or Hermione explained anything until they had dragged him all the way up to the empty Gryffindor common room. Ron pushed Harry into an armchair "You're a Parselmouth. Why didn't you tell us?"

"I'm a what?" said Harry.

"A Parselmouth!" said Ron. "You can talk to snakes!"

"I know," said Harry. "I mean, that's only the second time I've ever done it. I accidentally set a boa constrictor on my cousin Darius at the zoo once - long story," he added as Hermione's eye widened. "But it was telling me it had never seen Brazil and I sort of set it free without meaning to that was before I knew I was a wizard-"

"A boa constrictor told you it had never seen Brazil?" Ron repeated faintly.

"So?" said Harry. "I bet loads of people here can do it."

"Oh, no they can't," said Ron. "It's not a very common gift. Harry, this is _really_ bad."

"What's bad?" said Harry, confused. "What's wrong with everyone? Listen, if I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin-"

"Oh, that's what you said to it?"

"What d'you mean? You were there - you _heard_ me -"

"I heard you speaking Parseltongue," said Ron. "Snake language. You could have been saying _anything_. No wonder Justin panicked, you sounded like you were egging the snake on or something - it was creepy, you know -"

Harry gaped at him. "I spoke a different language? But - I didn't realize - how can I speak a language without knowing I can speak it?"

Ron shook his head. Harry didn't see what was so terrible. "D'you want to tell me what's wrong with stopping a massive snake biting off Justin's head?" asked Harry. "What does it matter how I did it as long as Justin doesn't have to join the Headless Hunt?"

"It matters," said Hermione, speaking a hushed voice, "Because being able to talk to snakes was what Salazar Slytherin was _famous_ for. That's why the symbol of Slytherin House is a serpent."

Harry's mouth fell open.

"_Exactly_," said Ron. "And now the whole school's going to think you're his great-great-great-great-grandson or something."

"But I'm _not_," said Harry in a panicked voice.

"You'll find that hard to prove," said Hermione. "He lived about a thousand years ago; for all we know, you could be..."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Wow, this is the longest one of all the chapters so far. <em>Jeez<em>. **


	21. The Diary and Valentine's Day

_'Hogwarts is much stranger than i thought,_' wrote Charisse in her curved writing._ 'But don't worry, i've been just fine the entire time i've been here. Some loon let a monster loose but it only hunts down mudbloods. Like we need anymore, good riddance i say.'_

_'Some of the students here are very strange, Mother. For example, there's a girl in my Charms class who wears radishes for earrings! The nerve of some people! I've harmlessly nicknamed her "Loony", as her normal name sounds very much like it, but then again, nothing about her seems very normal in the first place.'_

_'Then there's these twins. They're the son and daughter of my Head of House. The girl is awfully shy, it makes me feel pity for her. Then there's the boy, urgh! What a troublemaker! Everyone seems to like him for some reason, maybe they're trying to suck it up to his professor father, but who knows. Tell father i'll see him soon.'_

Charisse signed the letter and sealed it. She handed it to her eagle-owl, which grabbed it with its sharp beak and flew out the Owlery window.

Charisse turned on her heel and walked towards the door. She heard a loud wet-sounding noise and looked down to see her boot covered in fresh owl droppings.

"Uck!" sneered Charisse. "Who the hell cleaned this place? They didn't do a very good job at it."

* * *

><p>The Hufflepuffs were thoroughly convinced that Harry was the Heir of Slytherin. Evan wasn't easily swayed. Growing up with two Herbologists for parents gave him the idea that you needed to see something to put it down as fact. Unless it explicitly showed that Harry was really the Heir, then he didn't believe it. That didn't exactly go over well with the rest of his house.<p>

The morning after the Dueling club incident was free for the Gryffidnor and Hufflepuff students' pleasure. A overnight blizzard had swept in and Professor Sprout was forced to cancel the last Herbology lesson of the term. In the meantime, she fitted socks and scarves on the Mandrakes, a tricky operation she would entrust to no one else, now that it was so important for the Mandrakes to grow quickly and revive Mrs. Norris and Colin Creevey.

Harry walked towards the library, determined to find Justin to tell him what he really did to have the snake not attack him. Harry went to the back of the library, where a group of the Hufliepuffs who should have been in Herbology were sitting. Their heads were close together, it looked like they were in a deeply interesting conversation. He couldn't see whether Justin was among them. Harry walked behind a bookcase, he didn't want to intrude of them just yet.

"So anyway," a stout boy with fair hair was saying, "I told Justin to hide up in our dormitory. I mean, if Potter's marked him down as his next victim, it's best if he keeps a low profile for a while. Of course Justin's been waiting for something like this to happen ever since he let slip to Potter he was Muggle-born back in September. That's not the kind of thing you boast about with Slytherin's heir on the loose, is it?"

"Oh come on Ernie," said Evan. "How can he be Slytherin's heir if he's in _Gryffindor_?"

"Evan," said Ernie solemnly, "he's a Parselmouth. Everyone knows that's the mark of a Dark wizard. Have you ever heard of a decent one who could talk to snakes? They called Slytherin himself Serpent-tongue.

"Yeah, because obviously everyone in Slytherin speaks to snakes and is evil." snapped Evan.

"Just because you have a crush on that girl with the big nose doesn't mean you have to get snippy with us." said Ernie.

Evan's freckled face turned slightly red. "She doesn't have a big nose! I mean, it's pointy and all, but-"

"Remember what was written on the wall?" said Ernie, interrupting Evan. "_Enemies of the Heir, Beware._ Potter had some sort of run-in with Filch. Next thing we know, Flich's cat's attacked. That first year, what was his name? Creevey. He was annoying Potter at the Quidditch match, taking pictures of him while he was lying in the mud. Next thing we know Creevey gets attacked."

"He always seems so nice though," said a girl with pigtails uncertainly, "and, well, he's the one who made You-Know-Who disappear. He can't be all bad, can he?"

Ernie lowered his voice mysteriously, the Hufflepuffs bent closer, and Harry edged closer so that he could catch Ernie's words.

"No one knows how he survived that attack by You-Know-Who. He was only a baby when it happened. He should have been blasted into smithereens. Only a _really_ powerful Dark wizard could have survived a curse like that." He dropped his voice until it was barely more than a whisper, "That's probably why You-Know-Who wanted to kill him in the first place. Didn't want another Dark Lord competing with him. What other powers Potter's been hiding?"

Harry couldn't take anymore. Clearing his throat loudly, he stepped out from behind the bookshelves. If he hadn't been feeling so angry, he would have found the sight that greeted him funny: Every one of the Hufflepuffs looked as though they had been Petrified (except Evan, who looked annoyed) by the sight of him, and the color was draining out of Ernie's face.

"Hello," said Harry. "I'm looking for Justin Finch-Fletchley."

"What do you want with him?" said Ernie in a shaky voice.

"I wanted to tell him what really happened with that snake at the Dueling Club," said Harry.

Ernie took a deep breath. "We were all there. We saw what happened."

"Then you noticed that after I spoke to it, the snake backed off?" said Harry.

"All I saw," said Ernie stubbornly, his voice shaking. "Was you speaking Parseltongue and chasing the snake toward Justin."

"I didn't chase it at him!" Harry said, his voice shaking with anger. "It didn't even touch him!"

"That's what i said." mumbled Evan quietly. Ernie ignored him. "It was a very near miss, and in case you're getting ideas, I might tell you that you can trace my family back through _nine_ generations of witches and warlocks and my blood's as pure as anyone's, so -"

"I don't care what sort of blood you've got!" said Harry fiercely. "Why would I want to attack Muggle-borns?"

"I've heard you hate those Muggles you live with," said Ernie swiftly.

"It's not possible to live with them and not hate it," snapped Harry. "I'd like to see you try."

Harry turned on his heel and stormed out of the library angrily.

Harry stomped up the stairs and turned along another corridor, which was particularly dark, as the torches had been extinguished by a  
>strong, icy draft that was blowing through a loose windowpane. He was halfway down the passage when he tripped over something lying on the floor.<p>

He turned to squint at what he'd fallen over and felt as though his stomach had dissolved.

Justin Finch-Fletchley was lying on the floor, cold and rigid as a board, a look of shock frozen on his frozen face, his eyes staring at the ceiling. And that wasn't all. Next to him was another figure, the strangest sight Harry had ever seen.

It was Nearly Headless Nick, no longer pearly-white and transparent like normal, but black and smoky, floating immobile and horizontal, six inches off the floor. His head was half off and his face wore an expression of shock identical to Justin's.

Harry got to his feet, breathing rapidly, his heart doing a kind of drumroll against his ribs. He looked wildly up and down the deserted corridor and saw a line of spiders scuttling as fast as they could away from the bodies.

There was a bang and Peeves the Poltergeist came shooting out of a deserted classroom.

"Why, it's potty wee Potter!" cackled Peeves happily, knocking Harry's glasses askew as he bounced past him. "What's Potter up to? Why's Potter lurking -"

Peeves stopped, halfway through a midair somersault. Upside down, he spotted Justin and Nearly Headless Nick. He flipped the right way up, filled his lungs and, before Harry could stop him, screamed: "ATTACK! _ATTACK_! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! _ATTAAAACK_!"

Door after door flew open along the corridor and people flooded out. For several long minutes the corridor was filled with confusion. Professor McGonagall came running, followed by her own class, one of whom still had black-and-white-striped hair. She used her wand to set off a loud _bang_, which restored silence, and ordered everyone back into their classes. No sooner had the scene cleared somewhat than Ernie the Hufflepuff arrived, panting.

"Caught in the act!" Ernie yelled dramatically, his face drained of colour and pointing at Harry.

"That will do, Macmillan!" said Professor McGonagall sharply. Peeves was bobbing overhead, now grinning wickedly, surveying the scene. Peeves always loved chaos.

As the teachers bent over Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, examining them, Peeves broke into song: "Oh, Potter, you rotter, oh, what have you done, You're killing off' students, you think it's good fun-"

"That's enough Peeves!" barked Professor McGonagall. Peeves zoomed away backward, with his tongue out at Harry.

Justin was carried up to the hospital wing by the tiny Professor Flitwick and Professor Sinistra of the Astronomy department, but nobody seemed to know what to do for Nearly Headless Nick. In the end, Professor McGonagall conjured a large fan out of thin air, gave it to Ernie with instructions to waft Nearly Headless Nick up the stairs. Ernie did so, fanning Nick along like a silent black hovercraft.

Harry and Professor McGonagall were left alone together on the silent corridor.

"This way, Potter," said McGonagall.

"Professor," said Harry at once, "I didn't -"

"This is out of my hands, Potter." said Professor McGonagall in what sounded like a constricted voice. They headed down the corridor and turned the corner.

* * *

><p>"Potter's been caught, Wright. What did i tell you?"<p>

Evan sat on a lumpy chair in the Hufflepuff common room. He was scribbling facial hair on his Lockhart book's picture. "What do mean "Potter's been caught'?"

"They found Justin frozen." said Ernie. "He's been attacked and now Potter can't deny it this time!"

Evan looked at him with a dumbfound expression. "Aren't you a bit _too_ happy about this, though?"

Ernie cocked his eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Look at it this way," said Evan thoughtfully. "One of our house members is, oh i don't know, _frozen,_ and all you can focus on it that Harry might be expelled. Don't you think that you might focusing on the wrong thing here?"

"But-" started Ernie.

"Yes, _i know._ Harry can speak to snakes. Everything always happens when Harry is there." snapped Evan. "Don't you ever think that he's just at the wrong place at the wrong time?"

"No," said Ernie stubbornly. "I don't."

"Ernie, no offense to you," said Evan. "But i think i just found out why most people dislike Hufflepuff so much."

* * *

><p>"How the hell do you do it?" asked Ron in amazemnet.<p>

Harry looked at him with a confusion expression. "What do you mean?"

"How many other kids here get a free pass of the headmaster?" asked Ron. "He must really like you, Harry."

"Maybe." shrugged Harry. "Though it was bit odd when he was telling me about his pet phoenix."

"So?" said Ron.

"I don't know," said Harry. "What was the point in telling me that Fawkes could carry heavy loads and his tears have healing powers? And that they're really loyal."

"It's called 'making conversation.', Harry." said Ron.

* * *

><p>"- It's absolutely fantastic," said Fred eagerly as he shuffled through his Christmas presents. "How many other kids can say that they went to Hogwarts when a bloody monster was loose?"<p>

Lily looked at her son with raised eybrows. "You seem too excited for such a horrible thing that's happening..."

"Don't mind him." said Severus. "He's a very morbid child."

"I'm not morbid!" said Fred. "I just think it's cool, is all..."

"You also think grown adults in all silver outfits and with ridiculous radios starpped to their chests is cool." said Alice.

"Now there's absolutely no need to insult the Cybermen, Al." said Fred. "They killed the dinosaurs."

"How are we related to him again?" whispered Rose.

"I have _no_ idea." whispered Alice back.

* * *

><p>"You <em>know<em>," said Fred matter-of-factly. "You could have _completely_ avoided this situation."

"And how would we do that?" asked Ron sarcastically.

"Oh i don't know..." said Fred in a mocking tone. "Ever thought of just _asking_ one of us?"

Ron looked up at him. "Meaning?"

"Well," said Rose. "There are, what? Five of us in Slytherin? We'd be more than happy to help you."

"Shocking, i know." said Sam.

"Plus, i don't think Hermione would mind being Ina or something for an hour." added Fred. "At least she wouldn't have a tail."

The rest of the school returned to Hogwarts from their Christmas holidays with the rumor that Hermione had been attacked, though Rose knew better. Harry told her the whole story of how they made this grand plan to sneak into Slytherin common room under the disguise of Polyjuice potion and expose Draco for the evil git he was, but to no avail. Unfortunately, Hermione did not take the right hair for the potion, and she was now sporting the fur and whiskers of Millicent's cat, Sugarlump. Of course, Hermione still stayed on top of her classes, as Ron and Harry always delivered her homework to her at the hospital wing.

Rose walked down the corridor next to Harry and Ron where Filch usually patrolled, he wasn't there. A great flood of water stretched over half the corridor, and it looked as though it was still seeping from under the door of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. They could hear Myrtle's wails echoing off the bathroom walls.

"Now what's up with her?" said Ron.

"Let's go and see," said Harry, and holding their robes over their ankles they stepped through the great wash of water to the door , ignoring its _OUT OF ORDER _sign and entered. Moaning Myrtle was crying, if possible, louder and harder than ever before. She seemed to be hiding down her usual toilet. It was dark in the bathroom because the candles had been extinguished in the great rush of water that had left both walls and floor soaking wet.

"Is this where you brewed the potion?" asked Rose. Ron nodded.

"What's up, Myrtle?" said Harry.

"Who's that?" glugged Myrtle miserably. "Come to throw something else at me?"

Harry waded across to her stall and said, "Why would I throw something at you?"

"Don't ask me!" Myrtle shouted, emerging with a wave of more water, which splashed onto the already sopping floor. "Here I am, minding my own business, and someone thinks it's funny to throw a book at me!"

"Sounds like something Fred would do." said Rose in an undertone.

"But it can't hurt you if someone throws something at you," said Ron reasonably. "I mean, it'd just go right through you, wouldn't it?"

Rose rolled her eyes. Myrtle puffed herself up and shrieked "Let's all throw books at Myrtle, because she can't feel it! Ten points if you can get it through her stomach! Fifty points if it goes through her head! Well, ha, ha, _ha_! What a lovely game, I don't think?"

"Yeah, that sounds like Fred." said Rose.

"Who threw it at you?" asked Harry.

"I don't know! I was just sitting in the U-bend, thinking about death, and it fell right through the top of my head," said Myrtle, glaring at them. "It's over there, it got washed out.."

Rose walked over to where Myrtle was pointing and picked a small, thin book. It had a shabby black cover and was as wet as everything else in the bathroom. She opened it. "It's just a diary."

She showed them the first page. They could just make out the name "T M. Riddle" in smudged ink.

"Hang on," said Ron, who had approached cautiously. "I know that name...T. M. Riddle got an award for special services to the school fifty years ago."

"How on earth d'you know that?" said Harry in amazement.

"Because Filch made me polish his shield about fifty times in detention," said Ron resentfully. "That was the one I burped slugs all over. If you'd wiped slime off a name for an hour, you'd remember it too."

Rose peeled the wet pages apart. They were completely blank. There wasn't the faintest trace of writing on any of them, not even simple notes.

"He never wrote in it," said Rose. Harry looked at the diary disappointedly.

"I wonder why someone wanted to flush it away?" said Ron curiously.

Rose turned to the back cover of the book and saw the printed name of a variety store on Vauxhall Road, London.

"He must've been Muggle-born," said Rose thoughtfufly. "To have bought a diary from Vauxhall Road."

"Well, it's not much use to you," said Ron. He dropped his voice. "Fifty points if you can get it through Myrtle's nose."

Rose sighed. "Honestly Ron."

"Can i have that?" asked Harry.

Rose raised an eyebrow at him. "If you want, i guess..."

She handed him the soaked diary. "There's nothing in it though, i don't see what else you would find in there."

* * *

><p>The sun finally started to shine through the bleak gray clouds. The mood in Hogwarts had risen from the fear of a few months ago to hopefulness. Maybe the monster was getting tired, possibly it went into hibernation for another fifty years, or perhaps the Heir of Slytherin had lost his or her nerve. It must be getting riskier and riskier to open the Chamber of Secrets, with the school so alert and suspicious.<p>

Ernie Macmillan of Hufflepuff didn't take this cheerful view. He was still convinced that Harry was the guilty one, even though Evan tried desperately to get him to change his mind.

Much to their annoyance, Gilderoy Lockhart seemed to think he himself had made the attacks stop. As Fred and Alice went to line up for Charms, they overheard him telling Professor McGonagall "I don't think there'll be any more trouble, Minerva," he said, tapping his nose knowingly and winking. "I think the Chamber has been locked for good this time. The culprit must have known it was only a matter of time before I caught him. Rather sensible to stop now, before I came down hard on him. You know, what the school needs now is a morale-booster. Wash away the memories of last term! I won't say any more just now, but I think I know just the thing."

He tapped his nose again and strode off.

"What a shame." mumbled Fred as Lockhart turned the corner..

"What's a shame?" asked Alice.

"That the monster didn't get Lockhart before it decided to take a break." said Fred sadly. "I would have _loved_ to see his stupid face frozen in fear."

Alice shook her head. "Dad was right, you _are_ morbid."

* * *

><p>Lockhart's idea of a morale-booster became very clear at breakfast time on February fourteenth. The Great Hall had been decorated overnight to look like a acid pink explosion. the walls were covered in flowers and streamers and confetti made of tiny hearts feel from the pale blue ceiling. Fred thought it was <em>hilarious<em>.

"Isn't this a wonderful birthday gift?" asked Fred happily, looking at Rose's pink face.

"Oh yes," said Rose through clenched teeth."I hope i get this _every_ year."

"I do too." snorted Fred.

They looked towards the teachers' table. Lockhart, wearing lurid pink robes to match the decorations, was waving for silence. The teachers on either side of him were looking stony-faced. From where he sat, Harry could see a muscle going in Professor McGonagall's cheek. Their father looked as though someone had just fed him a large bottle of Skele-Gro.

"Oh," said Fred, fitting back giggles. "This year just keeps getting better and _better_."

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart shouted. "And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all - and it doesn't end here!"

Lockhart clapped his hands and through the doors to the entrance hall marched a dozen surly-looking dwarfs. Not just any dwarfs, however. Lockhart had them all wearing golden wings and carrying harps.

"My friendly, card-carrying cupids!" beamed Lockhart. "They will be roving around the school today delivering your valentines! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion! And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!"

Professor Flitwick buried his face in his hands. Their father was looking as though the first person to ask him for a Love Potion would be force-fed poison.

"And before i forget," said Lockhart happily. "I want to wish a very _lovely_ thirteenth birthday to Miss Rose Snape! May you recieve many heartfelt valentines on this marvelous day!"

Fred couldn't hold it back any longer. He burst out laughing, he put his hand over his mouth to stop himself but his laughs still came through. Rose's face turned bright red and she buried her face into her hands, embarrassed to look back up.

"Oh god," said Fred, still giggling. "I hope Lockhart made a special singing Valentine for you. That would just make my year complete."

* * *

><p>All day long, the dwarfs kept barging into their classes to deliver valentines, to the annoyance of the teachers, and late that afternoon as<br>the Slytherins were walking upstairs for Transfiguration, one of the dwarfs caught up with Rose.

"Oh god." moaned Rose. "What is it?" She didn't want to receive a love note when her younger brother was just across the hall from her, waiting to enter his Charms class. She knew he'd make fun of it.

"Message for ya'" said a tiny, bumpy looking dwarf.

He handed her a bright red, heart-shaped card. Rose took it quickly and opened it, trying to keep it from view.

_"Her hair as fiery as the sun and she's as smart as a raven,_

_Yet she's in the House of the snake, if i'm not mistaken._

_but that doesn't matter, it never will, _

_because she makes my heart never stand still."_

"Oooh," said Fred with a giggle. He snuck over and was looking over Rose's shoulder. "Who's the secret admirer?"

Zachary Leon passed by quickly, his pale face flushed bright red when he noticed what was in Rose's hands. He held his head low and didn't look at her.

"Aww." said Fred playfully. "Rose and Zacky, sitting in a tree, K - I- S - S-"

"Shut it, Frederick." said Rose, her temper flaring.

"Fine, fine," said Fred. "But promise me that i get to be godfather to your guy's first kid, okay?"

* * *

><p>Ron looked around for Harry. He must have gone up to bed. Not surprising, The twins kept on singing verses from Ginny's embarrassing valentine from earlier that day. He walked over to Matthew Greenely, who was sitting next to the common room fire.<p>

"Did you get a valentine?" asked Ron. Matthew was a good looking guy, he wouldn't be surprised if he got fifty for looks alone.

"One, yeah." said Matthew. "All it said was "Thank you for noticing me." and they sighed it with a tiny 'A'. No full name or anything."

"Did the writing look familiar at least?" asked Ron.

"Not really." shrugged Matthew. "It was really fancy looking cursive. I can't think of anyone who's got writing like that."

"Huh." said Ron. "Weird. Anyway, do you know where Harry went?"

"He was going to bed last time i saw him." said Matthew, pointing his thumb towards the dormitory staircases.

Thanks." said Ron. "See you later." He got up and walked up to their dormitory.

He opened the door and saw Harry lying on his bed. "There you are. I was wondering where you went."

Harry pushed himself up. He was sweaty and shaky, Riddle's dairy was lying open on his stomach.

"What's up?" asked Ron, looking concerned.

"Ha-hagrid." said Harry in a shaking voice. "H-he opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I had way too much time making up that poem for Rose. <strong>

**(BTW: We purposely decided to have Rose's birthday on Feb 14th purely for Lockhart's Valentine celebration, how evil is that?) **


	22. Aragog and Ginny

**AN: We got a review requesting to have the girls be more in the trio's adventures. We weren't planning on having them into the main adventures until the thrid book, but you know what? Screw it, let's do it..**

* * *

><p>Harry knew about Hagrid's unfortunate liking for large and monstrous creatures. During their first year at Hogwarts he had tried to raise a dragon in his little wooden house, and it would be a long time before they forgot the giant, three-headed dog he'd christened "Fluffy." And if, as a boy, Hagrid had heard that a monster was hidden somewhere in the castle, Harry was sure he'd have gone to any lengths for a glimpse of it. Harry half wished he hadn't found out how to work Riddle's diary.<p>

Most of the school, much to Fred's disappointed, grew out of fear of another attack coming. Peeves even grew tired of his "Oh Potter, you rotter" song, and Ernie Macmillan asked Harry very politely to pass a bucket of leaping toadstools in Herbology one day, and in March several of the Mandrakes threw a loud and raucous party in greenhouse three. This made Professor Sprout very happy.

The second years had a new task to deal with. They had to pick their new classes for next year.

"My mum said to go for Divination." said Sam, her eyes going down the course list. "Of course, she can sorta _see_ the future, so i can see why she'd want me to study it."

Fred raised his eyebrows. "You mum can see the future?"

"Is she a Seer?" asked Hermione, biting on the tip of her quill. She was debating with herself whether she should choose only a few or all the class options.

"Yeah." shrugged Sam. "I mean, her eyes get this weird glassy look to them when she sees something and then she once she snaps out of it, she tells us what she saw."

"Man, your family is just full of people with neat powers, isn't it?" said Fred mournfully. "All i have are sisters that gang up on me and no one who understands my undying love for all things science fiction."

"Oh boo hoo." said Rose. "Keep asking mum for a little brother, it's bound to work eventually."

"Trust me, I'm trying," said Fred. "She's just as stubborn as you."

Gryffindor's next Quidditch match would be against Hufflepuff. Oliver Wood insisted on team practices every night after dinner, so that Harry barely had time for anything but Quidditch and homework. However, the training sessions were getting better, or at least drier, and the evening before Saturday's match he went up to his dormitory to drop off his broomstick feeling Gryffindor's chances for the Quidditch cup had never been better.

Harry made his way up to his dormitory. Neville Longbottom was in the doorway, looking frantic.

Neville turned and saw Harry. His round face lost some of its colour. "Harry! I don't know who did it - I just found-"

Neville let Harry past into the dormitory, the contents of Harry's trunk had been thrown everywhere. His cloak laid ripped on the floor. The curtains had been pulled off his four-poster and the drawer had been pulled out of his bedside cabinet, the contents strewn over the mattress.

Harry walked over to the bed, open-mouthed, picking up a few loose pages of _Travels with Trolls_. As he and Neville pulled the blankets back onto his bed, Ron, Dean Thomas, and Seamus Finnigan came in. Dean swore loudly. "What happened, Harry?"

"No idea." said Harry, slightly aspirated. Ron was examining Harry's robes. All the pockets were hanging out.

"Someone's been looking for something," said Ron. "Is there anything missing?"

Harry started to pick up all his things and throw them into his trunk. It was only as he threw the last of the Lockhart books back into it that he realized what wasn't there.

"Riddle's diary's gone," he said in an undertone to Ron.

"What?"

Harry jerked his head toward the dormitory door and Ron followed him out. They hurried down to the Gryffindor common room, which was half-empty, and joined Hermione, who was sitting alone, reading a book called _Ancient Runes Made Easy._

Hermione looked aghast at the news.

"But - only a Gryffindor could have stolen - nobody else knows our password -"

"Exactly." said Harry.

* * *

><p>They woke the next day to brilliant sunshine and a light, refreshing breeze.<p>

"Perfect Quidditch conditions!" said Oliver enthusiastically at the Gryffindor table, loading the team's plates with scrambled eggs. Gabrielle, Sam's older sister, walked over with the Gryffindor colours paint in stripes under her green eyes. "That Quidditch Cup is going to look _amazing_ with our house's name on it."

"Precisely." said Oliver happily. Gabrielle placed a kiss on his cheek. Fred and George Weasley fought back the urge to giggle.

As Harry left the Great Hall to get his Quidditch things, an un-welcomed voice surged in his mind.

_"Kill this time ... let me rip ... tear. . ."_

_'The voice!'_ thought Harry frantically _ 'I just heard it again, how?'_

Hermione walked up to him. Harry looked to her. "Did you hear it?

"Hear what?" asked Hermione, her face puzzled.

"The voice!" said Harry. "I just heard it again!"

A look of realization dawned on Hermione's face. "Harry - I think I've just understood something! I've got to go to the library!"

And she sprinted away, up the stairs.

* * *

><p>Harry raced up to Gryffindor Tower, collected his trusty <em>Nimbus Two Thousand<em> broomstick, and joined the large crowd swarming across the grounds, but his mind was still in the castle along with the bodiless voice, and as he pulled on his scarlet Quidditch robes , his only comfort was that everyone was now outside to watch the game.

The teams walked onto the field to a loud rumble of applause. Oliver Wood took off for a warm-up flight around the goal posts; Madam Hooch released the balls. The Hufflepuffs, who played in canary yellow, were standing in a huddle, having a last-minute discussion of tactics.

Harry was just mounting his broom when Professor McGonagall came half marching, half running across the pitch, carrying an enormous purple megaphone.

"This match has been cancelled," Professor McGonagall called through the megaphone, addressing the packed stadium. There were boos and shouts. Oliver Wood, looking devastated, landed and ran toward Professor McGonagall without getting off his broomstick.

"But Professor!" Oliver shouted. "We've got to play - the cup -"

Professor McGonagall ignored him and continued to shout through her megaphone: "All students are to make their way back to the House common rooms, where their Heads of Houses will give them further information. As quickly as you can, please!"

She lowered the megaphone and beckoned Harry over to her. "Potter, I think you'd better come with me..."

Harry walked over with the feeling of his stomach plummeting. Harry saw Ron detach himself from the complaining crowd; he came running up to them as they set off toward the castle. Surprisingly, Professor McGonagall didn't object.

"Yes, perhaps you'd better come, too, Weasley..."

Harry and Ron followed Professor McGonagall back into the school and up the marble staircase. But they weren't taken to anybody's office this time.

"This will come as a bit of a shock," said Professor McGonagall in a strangely gentle voice as they approached the infirmary. "There has been another attack ... another _double_ attack."

Harry's insides did a horrible somersault. Professor McGonagall pushed the door open and he and Ron entered, not exactly sure what they were going to see next...

Madam Pomfrey was bending over a fifth-year girl with long, curly hair. Harry recognized her as the Ravenclaw Prefect. And on the bed next to her was...

"_Hermione_!" Ron groaned.

Hermione lay utterly still, her eyes frozen open.

"They were found near the library," said Professor McGonagall. "I don't suppose either of you can explain this? It was on the floor next to them."

She was holding up a small, circular mirror. Harry and Ron shook their heads, both staring at Hermione.

"I will escort you back to Gryffindor Tower," said Professor McGonagall heavily. "I need to address the students in any case.

* * *

><p>"All students will return to their House common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities."<p>

The Slytherins packed inside the common room listening to Professor Snape in silence. He rolled up the parchment from which he had been reading and said in a clear voice, "It is likely that the school will be closed unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught. I would urge anyone who thinks they might know anything about them to come forward."

He swept out of the common room and the stone wall shut behind him. There was awkward silence.

"Well..." said Charisse Wargrave, trying to defuse the tension. "At least we got a few mudbloods out of here, right?"

Some of them murmured in agreement, including Draco Malfoy and a pug-faced girl named Pansy Parkinson. The others looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"This isn't something to be _celebrating_." snapped Alice angrily. "Just because you don't care about anyone else besides yourself doesn't mean we all do."

Charisse looked affronted. "_Fine_, keep thinking that. But it doesn't matters anyway, you heard what he said, this school is going to be closed down in no time. And don't think Dumbledore will be here to save anyone. He's probably being sacked right now."

"Good riddance." drawled Draco. Crabbe and Goyle laughed stupidly. Rose shot him a look of utter loathing. "None of the Muggle-borns will stand a chance without Dumbledore here, is that what you want?"

"Well," said Draco in mock thoughtfulness. "I'm not saying i'm _against_ it."

* * *

><p>McGonagall told the school the horrible news the very next morning. The school governors, including Draco and Charisse's fathers, signed for Dumbledore's suspension, which he obliged. Hagrid, the groundskeeper, was also sent to Azkaban for being the number one upset of releasing the Chamber's secret creature. That didn't necessarily stop tensions from decreasing, on the contrary, there wasn't a face in the school that wasn't tense and scared looking. If there was any laughter in the halls it sounded shrill and unnatural. Even The Weasley Twins and Fred couldn't make a joke to ease the tension.<p>

They also learned that Madam Pomfrey had completely eliminated any vistors into the hospital wing.

"We're taking no more chances," Madam Pomfrey told anyone who tried to enter the wing through a crack in the infirmary door. "No, I'm sorry, there's every chance the attacker might come back to finish these people off..."

Draco Malfoy was very happy with the state of thing, he started strutting around the school as though he had just been appointed Head Boy.

"I always thought Father might be the one who got rid of Dumbledore," said Draco happily one day in Potions. "I told you he thinks Dumbledore's the worst headmaster the school's ever had. Maybe we'll get a decent headmaster now. Someone who won't want the Chamber of Secrets closed. McGonagall won't last long, she's only filling in..."

Rose went to throw a limp rat at Draco's head, but with a warning glance from her father, she decided against it. However, she still threw a few newt tails in Draco's cauldron when he wasn't looking, ruining his potion, thought he didn't know how it happened.

The bell rung half an hour later.

"Hurry up, I've got to take you all to Herbology." barked Snape over the class's heads, and off they marched out of the dungeon.

The Herbology lesson was very subdued. Professor Sprout set them all to work pruning the Abyssinian Shrivelfigs. Harry went to tip an armful of withered stalks onto the compost heap and found himself face-to-face with Ernie Macmillan.

Ernie took a deep breath and said, very formally, "I just want to say, Harry, that I'm sorry I ever suspected you. I know you'd never attack Hermione Granger, and I apologize for all the stuff I said. We're all in the same boat now, and, well -"

He held out a pudgy hand, and Harry shook it.

Ernie and Evan came to work at the same Shrivelfig as Harry and Ron.

"That Draco Malfoy character," said Ernie, breaking off dead twigs, "He seems very pleased about all this, doesn't he? D'you know, I think he might be Slytherin's heir."

"Now that's something i can believe." said Evan, a smudge of dirt of his wide nose.

"Do you think it's Malfoy, Harry?" Ernie asked.

"No," said Harry, so firmly that Ernie and Evan stared.

A second later, Harry spotted something. Several large spiders were scuttling over the ground on the other side of the glass, moving in an unnaturally straight line.

Harry remembered vividly of a few night prior. He and Ron had snuck out of the school to talk to Hagrid, where they saw him and Dumbledore (under Harry's father's old invisibility cloak) get sentenced away. Harry remembered before he left, Dumbledore had said he '_will only truly have left the school when none there remain loyal'_ to him. He also stressed that if anybody at Hogwarts needs help, it will always be available to those who ask for it. But what was standing out to Harry now was Hagrid's last words: _Follow the spiders._ Harry hit Ron over the hand with his pruning shears.

"Ouch! What're you -"

Harry pointed out the spiders, following their progress with his eyes.

"Oh, yeah," said Ron, trying to look pleased. "But we can't follow them now -"

Ernie and Evan were listening curiously.

Harry's eyes narrowed as he focused on the spiders. If they pursued their fixed course, there could be no doubt about where they would end up.

"Looks like they're heading for the Forbidden Forest..."

Ron looked even unhappier about that.

At the end of the lesson Professor Sprout escorted the class to their Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. Harry and Ron lagged behind the others so they could talk out of earshot.

"We'll have to use the Invisibility Cloak again," Harry told Ron. "We can take Fang with us. He's used to going into the forest with Hagrid, he might be some help."

"Right," said Ron, who was twirling his broken wand nervously in his fingers. "Er - aren't there - aren't there supposed to be werewolves in the forest?" he added as they took their usual places at the back of Lockhart's classroom.

Lockhart bounded into the room and the class stared at him. Every other teacher in the place was looking grimmer than usual, but Lockhart appeared nothing short of buoyant.

"Come now," he cried, beaming around at them. "Why all these long faces?"

People swapped exasperated looks, but nobody answered.

"Don't you people realize," said Lockhart, speaking slowly, as though they were all a bit dim. "The danger has passed! The culprit has been taken away-!"

"Says who?" said Dean Thomas loudly.

"My dear young man, the Minister of Magic wouldn't have taken Hagrid if he hadn't been one hundred percent sure that he was guilty," said Lockhart, in the tone of someone explaining that one and one made two.

"Oh yes he would." said Sam, her hair bright red with anger. It made her look like a tiny, pixie like version of Rose.

"I flatter myself I know a touch more about Hagrid's arrest than you do, Ms. Balavan." said Lockhart in a self-satisfied tone. Sam looked mutinous.

Lockhart's disgusting cheeriness, his hints that he had always thought Hagrid was no good, his confidence that the whole business was now at an end, irritated Harry so much that he yearned to throw_ Gadding with Ghouls_ right in Lockhart's stupid face. Instead he wrote a note to Ron: _Let's do it tonight._

Ron read the message, swallowed hard, and looked sideways at the empty seat usually filled by Hermione. The sight seemed to stiffen his resolve, and he nodded.

Later that night,Harry and Ron waited for the distant sounds of two dormitory doors closing before seizing the cloak, throwing it over themselves, and climbing through the portrait hole.

It was another difficult journey through the castle, considering that it was past midnight and extremely dark, they also had the challenge of dodging all the teachers. At one turn, they bumped into someone.

"Who's there?" said a muffled voice. It sounded like a girl.

Harry's eyes got adjusted to the light. A bright pair of violet eyes were looking back him.

Harry pulled the invisibility cloak off his face. "Sam?" asked Harry. "What are you doing?"

"What are you doing?" asked Sam. "I was going to the bathroom-"

"Shouldn't you be back at you common room?" asked Ron, revealing himself from under the cloak.

"I'd ask you two the same thing." said Sam, her hands on her hips.

"How's you get out?" asked Harry. She didn't seem to have a teacher with her.

"I'm a metamorphmagus, remember?" said Sam. "I can blend into the background if i want to."

"You just snuck out?" asked an amazed Ron. "Blimey..."

"Where are you two going?" asked Sam.

"No where." said Harry and Ron all too quickly.

Sam narrowed her eyes at them. "Uh-huh." She thought for a moment. "You know what? Make room, i'm going with you-"

"What?" said Harry. "No, you can't, it's too dangerous-"

"Oh, so it's okay for you two to go but not me?" Sam pulled the cloak up and covered her head with it. "If you two are going, why can't i?"

Ron and Harry exchanged glances. They didn't see any point witha arguing with her. "Fine." said Harry after a moment. "Just don't give us away, okay?"

"I doubt i'll give us away with you heavy-foot walking leading us, Harry." snorted Sam. The three of them walked on.

They reached the oak front doors, squeezed between them, trying to stop any creaking, and stepped out into the moonlit grounds.

They reached Hagrid's house, sad and sorry-looking with its darken windows. When Harry pushed the door open, Fang went mad with joy at the sight of them.

Harry left the Invisibility Cloak on Hagrid's table. There would be no need for it in the pitch-dark forest.

"Who's a good boy?" said Sam happily, scratching Fang's ears. Fang's tongue hung out of the side of his mouth, flopping around.

"C'mon, Fang, we're going for a walk," said Harry, patting his leg, and Fang bounded happily out of the house behind them, dashed to the edge of the forest, and lifted his leg against a large sycamore tree.

"Gross." said Sam in an undertone.

Harry took out his wand, murmured, "Lumos!" and a tiny light appeared at the end of it, just enough to let them watch the path for signs of spiders.

"What are we lookin' for anyway?" asked Sam, lighting her wand as well.

"Spiders." said Harry simply. "Lots and lots of spiders."

"There's some right there." Sam pointed to the ground. Two spiders were scattering towards the forest. Ron gave a small whimper.

With Fang scampering around them, sniffing tree roots and leaves, they entered the forest. By the glow of Harry and Sam's wands, they followed the steady trickle of spiders moving along the path. They walked behind them for about twenty minutes, not speaking, listening hard for noises other than breaking twigs and rustling leaves.

Then, when the trees had become thicker than ever, so that the stars overhead were no longer visible, and two wand tips shone alone in the sea of darkness, they saw their spider guides leaving the path.

"What d'you reckon?" Harry said to the two of them.

"We've come this far." said Ron.

They followed the darting shadows of the spiders into the trees. They couldn't move very quickly now; there were tree roots and stumps in their way, barely visible in the near blackness. Harry could feel Fang's hot breath on his hand.

They walked for what seemed like at least half an hour, their robes snagging on low-slung branches and brambles. After a while, they noticed that the ground seemed to be sloping downward, though the trees were as thick as ever.

Then Fang suddenly let loose a great, echoing bark, making the three of them nearly jump out of their skins.

"What?" said Ron loudly, looking around into the pitch-dark, and gripping Harry and Sam's elbows very hard.

"There's something moving over there." breathed Sam. "Listen. It sounds like something big..."

They listened. Some distance to their right, the something big was snapping branches as it carved a path through the trees.

"Oh, no," said Ron. "Oh, no, oh, no, oh -"

"Shut up," said Harry frantically. "It'll hear you."

"Hear me?" said Ron in an unnaturally high voice. "It's already heard Fang!"

The darkness seemed to be pressing on their eyeballs as they stood, terrified, waiting. There was a strange rumbling noise and then silence.

"What d'you think it's doing?" said Harry.

"Probably getting ready to pounce." said Ron.

They waited, shivering, hardly daring to move.

"D'you think it's gone?" Sam whispered.

"Dunno -"

Then, to their right, came a sudden blaze of light, so bright in the darkness that they flung up their hands to shield their eyes.

Fang yelped and tried to run, but got lodged in a tangle of thorns and yelped even louder.

"Harry, it's our car!"

"What?"

"Come on!"

Harry blundered after Ron toward the light, grabbing on to Sam's robe sleeve and stumbling and tripping after Ron, and a moment later they had emerged into a clearing.

Mr. Weasley's car was standing, empty, in the middle of a circle of thick trees under a roof of dense branches, its headlights ablaze. As Ron walked, open-mouthed, toward it, it moved slowly toward him, exactly like a large, turquoise dog greeting its owner.

"It's been here all the time!" said Ron delightedly, walking around the car. "Look at it. The forest's turned it wild-

"So that's the car you two flew into the three." smiled Sam. "Not saying it doesn't look great as is, but i expected it to look a tad bit cleaner-"

Sam pointed to the sides of the car were scratched and smeared with mud. Apparently it had taken to trundling around the forest on its own.

Fang didn't seem at all keen on it; he kept close to Harry, who could feel him quivering. His breathing slowing down again, Harry stuffed his wand back into his robes.

"It's okay, Fang." said Sam soothingly, rubbing the top of Fang's head slowly. "It won't hurt you..."

"And we thought it was going to attack us!" said Ron, leaning against the car and patting it. "I wondered where it had gone!"

Harry squinted around on the ground for signs of more spiders,but they had all scuttled away from the glare of the headlights.

"We've lost the trail," said Harry. "C'mon, let's go and find them."

Ron didn't speak. He didn't move. His eyes were fixed on a point some ten feet above the forest floor, right behind Harry. His face was livid with terror.

"What's up?" asked Sam. Before she could get an answer, there was a loud clicking noise and suddenly something long and hairy seized her from around the middle and lifted her off the ground, so that she was hanging facedown. Struggling and terrified, she heard more clicking, and saw Ron's and Harry's legs leave the ground too. They also heard Fang whimpering and howling. Soon he was being swept away into the dark trees.

Head hanging, Harry saw that what had hold of him was marching on five immensely long, hairy legs, the front wo clutching him tightly below a pair of shining black pincers. Behind him, he could hear another two of the creatures, no doubt carrying Ron and Sam. They were moving into the very heart of the forest. Harry could hear Fang fighting to free himself from a fourth monster, whining loudly, but Harry couldn't have yelled even if he had wanted to; he seemed to have left his voice back with the car in the clearing.

He never knew how long he was in the creature's clutches; he only knew that the darkness suddenly lifted enough for him to see that the leaf-strewn ground was now swarming with spiders. Craning his neck sideways, he realized that they had reached the ridge of a vast hollow, a hollow that had been cleared of trees, so that the stars shone brightly onto the worst scene he had ever laid eyes on.

Spiders. Not tiny spiders like those surging over the leaves below. Spiders the size of carthorses, eight-eyed, eight-legged, black, hairy, gigantic. The massive specimen that was carrying Harry made its way down the steep slope toward a misty, domed web in the very center of the hollow, while its fellows closed in all around it, clicking their pincers excitedly at the sight of its load.

Harry fell to the ground on all fours as the spider released him. Ron, Sam, and Fang thudded down next to him. Fang wasn't howling anymore, but cowering silently on the spot. Ron looked exactly like Harry felt, his eyes widened with shock. Sam's hair must react to her emotions, because it was a pale gray, probably out of fear.

Harry suddenly realized that the spider that had dropped him was saying something. It had been hard to tell, because he clicked his pincers with every word he spoke.

"Aragog!" it called. "Aragog!"

And from the middle of the misty, domed web, a spider the size of a small elephant emerged, very slowly. There was gray in the black of his body and legs, and each of the eyes on his ugly, pincered head was milky white. He was blind.

"What is it?" he said, clicking his pincers rapidly.

"Men," clicked the spider who had caught Harry.

"Is it Hagrid?" said Aragog, moving closer, his eight milky eyes wandering vaguely.

"Strangers," clicked the spider who had brought Ron.

"Kill them," clicked Aragog fretfully. "I was sleeping..."

"We're friends of Hagrid's!" shouted Harry. His heart wa spunding in his chest.

_Click, click, click_ went the pincers of the spiders all around the hollow.

Aragog paused.

"Hagrid has never sent _men_ into our hollow before." said Aragog slowly.

"Well i'm not a man!" shouted Sam in spite of herself. "I'm a girl!"

"It makes no difference." said the spider. "You all taste the same anyway." Ron gave out a tiny squeak.

"Hagrid's in trouble," said Harry, breathing very fast. "That's why we've come."

"In trouble?" said the aged spider, and Harry thought he heard concern beneath the clicking pincers. "But why has he sent you?"

"They think... up at the school, that Hagrid's been setting a a - _something_ on students. They've taken him to Azkaban."

Aragog clicked his pincers furiously, and all around the hollow the sound was echoed by the crowd of spiders; it was like applause, except applause didn't usually make Harry feel sick with fear.

"But that was years ago," said Aragog fretfully. "Years and years ago. I remember it well. That's why they made him leave the school. They believed that I was the monster that dwells in what they call the _Chamber of Secrets_. They thought that Hagrid had opened the Chamber and set me free."

"And you ... you didn't come from the Chamber of Secrets?" said Harry, who could feel cold sweat on his forehead.

"I!" said Aragog, clicking angrily. "I was not born in the castle. I come from a distant land. A traveler gave me to Hagrid when I was an egg. Hagrid was only a boy, but he cared for me, hidden in a cupboard in the castle, feeding me on scraps from the table. Hagrid is my good friend, and a good man. When I was discovered and blamed for the death of a small girl, he protected me. I have lived here in the forest ever since, where Hagrid still visits me. He even found me a wife, Mosag, and you see how our family has grown, all through Hagrid's goodness.."

_'Oh that's just dandy.'_ thought Sam._ 'Just what we need right now. A life story before they eat us!'_

Harry summoned what remained of his courage. "So you never - never _attacked_ anyone?"

"Never," croaked the old spider. "It would have been my instinct, but out of respect for Hagrid, I never harmed a human. The body of the girl who was killed was discovered in a bathroom. I never saw any part of the castle but the cupboard in which I grew up. Our kind like the dark and the quiet..."

"But then ... Do you know what _did_ kill that girl?" said Harry. "Because whatever it is, it's back and attacking people again -"

His words were drowned by a loud outbreak of clicking and the rustling of many long legs shifting angrily; large black shapes shifted all around him.

"The thing that lives in the castle," said Aragog, "is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others. Well do I remember how I pleaded with Hagrid to let me go, when I sensed the beast moving about the school."

"What is it?" said Harry urgently.

More loud clicking, more rustling; the spiders seemed to be closing in.

"We do not speak of it!" said Aragog fiercely. "We do not name it! I never even told Hagrid the name of that dread creature, though he

asked me, many times."

Harry didn't want to press the subject, not with the spiders pressing closer on all sides. Aragog seemed to be tired of tamng. He was backing slowly into his domed web, but his fellow spiders continued to inch slowly toward the three of them.

"We'll just go, then," Harry called desperately to Aragog, hearing leaves rustling behind him.

"Go?" said Aragog slowly. "I think not.."

"But - but -"

"My sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid, on my command. But I cannot deny them fresh meat, when it wanders so willingly into our midst. Good-bye, friend of Hagrid."

Harry spun around. Feet away, towering above him, was a solid wall of spiders, clicking, their many eyes gleaming in their ugly black heads.

Even as he reached for his wand, Harry knew it was no good, there were too many of them, but as he tried to stand, ready to die fighting, a loud, long note sounded, and a blaze of light flamed through the hollow.

Mr. Weasley's car was thundering down the slope, headlights glaring, its horn screeching, knocking spiders aside; several were thrown onto their backs, their endless legs waving in the air. The car screeched to a halt in front of the, and the doors flew open.

"Get Fang!" Harry yelled, diving into the front seat. Sam jumped in after him. Ron seized the boarhound around the middle and threw him, yelping, into the back of the car - the doors slammed shut - Ron didn't touch the accelerator but the car didn't need him to; the engine roared and they were off, hitting more spiders. They sped up the slope, out of the hollow, and they were soon crashing through the forest, branches whipping the windows as the car wound its way cleverly through the widest gaps, following a path it obviously knew.

Harry looked sideways at Ron. His mouth was still open in the silent scream, but his eyes weren't popping anymore.

"Are you okay?" asked Sam from the back seat with a howling Fang besides her.

Ron stared straight ahead, unable to speak.

They smashed their way through the undergrowth and Harry saw the side mirror snap off as they squeezed past a large oak. After ten noisy, rocky minutes, the trees thinned, and Harry could again see patches of sky.

The car stopped so suddenly that they were nearly thrown into the windshield. They had reached the edge of the forest. Fang flung himself at the window in his anxiety to get out, and when Harry opened the door, he shot off through the trees to Hagrid's house, tail between his legs. Harry and Sam thrusted themselves of the car. After a minute of being stunned, Ron regained the motions of his limbs and stepped out of the car. Sam gave the car a grateful pat as it reversed back into the forest and disappeared from view.

Harry went back into Hagrid's cabin to get the Invisibility Cloak. Fang was trembling under a blanket in his basket. When Harry got outside again, he found Ron being violently sick in the pumpkin patch. Sam just looked at him with a slightly amused expression.

_"Follow the spiders,_" said Ron weakly, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "If he _ever_ gets out of Azkaban, i'll kill him."

"I bet he thought Aragog wouldn't hurt friends of his." said Sam thoughtfully. She looked like she just had the time of her life.

"That's exactly Hagrid's problem!" said Ron, thumping the wall of the cabin. "He always thinks monsters aren't as bad as they're made out, and look where it's got him! A cell in Azkaban!"

Ron was shivering uncontrollably now. "What was the point of sending us in there? What have we found out besides _nothing_?"

"That Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets," said Harry, throwing the cloak over Ron and Sam, and prodding Ron in the arm to make him walk. "He was innocent."

Ron gave a loud snort. He obviously thought hatching Aragog in a cupboard wasn't his idea of being 'innocent'.

As they walked up to the castle, a thought formed in Sam's mind.

"Rose told me that you brewed that Polyjuice potion in a girl's bathroom." she said.

"Yeah, we did." said Ron with a shaky voice. "Why?"

"Because," said Sam quietly. "Aragog said that the girl that died last time the Chamber was open was found in a bathroom. And well, i couldn't help but think about Myrtle..."

* * *

><p>Sam's deduction was quite surprising, and made perfect sense. After all the times they went into Myrtle's bathroom, they could have just asked her. It was all so simple. However, Transfiguration pushed the thought of the Chamber of Secrets from their minds for the first time in weeks.<p>

Professor McGonagall told them that their exams would start on the first of June, one week from today.

"Exams?" howled Seamus Finnigan. "We're still getting exams?"

There was a loud bang behind Harry as Neville Longbottom's wand slipped, vanishing one of the legs on his desk. Professor McGonagall restored it with a wave of her own wand, and turned back to Seamus with a frown on her face.

"The whole point of keeping the school open at this time is for you to receive your _education_," said McGonagall sternly. "The exams will therefore take place as usual, and I trust you are all studying hard."

There was an angry murmur following what she said. Professor McGonagall scowled darkly.

"Professor Dumbledore's instructions were to keep the school running as normally as possible, and that, I need hardly point out, means finding out how much you have learned this year."

Harry looked down at the pair of white rabbits he was supposed to be turning into slippers. What had he learned so far this year? He couldn't seem to think of anything that would be useful in an exam.

Ron looked as though he'd just been told he had to go and live in the Forbidden Forest.

"Can you imagine me taking exams with this?" he asked Harry, holding up his broken wand, which had just started whistling loudly.

Three days before their first exam, Professor McGonagall made another announcement at breakfast.

"I have good news," she said, and the Great Hall, instead of falling silent, erupted.

"Dumbledore's coming back!" several people yelled joyfully.

"You've caught the Heir of Slytherin!" squealed a girl at the Ravenclaw table.

"Quidditch matches are back on!" roared Wood excitedly.

"Professor Sprout has informed me that the Mandrakes are ready for cutting at last.: said McGonagall happily. "Tonight, we will be able to revive those people who have been Petrified. I need hardly remind you all that one of them may well be able to tell us who, or what, attacked them. I am hopeful that this dreadful year will end with our catching the culprit."

There was an explosion of cheering. Harry looked over at the Slytherin table and wasn't at all surprised to see that Draco Malfoy hadn't joined in. Ron, however, was looking happier than he'd looked in days.

"It won't matter that we never asked Myrtle, then!" he said to Harry.

"Hermione'll probably have all the answers when they wake her up! Mind you, she'll go crazy when she finds out we've got exams in three days' time."

"Might be kinder to leave her where she is till they're over." said Matthew Greenley with a smile.

Just then, Ginny Weasley came over and sat down next to Ron. She looked tense and nervous, and Harry noticed that her hands were twisting in her lap.

"What's up?" said Ron, helping himself to more porridge.

Ginny didn't say anything, but glanced up and down the Gryffindor table with a scared look on her face.

"Spit it out," said Ron, watching her.

"Ron," said Matthew. "She'll tell you when she's ready."

"I've got to tell you something," Ginny mumbled, carefully not looking at Harry.

"There you go. Now she's ready." said Matthew.

"What is it?" said Harry.

Ginny looked as though she couldn't find the right words.

"What?"said Ron.

Ginny opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Harry leaned forward and spoke quietly "Is it something about the Chamber of Secrets? Have you seen something? Someone acting oddly?"

Ginny drew a deep breath and, at that precise moment, Percy Weasley appeared, looking tired and wan.

"If you've finished eating, I'll take that seat, Ginny. I'm starving, I've only just come off patrol duty."

Ginny jumped up as though her chair had just been electrified, gave Percy a fleeting, frightened look, and scampered away. Percy sat down and grabbed a mug from the center of the table.

"Percy!" said Ron angrily. "She was just about to tell us something important!"

Halfway through a gulp of tea, Percy choked.

"What sort of thing?" he said, coughing.

"I just asked her if she'd seen anything odd, and she started to say-"

"Oh - that - that's nothing to do with the Chamber of Secrets," said Percy at once.

"How do you know?" said Ron, his eyebrows raised.

"Well, er, if you must know, Ginny, er, walked in on me the other day when I was - well, never mind - the point is, she spotted me doing something and I, um, I asked her not to mention it to anybody. I must say, I did think she'd keep her word. It's nothing, really, Id just rather -"

Harry had never seen Percy look so uncomfortable. Matthew giggled. "Hey, a man has his needs. We get it."

"What were you doing, Percy?" said Ron, grinning. "Go on, tell us, we won't laugh."

Percy didn't smile back. "Pass me those rolls, Harry, I'm starving."

* * *

><p>"What're we going to do?" said Ron, his eyes flashing.<p>

Harry and Ron had slyly tricked Lockhart into letting the two of them free from the line to History of Magic, planning to visit Myrtle and ask her a few important questions. However, they were caught by McGonagall, but told her that tehy were heading to visit Hermione in the hospital wing, which McGonagall gave them special permission to do so.

At the wing, they noticed that Hermione had a piece of parchment clutched in her hand that read: _Pipes_. With a quick trip to the library, they sorted out all the missing pieces: The Chamber's secret monster was a basilisk that travled through the school's pipe system. Its gaze killed, but only when you looked at it directly in the eye. Mrs. Norris saw it as a reflection from Myrtle's flooding bathroom water. Colin saw it through his camera. Justin saw it through Nearly-Headless Nick (Nick couldn't get the hurt from it, considering that he was already dead.) Hermione and the Ravenclaw girl, known as Penelope Clearwater, saw it as a reflection through her circular mirror. All the spiders left because they feared the basilisk, and all of Hagrid's roosters were being killed because the basilisk could be killed from its call. The only question was who was controlling the basilisk in the first place, as it was a giant, deadly snake. Harry was the only known Parselmouth in the school, and he sure wasn't doing it.

"Should we go straight to McGonagall?" asked Ron.

"Let's go to the staff room," said Harry, jumping up. "She'll be there in ten minutes. It's nearly break."

The two of them ran downstairs. Not wanting to be discovered hanging around in another corridor, they went straight into the deserted taff room. It was a large, paneled room full of dark, wooden chairs.

Harry and Ron paced around it, too excited to sit down. But the bell to signal break never came.

Instead, echoing through the corridors came Professor McGonagall's voice, magically magnified.

"All students to return to their House dormitories at once. All teachers return to the staff room. Immediately, please."She sounded urgent.

Harry wheeled around to stare at Ron.

"Another attack? _Now_?"

"What'll we do?" said Ron, worried. "Go back to the dormitory?"

"No," said Harry, glancing around. There was an ugly sort of wardrobe to his left, full of the teachers' cloaks. "In here. Let's hear what it's all about. Then we can tell them what we've found out."

They hid themselves inside it, listening to the rumbling of hundreds of people moving overhead, and the staff room door banging open.

From between the musty folds of the cloaks, they watched the teachers filtering into the room. Some of them were looking puzzled, others downright scared. Then Professor McGonagall arrived.

"It has happened," said McGonagall the silent staff room. "A student has been taken by the monster. Right into the Chamber itself."

Professor Flitwick let out a squeal. Professor Sprout clapped her hands over her mouth. Snape gripped the back of a chair very hard and said, "How can you be sure?"

"The Heir of Slytherin," said Professor McGonagall, who was very white, "Left another message. Right underneath the first one. _"'Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever.'"_

Professor Flitwick burst into tears.

"Who is it?" said Madam Hooch, who had sunk, weak-kneed, into a chair. "Which student?"

"Ginny Weasley," said Professor McGonagall.

Harry felt Ron slide silently down onto the wardrobe floor beside him.

"We shall have to send all the students home tomorrow," said Professor McGonagall in a constricted voice. "This is the end of Hogwarts. Dumbledore always said..."

The staffroom door banged open again. For one wild moment, Harry was sure it would be Dumbledore. But it was Lockhart, and he was beaming around at all of them.

"So sorry - dozed off - what have I missed?"

He didn't seem to notice that the other teachers were looking at him with something remarkably like hatred. Snape stepped forward.

"Just the man," said Snape icily. "The very man. A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Taken into the Chamber of Secrets itself. Your moment has come at last."

Lockhart's eyes widened.

"That's right, Gilderoy," chipped in Professor Sprout. "Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?"

"I - well, I -"sputtered Lockhart.

"Yes, didn't you tell me you were sure you knew what was inside it?" piped up Professor Flitwick, wiping the tears off his face.

"D-did I? I don't recall -"

"I certainly remember you saying you were sorry you hadn't had a crack at the monster before Hagrid was arrested," said Snape. "Didn't you say that the whole affair had been bungled, and that you should have been given a free rein from the first?"

Lockhart stared around at his stony-faced colleagues.

"I - I really never - you may have misunderstood -"

"We'll leave it to you, then, Gilderoy," said Professor McGonagall. "Tonight will be an excellent time to do it. We'll make sure everyone's out of your way. You'll be able to tackle the monster all by yourself. A free rein at last."

Lockhart gazed desperately around him, but nobody came to the didn't look remotely handsome anymore. His lip was trembling, and in the absence of his usually toothy grin, he looked weak-chinned and feeble. For the first time since Harry's known him, Professor Snape smiled.

"V-very well," he said. "I'll - I'll be in my office, getting getting ready." He left the room.

"Right," said Professor McGonagall, whose nostrils were flared, "That's got him out from under our feet. The Heads of Houses should go and inform their students what has happened. Tell them the Hogwarts Express will take them home first thing tomorrow. Will the rest of you please make sure no students have been left outside their dormitories."

The teachers rose and left, one by one.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: i think i accidentally made a masturbation joke ._. <strong>

**Sorry Percy. **


	23. Chamber of Secrets

Tears were steadily trailing down Alice's pale face. No one in the Slytherin common room had any sense to speak.

"No- no - _Alice_, listen to me. Everything is going to be okay," said Fred in an uncharacteristically gentle tone, his arms wrapped around his twin as he tried to soothe her. "She'll be okay, promise."

She shook her head, her black hair gripping onto her tear-stained face, and continued crying. She put her face on Fred's shoulder, her tears making his robes wet.

"Oh get a hold of yourself." snapped Charisse finally after what seemed like hours of silence. "The filthy blood traitor deserved it-"

Fred turned to look at her with his eyes narrowed. "You know what i think, Wargrave? I think you should shut the _hell_ up."

Charisse looked back him with her thin eyebrows raised. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." said Fred angrily. "You keep going on and on about your 'Pure-blood' nonsense and you think it makes you look so _grand_ and _spectacular_, but you know what? It doesn't make you any less than the awful little girl that you really are."

A muscle jumped in Charisse's surprisingly strong jaw. Her face was turning a pale shade of red. She had never been told off before in her whole life.

"So do us all a favour and be quiet." said Fred. "Not all of us are happy that one of our own classmates is fighting for her life right now." He turned back to Alice, who was still crying silently into his robes. He looked at Rose, who was sitting on an high-backed chair, her face tense.

_"Rose." _whispered Fred, making sure that Charisse couldn't hear._ "Go over to the entrance. Bring Ina and Sam with you." _

_"Why?" _asked Rose quietly.

_"Just do it, okay?" _whispered Fred back.

Rose sighed and lifted herself up. She nudged Ina to get Sam and they went to where Fred told them to meet him.

"What's up?" asked Sam. They had their heads together.

"You have to go find Harry." said Fred urgently.

"Why?" asked Ina.

"Because," said Fred. "If there's one thing i know about him, he won't just sit back and let this happen. You have to go help him. Get Ginny out, stop this once and for all. Prove that not all Slytherins are bad."

"But-" said Rose.

"I'll stay here and comfort Alice." said Fred, finishing her thought. "Just - please - for me? Ginny's my friend too, i want her safe just as much as the rest fo us do." Fred looked like he was begging on his dying bed. Rose had never seen his eyes, so much like hers, filled with so much pleading before.

"Okay." said Rose finally. "We'll go."

"Thank you." said Fred with relief in his voice. "And remember to bring me back a souvenir from the Chamber, i've always wanted cursed monster bones."

* * *

><p>Darkness was falling as the three girls walked down the corridor. The teachers seemed to have given up on patrolling every other corner. They made their way to the Gryffindor tower when they heard footsteps.<p>

Ina took out her wand. "Who's there?"

"Who wants to know?"

A smiled flickered on Ina's face. It was Ron.

Harry and Ron poked their heads from behind a corner. "What are you doing here?"

"We're coming to help you." said Sam simply.

"How did you-?" said Harry.

"Intuition." said Rose. "Where are we heading?"

"Lockhart's office." said Ron. "The teachers sent him to deal with the monster. We might as well tell him where the entrance is at least."

The five of them walked quickly, their footsteps echoing off the walls.

"Was my dad the one who suggested that Lockhart deal with the creature?" Rose asked Harry as they headed towards Lockhart's office.

"Yeah," said Harry. "How'd you know?"

Rose smiled slightly. "Lucky guess."

They walked up towards Lockhart's office door. There seemed to be a lot of activity going on inside it. They could hear scraping, thumps, and hurried footsteps.

Harry knocked and there was a sudden silence from inside. Then the door opened the tiniest crack and they saw one of Lockhart's blue eyes peered through it.

"Oh - Mr. Potter - Mr. Weasley -" he said, opening the door a bit wider. "And you have company! Well, i'm sorry to say, but t'm rather busy at the moment - if you would be quick -"

"Professor, we've got some information for you," said Harry. "We think it'll help you."

"Er - well - it's not terribly -" The side of Lockhart's face that they could see looked very uncomfortable. "I mean - well all right -"

He opened the door and they entered.

His office had been almost completely stripped. Two large trunks stood open on the floor. Robes, jade-green, lilac, midnight blue, had been hastily folded into one of them; books were jumbled untidily into the other. The photographs that had covered the walls were now crammed into boxes on the desk.

"Are you going somewhere?" said Rose.

"Er, well, yes," said Lockhart, ripping a life-size poster of himself from the back of the door as he spoke and starting to roll it up. "Urgent call - unavoidable - got to go -"

"What about my sister?" said Ron angrily.

"Well, as to that - most unfortunate -" said Lockhart, avoiding their eyes as he wrenched open a drawer and started emptying the contents into a bag. "No one regrets more than I -"

"You're the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher!" said Harry. "You can't go now! Not with all the Dark stuff going on here!"

"Well - I must say - when I took the job -" Lockhart muttered, now piling socks on top of his robes. "_Nothing_ in the job description - didn't expect -"

"You're running away?" said Ina disbelievingly. "After all that stuff you did in your books -"

"Books can be misleading," said Lockhart delicately.

"You wrote them!" Harry shouted.

"My dear boy," said Lockhart, straightening up and frowning at Harry. "Do use your common sense. My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think_ I'd_ done all those things. No one wants to read about some ugly old Armenian warlock, even if he did save a village from werewolves. He'd look dreadful on the front cover. No dress sense at all. And the witch who banished the Bandon Banshee had a harelip. I mean, come on -"

"So you've just been taking credit for what a load of other people have done?" said Rose incredulously. _'Fred's gonna love that.'_ she thought.

"Rose, Rose," said Lockhart, shaking his head impatiently, "it's not nearly as simple as that. There was work involved. I had to track these people down. Ask them exactly how they managed to do what they did. Then I had to put a Memory Charm on them so they wouldn't remember doing it. If there's one thing I pride myself on, it's my Memory Charms. No, it's been a lot of work, Rose. It's not all book signings and publicity photos, you know. You want fame, you have to be prepared for a long hard slog."

"Oh yeah," said Sam sarcastically. "Getting praise and money and adoring fans for stuff you never did. You have such a _hard_ life."

Lockhart banged the lids of his trunks shut and locked them.

"Let's see," he said. "I think that's everything. Yes. Only one thing left."

He pulled out his wand and turned to them.

"Awfully sorry, kids, but I'll have to put a Memory Charm on you now. Can't have you blabbing my secrets all over the place. I'd never sell another book -"

Harry, Rose, Sam, and Ina reached for their wands just in time. Lockhart had barely raised his, when they all bellowed, "_Expelliarmus_!"

Lockhart was blasted backward, falling over his trunk and into a wall; his wand flew high into the air; Ron caught it, and flung it out of the open window.

"Shouldn't have let Professor Snape teach us that one," said Harry furiously, kicking Lockhart's trunk aside. Despite herself, Rose smiled happily at Harry's comment. Lockhart was looking up at them, feeble once more. The four of them were still pointing their wands at him.

"What d'you want me to do?" said Lockhart weakly. "I don't know where the Chamber of Secrets is. There's nothing I can do."

"You're in luck," said Harry, forcing Lockhart to his feet at wandpoint. "We think we know where it is. And what's inside it. Let's go."

They marched Lockhart out of his office and down the nearest stairs, along the dark corridor where the messages shone on the wall, to the door of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

They sent Lockhart in first. Harry was pleased to see that he was shaking.

Moaning Myrtle was sitting on the tank of the end toilet.

"Oh, it's you," she said when she saw Harry. "What do you want this time?"

"To ask you how you died," said Harry.

Myrtle's whole aspect changed at once. She looked as though she had never been asked such a flattering question.

"Ooooh, it was dreadful," she said with relish. "It happened right in here. I died in this very stall. I remember it so well. I'd hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. The door was locked, and I was crying, and then I heard somebody come in. They said something funny. A different language, I think it must have been. Anyway, what really got me was that it was a boy speaking. So I unlocked the door, to tell him to go and use his own toilet, and then -"

Myrtle swelled importantly, her face shining. "I _died_."

"How?" said Harry.

"No idea," said Myrtle in hushed tones. "I just remember seeing a pair of great, _big_, yellow eyes. My whole body sort of seized up, and then I was floating away..." She looked dreamily at Harry. "And then I came back again. I was determined to haunt Olive Hornby, you see. Oh, she was sorry she'd ever laughed at my glasses."

"Where exactly did you see the eyes?" said Harry.

"Somewhere there," said Myrtle, pointing vaguely toward the sink in front of her toilet.

They hurried over to it. Lockhart was standing well back, a look of utter terror on his face. Ina and Sam had their wands positioned on his back menacingly.

It looked like an ordinary sink. They examined every inch of it, inside and out, including the pipes below. And then Harry saw it: Scratched on the side of one of the copper taps was a tiny snake.

"That tap's never worked." said Myrtle brightly as he tried to turn it.

"Harry," said Ron. "Say something. Something in Parseltongue."

"But -" Harry thought hard. The only times he'd ever managed to speak Parseltongue were when he'd been faced with a real snake. He stared hard at the tiny- engraving, trying to imagine it was real.

"Open up," said Harry.

"English." said Rose.

Harry looked back at the snake, willing himself to believe it was alive.

If he moved his head, the candlelight made it look as though it were moving.

"Open up," he said.

Except that the words weren't what he heard; a strange hissing had escaped him, and at once the tap glowed with a brilliant white light and began to spin. Next second, the sink began to move; the sink, in fact, sank, right out of sight, leaving a large pipe exposed, a pipe wide enough for a man to slide into.

Harry heard Ron gasp and looked up again. He had made up his mind what he was going to do.

"I'm going down there," said Harry.

He couldn't not go, not now they had found the entrance to the Chamber, not if there was even the faintest, slimmest, wildest chance that Ginny might be alive.

"Me too," said Ron.

"We're going as well." said Rose. Harry looked at her in amazement. "We promised to go. We're all in this together, remember?" Ina and Sam nodded in agreement.

"_Well_, you hardly seem to need me," said Lockhart, with a shadow of his old smile. "I'll just -"

He edged towards the door. Ina and Sam struck him hard in the back with their wands. "You're not moving anywhere." said Sam dangerously, her tiny frame surprisingly stable.

"You can go first," Ron snarled.

White-faced and wandless, Lockhart approached the opening, Ina and Sam pushing him farther and farther.

"Kids," he said, his voice feeble. "Really, what good will it do?"

Ina jabbed him hard in the back with her wand. Lockhart slid his legs into the pipe.

"I really don't think -" he started to say, but Ron gave him a push, and he slid out of sight. Harry followed quickly. He lowered himself slowly into the pipe, then let go.

It was like rushing down an endless, slimy, dark slide. He could see more pipes branching off in all directions, but none as large as theirs, which twisted and turned, sloping steeply downward, and he knew that he was falling deeper below the school than even the dungeons.

Behind him he could hear the others falling after him, thudding slightly at the curves. And then, just as he had begun to worry about what would happen when he hit the ground, the pipe leveled out, and he shot out of the end with a wet thud, landing on the damp floor of a dark stone tunnel large enough to stand in. Lockhart was getting to his feet a little ways away, covered in slime and white as a ghost. Harry stood aside as the other came whizzing out of the pipe, too.

"We must be miles under the school," said Harry, his voice echoing in the black tunnel.

Sam sat up, as she was the last one down. "Oh, can we do that again?"

"We're probably under the lake." said Ina, squinting around at the dark, slimy walls. She lifted her foot, a trail of slime followed with it.

All of them turned to stare into the darkness ahead.

"Lumos!" Harry muttered to his wand and it lit again. The girls followed suit. "C'mon," he said to them, and off they went, their footsteps slapping loudly on the wet floor.

"Disgusting." whispered Rose. Ina nodded feverishly.

The tunnel was so dark that they could only see a little distance ahead. Their shadows on the wet walls looked monstrous in the wandlight.

"Remember," Harry said quietly as they walked cautiously forward, "Any sign of movement, close your eyes right away..."

"Will do." said Sam, her voice echoing slightly.

But the tunnel was quiet as the grave, and the first unexpected sound they heard was a loud crunch as Ron stepped on what turned out to be a rat's skull. Harry lowered his wand to look at the floor and saw that it was littered with small animal bones. Trying very hard not to imagine what Ginny might look like if they found her, Harry led the way forward, around a dark bend in the tunnel.

"Harry - there's something up there -" said Rose hoarsely, grabbing Harry's shoulder.

They froze, watching. Harry could just see the outline of something huge and curved, lying right across the tunnel. It wasn't moving.

"Maybe it's asleep," breathed Harry, glancing back at the others.

Lockhart's hands were pressed over his eyes. Ina rolled her eyes at him. Harry turned back to look at the thing, his heart beating so fast it hurt.

Very slowly, his eyes as narrow as he could make them and still see, Harry edged forward, his wand held high.

The light slid over a gigantic snake skin, of a bright, poisonous green, lying curled and empty across the tunnel floor. The creature that had shed it must have been twenty feet long at least.

"Blimey," said Ron and Sam weakly at the same time.

There was a sudden movement behind them. Gilderoy Lockhart's knees had given way.

"Get up." said Ron sharply, pointing his wand at Lockhart.

Lockhart got to his feet - then he dived at Ron, knocking him to the ground.

The others jumped forward, but too late - Lockhart was straightening up, panting, Ron's wand in his hand and a gleaming smile back on his face.

"The adventure ends here!" he said. "I shall take a bit of this skin back up to the school, tell them I was too late to save the girl, and that you all tragically lost your minds at the sight of her mangled body - say good-bye to your memories!"

He raised Ron's broken wand high over his head and yelled, "_Obliviate_!"

The wand exploded with the force of a small bomb. They flung their arms over his head and slipped backwards, out of the way of great chunks of tunnel ceiling that were thundering to the floor. Next moment, Harry was standing, gazing at a solid wall of broken rock. Rose laid on the floor next to him, her curly red hair flowing around her.

"Guys!" he shouted. "Are you okay? Hello?"

"We're here!" came Ron's muffled voice from behind the rockfall. "We're okay-"

"The git's not," came Sam's voice. There was a loud _thud_ and an "Ow!" as Ron hit Lockhart over the head with a rock.

"What now?" Ron's voice said, sounding desperate. "We can't get through - it'll take ages.."

Harry looked up at the tunnel ceiling. Huge cracks had appeared in it. Rose sat up.

He had never tried to break apart anything as large as these rocks by magic, and now didn't seem a good moment to try - what if the whole tunnel caved in?

There was another thud and another "Ow!" from behind the rocks.

"Jeez," came Sam's voice, sounding half amused, half aspirated. "We can't kill the guy."

"But it looked so fun..." said Ina's voice. Ron gave a tiny laugh.

They were wasting time. Ginny had already been in the Chamber of Secrets for hours. Harry knew there was only one thing to do.

"Wait there," he called to them. "Wait with Lockhart. I'll go on... If I'm not back in an hour..."

"I'm going with-" said Rose defiantly, though she still looked shaken.

"Rose, you can't-" said Harry.

"My parents will understand why i did it if anything _does_ happen." said Rose, getting to her feet. "I'm going."

"We'll try and shift some of this rock." said Ron, who seemed to be trying to keep his voice steady. "So you two can - can get back through. And, Harry -"

"See you in a bit," said Harry, trying to inject some confidence into his shaking voice. He nodded towards Rose and they set off past the giant snake skin.

Soon the distant noise of Ron, Sam, and Ina trying to shift the rocks was gone.

The tunnel turned and turned again. Every nerve in Harry's body was tingling unpleasantly. Rose's face was anxious. Harry wanted the tunnel to end, yet dreaded what they'd find when it did. And then, at last, as they crept around yet another bend, they saw a solid wall ahead on which two entwined serpents were carved, their eyes set with great, glinting emeralds.

Harry approached with Rose close by him. Harry's throat was very dry. There was no need to pretend these stone snakes were real; their eyes looked strangely alive. He could guess what he had to do. He cleared his throat, and the emerald eyes seemed to flicker.

"Open, "said Harry, in a low, faint hiss.

The serpents parted as the wall cracked open, the halves slid smoothly out of sight, and Harry, shaking from head to foot, walked inside. Rose stepped in after him, her face drained of colour.

They were standing at the end of a very long, dimly lit chamber. Towering stone pillars entwined with more carved serpents rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long, black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place.

Harry felt his heart beating very fast. A chill silence filled the air.

"Where's Ginny?" whispered Rose.

Harry pulled out his wand and Rose followed. They moved forward between the serpentine columns. Every careful footstep echoed loudly off the shadowy walls.

Harry kept his eyes narrowed, ready to clamp them shut at the smallest sign of movement. The hollow eye sockets of the stone snakes seemed to be following the,. More than once, with a jolt of the stomach, Harry thought he saw one stir.

Then, as he drew level with the last pair of pillars, a statue high as the Chamber itself loomed into view, standing against the back wall.

Harry and Rose had to crane their necks to look up into the giant face above: It was ancient and monkeyish, with a long, thin beard that fell almost to the bottom of the wizard's sweeping stone robes, where two enormous gray feet stood on the smooth Chamber floor.

"Salazar Slytherin." breathed Rose.

Between the statues feet, facedown, lay a small, black-robed figure with flaming-red hair.

"Ginny!" Harry yelled. Harry sped down the length of the chamber with Rose running quickly behind him. Harry dropped to his knees as his approached Ginny's unmoving body.

"Ginny - don't be dead - please don't be dead -" He flung his wand aside, grabbed Ginny's shoulders, and turned her over. Her face was white as marble, and as cold, yet her eyes were closed, so she wasn't Petrified. But then she must be...

"Ginny, _please_ wake up," Harry muttered desperately, shaking her. Ginny's head lolled hopelessly from side to side.

"She won't wake," said a soft voice.

Harry jumped and spun around on his knees. Rose hovered above Harry, keeping her wand securely in her hand, ready to strike.

A tall, black-haired boy was leaning against the nearest pillar, watching. He was strangely blurred around the edges, as though he was being seen through a misted window. But there was no mistaking him

"Tom - Tom Riddle?"

Riddle nodded, not taking his eyes off Harry's face. "I see you've brought a friend, Excellent."

"What d'you mean, she won't wake?" Harry said desperately, ignoring what he said. "She's not - she's not -?"

"She's still alive," said Riddle. "But only just."

Harry stared at him. Tom Riddle had been at Hogwarts fifty years ago, yet here he stood, a weird, misty light shining about him, not a day older than sixteen. Rose's eyes darted from Riddle and Harry.

"Are you a ghost?" Rose said uncertainly.

"A memory, my dear." said Riddle quietly. "Preserved in a diary for fifty years. I believe you're the one that found it after this foolish girl did, if i'm not mistaken."

He pointed toward the floor near the statue's giant toes. Lying open there was the little black diary that Rose had found in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. For a second, Harry wondered how it had got there - but there were more pressing matters to deal with.

"You've got to help us, Tom," Harry said, raising Ginny's head again. "We've got to get her out of here. There's a basilisk ... I don't know where it is, but it could be along any moment ... Please, help -"

Riddle didn't move. Harry, sweating, managed to hoist Ginny half off the floor, and bent to pick up his wand again.

But his wand had gone.

"Did you see -?"

He looked up. Riddle was still watching him - twirling Harry's wand between his long fingers.

"Thanks," said Harry, stretching out his hand for it.

"Give Harry back his wand." said Rose with a crack in her voice, but her wand hand still steady. Riddle flicked Harry's wand and Rose's wand flew out of her hand. Riddle's caught it with his free hand without ever taking his gaze off of Harry.

"Listen," said Harry urgently, his knees sagging with Ginny's dead weight. "We've got to go! If the basilisk comes -"

"It won't come until it is called," said Riddle calmly.

Harry lowered Ginny back onto the floor, unable to hold her up any longer.

"What d'you mean?" he said. "Look, give us our wands, we might need it -"

Riddle's smile broadened. "You won't be needing it."

Harry and Rose exchanged sidelong glanes. Harry looked back at him.

"What d'you mean, I won't be -?"

"I've waited a long time for this, Harry Potter," said Riddle. "For the chance to see you. To speak to you."

"Look," said Harry, losing patience, "I don't think you get it. We're in the Chamber of Secrets. We can talk later -"

"We're going to talk now," said Riddle, still smiling broadly, and he pocketed Harry and Rose's wands.

Harry stared at him. There was something very funny going on here.

"How did Ginny get like this?" he asked slowly.

"Well, that's an interesting question," said Riddle pleasantly. "And quite a long story. I suppose the real reason Ginny Weasley's like this is because she opened her heart and spilled all her secrets to an invisible stranger."

"What are you talking about?" said Rose.

"The diary," said Riddle. "My diary. Little Ginny's been writing in it for months and months, telling me all her pitiful worries and woes - how her brothers tease her, how she had to come to school with secondhand robes and books, how" -Riddle's eyes glinted. "How she didn't think famous, good, great Harry Potter would ever like her..."

All the time he spoke, Riddle's eyes never left Harry's face. There was an almost hungry look in them.

"It's very boring, having to listen to the silly little troubles of an eleven year-old girl," he went on. "But I was patient. I wrote back. I was sympathetic, I was kind. Ginny simply loved me. _No one's ever understood me like you, Tom ... I'm so glad I've got this diary to confide in ... It's like having a friend I can carry around in my pocket..."_

Riddle laughed, a high, cold laugh that didn't suit him. It made the hairs stand up on the back of their necks.

"If I say it myself, I've always been able to charm the people I needed. So Ginny poured out her soul to me, and her soul happened to be exactly what I wanted ... I grew stronger and stronger on a diet of her deepest fears, her darkest secrets. I grew powerful, far more powerful than little Miss Weasley. Powerful enough to start feeding Miss Weasley a few of my secrets, to start pouring a little of my soul back into her..."

"That's horrible." said Rose. Riddle ignored her.

"What d'you mean?" said Harry, whose mouth had gone very dry.

"Haven't you guessed yet, Harry Potter?" said Riddle softly. "Ginny Weasley opened the Chamber of Secrets. She strangled the school roosters and daubed threatening messages on the walls. She set the Serpent of Slytherin on four Mudbloods." He smiled. "And the Squib's cat." he added as an afterthought.

"No," Harry whispered.

"Yes," said Riddle, calmly. "Of course, she didn't know what she was doing at first. It was very amusing. I wish you could have seen her new diary entries ... far more interesting, they became ... _Dear Tom,_" he recited, watching their horrified faces. "'_I think I'm losing my memory. There are rooster feathers all over my robes and 1 don't know how they got there. Dear Tom, l can't remember what 1 did on the night of Halloween, but a cat was attacked and I've got paint all down my front. Dear Tom, Percy keeps telling me I'm pale and I'm not myself. I think he suspects me... There was another attack today and I don't know where I was. Tom, what am I going to do? I think I'm going mad... I think I'm the one attacking everyone, Tom!"_

Harry's fists were clenched, the nails digging deep into his palms.

"It took a very long time for stupid little Ginny to stop trusting her diary," said Riddle. "But she finally became suspicious and tried to dispose of it. And that's where you came in, Harry. Your little friend here found it and gave it to you, and I couldn't have been more delighted. Of all the people who could have received it, it was you, the very person I was most anxious to meet . ."

"And why did you want to meet me?" said Harry. Anger was coursing through him, and it was an effort to keep his voice steady.

"Well, you see, Ginny told me all about you, Harry," said Riddle. "Your whole fascinating history. " His eyes roved over the lightning scar on Harry's forehead, and their expression grew hungrier. "I knew I must find out more about you, talk to you, meet you if I could. So I decided to show you my famous capture of that great oaf, Hagrid, to gain your trust -"

"Hagrid's my friend," said Harry, his voice now shaking. "And you framed him, didn't you? I thought you made a mistake, but -"

Riddle laughed his high laugh again.

"It was my word against Hagrid's, Harry. Well, you can imagine how it looked to old Armando Dippet. On the one hand, Tom Riddle, poor but brilliant, parentless but so brave, school prefect, model student. On the other hand, big, blundering Hagrid, in trouble every other week, trying to raise werewolf cubs under his bed, sneaking off to the Forbidden Forest to wrestle trolls... but I admit, even I was surprised how well the plan worked. I thought someone must realize that Hagrid couldn't possibly be the Heir of Slytherin. It had taken me five whole years to find out everything I could about the Chamber of Secrets and discover the secret entrance... as though Hagrid had the brains, or the power!"

"Only the Transfiguration teacher, Dumbledore, seemed to think Hagrid was innocent. He persuaded Dipper to keep Hagrid and train him as gamekeeper. Yes, I think Dumbledore might have guessed... Dumbledore never seemed to like me as much as the other teachers did..."

"I bet Dumbledore saw right through you," said Harry, his teeth gritted.

"Well, he certainly kept an annoyingly close watch on me after Hagrid was expelled," said Riddle carelessly. "I knew it wouldn't be safe to open the Chamber again while I was still at school. But I wasn't going to waste those long years i'd spent searching for it. I decided to leave behind a diary, preserving my sixteen-year-old self in its pages, so that one day, with luck, I would be able to lead another in my footsteps, and finish Salazar Slytherin's noble work."

"Well, you haven't finished it," said Harry triumphantly. "No one's died this time, not even the cat. In a few hours the Mandrake Draught will be ready and everyone who was Petrified will be all right again -"

"Haven't I already told you," said Riddle quietly, "that killing mudbloods doesn't matter to me anymore? For many months now, my new target has been -you."

Harry and Rose stared at him.

"Imagine how angry I was when the next time my diary was opened, it was Ginny who was writing to me, not you. She saw you with the diary, you see, and panicked. "What if you found out how to work it, and I repeated all her secrets to you? What if, even worse, I told you who'd been strangling roosters? So the foolish little brat waited until your dormitory was deserted and stole it back. But I knew what I must do. It was clear to me that you were on the trail of Slytherin's heir. From everything Ginny had told me about you, I knew you would go to any lengths to solve the mystery - particularly if one of your best friends was attacked. And Ginny had told me the whole school was buzzing because you could speak Parseltongue..."

"So I made Ginny write her own farewell on the wall and come down here to wait. She struggled and cried and became very boring. But there isn't much life left in her anyway. She put too much into the diary, into me. Enough to let me leave its pages at last ... I have been waiting for you to appear since we arrived here. I knew you'd come. I have many questions for you, Harry Potter."

"Like what?" Harry spat, fists still clenched.

"Well," said Riddle, smiling pleasantly, "how is it that you, as small baby, with no extraordinary magical talent - managed to defeat the greatest wizard of all time? How did you escape with nothing but a scar, while Lord Voldemort's powers were destroyed?"

Unlike most people, Rose did not flinch when he said voldemort's name.

There was an odd red gleam in Riddle's hungry eyes now.

"Why do you care how I escaped?" said Harry slowly. "Voldemort was after your time ...

"Voldemort," said Riddle softly, "is my past, present, and future, Harry Potter..."

He pulled Harry's wand from his pocket and began to trace it through the air, writing three shimmering words:

_TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE_

Then he waved the wand once, and the letters of his name rearranged themselves:

_I AM LORD VOLDEMORT_

"You see?" he whispered. Rose gave out a gasp. "It was a name I was already using at Hogwarts, to my most intimate friends only, of course. You think I was going to use my filthy Muggle father's name forever? I, in whose veins runs the blood of Salazar Slytherin himself, through my mother's side? I, keep the name of a foul, common Muggle, who abandoned me even before I was born, just because he found out his wife was a witch? No, Harry - I fashioned myself a new name, a name I knew wizards everywhere would one day fear to speak, when I had become the greatest sorcerer in the world!"

Harry's brain seemed to have jammed. He stared numbly at Riddle, at the orphaned boy who had grown up to murder Harry's own parents, and so many others. At last he forced himself to speak.

"You're not," said Harry, his quiet voice full of hatred.

"Not what?" snapped Riddle.

"Not the greatest sorcerer in the world," said Harry, breathing fast. "Sorry to disappoint you and all that, but the greatest wizard in the world is Albus Dumbledore. Everyone says so. Even when you were strong, you didn't dare try and take over at Hogwarts. Dumbledore saw through you when you were at school and he still frightens you now, wherever you're hiding these days -"

The smile had gone from Riddle's face, to be replaced by a very ugly look.

"Dumbledore's been driven out of this castle by the mere memory of me!" he hissed.

"He's not as gone as you might think!" Harry retorted. He was speaking at random, wanting to scare Riddle, wishing rather than believing it to be true.

Riddle opened his mouth, but froze. Music was coming from somewhere. Riddle whirled around to stare

down the empty Chamber. The music was growing louder. It was eerie, spine-tingling, unearthly.

Then, as the music reached such a pitch that Harry felt it vibrating inside his own ribs, flames erupted at the top of the nearest pillar.

A crimson bird the size of a swan had appeared, piping its strange music to the vaulted ceiling. It had a glittering golden tail as long as a peacock's and gleaming golden talons, which were gripping a ragged bundle.

A second later, the bird was flying straight at Harry. It dropped the ragged thing it was carrying into Rose's arms, then it landed heavily on Harry's shoulder. As it folded its great wings, Harry looked up and saw it had a long, sharp golden beak and a beady black eye.

The bird stopped singing. It sat still and warm next to Harry's cheek, gazing steadily at Riddle.

"That's a phoenix..." said Riddle, staring shrewdly back at it.

"Fawkes?" Harry breathed, and he felt the bird's golden claws squeeze his shoulder gently.

"And that -" said Riddle, now eyeing the ragged thing that Fawkes had dropped into Rose's arms, "that's the old school Sorting Hat -"

So it was. Patched, frayed, and dirty, the hat lay motionless in Rose's hands.

Riddle began to laugh again. He laughed so hard that the dark chamber rang with it, as though ten Riddles were laughing at once

"This is what Dumbledore sends his defenders! A songbird and an old hat! Do you feel brave, Harry Potter? Do you feel safe now?"

They didn't answer. He might not see what use Fawkes or the Sorting Hat were, but Harry was no longer alone, and he waited for Riddle to stop laughing with his courage mounting.

"To business, Harry," said Riddle, still smiling broadly. "Twice - in your past, in my future - we have met. And twice I failed to kill you. How did you survive? Tell me everything. The longer you talk," he added softly, "the longer you stay alive."

Harry was thinking fast, weighing his chances. Riddle had the wand.

Harry had Fawkes while Rose hand the Sorting Hat, neither of which would be much good in a duel. It looked bad, all right ... but the longer Riddle stood there, the more life was dwindling out of Ginny ... and in the meantime, Harry noticed suddenly, Riddle's outline was becoming clearer, more solid ... If it had to be a fight between him and Riddle, better sooner than later.

"No one knows why you lost your powers when you attacked me," said Harry abruptly. "I don't know myself But I know why you couldn't kill me. Because my mother died to save me. My common Muggle-born mother," he added, shaking with suppressed rage. "She stopped you killing me. And I've seen the real you, I saw you last year. You're a wreck. You're barely alive. That's where all your power got you. You're in hiding. You're ugly, you're foul -"

Riddle's face contorted. Then he forced it into an awful smile. "So. Your mother died to save you. Yes, that's a powerful counter-charm. I can see now ... there is nothing special about you, after all. I wondered, you see. There are strange likenesses between us, after all. Even you must have noticed. Both half-bloods, orphans, raised by Muggles. Probably the only two Parselmouths to come to Hogwarts since the great Slytherin himself We even look something alike ... but after all, it was merely a lucky chance that saved you from me. That's all I wanted to know."

Riddle's twisted smile was widening again.

"Now, Harry, I'm going to teach you and your little friend here a lesson. Let's match the powers of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin, against famous Harry Potter and his foolish friend, and the best weapons Dumbledore can give him..."

He cast an amused eye over Fawkes and the Sorting Hat, then walked away. Harry, fear spreading up his numb legs, watched Riddle stop between the high pillars and look up into the stone face of Slytherin, high above him in the half-darkness. Riddle opened his mouth wide and hissed. Rose looked at with scared eyes, having no idea what he was saying, but Harry understood what he was saying...

"Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four. "

Harry wheeled around to look up at the statue, Fawkes swaying on his shoulder.

Slytherin's gigantic stone face was moving. His mouth opening, wider and wider, to make a huge black hole. And something was stirring inside the statue's mouth. Something was slithering up from its depths.

Harry grabbed on to Rose's wrist and backed away until they hit the dark Chamber wall, and as they shut their eyes tight, Harry felt Fawkes' wing sweep his cheek as he took flight.

Something huge hit the stone floor of the Chamber. Harry felt it shudder - he knew what was happening, he could sense it, could almost see the giant serpent uncoiling itself from Slytherin's mouth.

Then he heard Riddle's hissing voice: "Kill them. "

The basilisk was moving towards them; Harry could hear its heavy body slithering heavily across the dusty floor. Eyes still tightly shut, Harry began to run blindly sideways, his hand still clenched around Rose's wrist, pulling her with him -

Voldemort was laughing. Harry tripped. He fell hard onto the stone and heard Rose fall next to him. Harry tasted blood in his mouth. The serpent was barely feet from him, he could hear it coming. There was a loud, explosive spitting sound right above him, and then something heavy hit them so hard that they was smashed into the wall.

Waiting for fangs to sink through his body, Harry heard more mad hissing, something thrashing wildly off the pillars.

He couldn't help it - he opened his eyes wide enough to squint at what was going on.

The enormous serpent, bright, poisonous green, thick as an oak trunk, had raised itself high in the air and its great blunt head was weaving drunkenly between the pillars. As Harry trembled, ready to close his eyes if it turned, he saw what had distracted the snake.

Fawkes was soaring around its head, and the basilisk was snapping furiously at him with fangs long and thin.

Fawkes dived. His long golden beak sank out of sight and a sudden shower of dark blood spattered the floor. The snake's tail thrashed, narrowly missing Harry and Rose, and before Harry could shut his eyes, it turned - Harry looked straight into its face and saw that its

eyes, both its great, bulbous yellow eyes, had been punctured by the phoenix; blood was streaming to the floor, and the snake was spitting in agony.

"NO!" Harry heard Riddle screaming. _"LEAVE THE BIRD! LEAVE THE BIRD! THE BOY IS BEHIND YOU. YOU CAN STILL SMELL HIM. KILL HIMI"_

The blinded serpent swayed, confused, still deadly. Fawkes was circling its head, piping his eerie song, jabbing here and there at its scaly nose as the blood poured from its ruined eyes.

The snake's tail whipped across the floor again. Harry pulled Rose's arm hard and they ducked. Something soft hit his face. Harry looked to see that the Sorting Hat was still in Rose's arms. Harry seized it from her grasp. It was all he had left, his only chance - he rammed it onto his head as Rose threw herself and him flat onto the floor as the basilisk's tail swung over them again.

_'Help me - help me -'_ Harry thought, his eyes screwed tight under the hat._ 'Please help me-'_

There was no answering voice. Instead, the hat contracted, as though an invisible hand was squeezing it very tightly. Something very hard and heavy thudded onto the top of Harry's head, almost knocking him out. Stars winking in front of his eyes, he grabbed the top of the hat to pull it off and felt something long and hard beneath it.

A gleaming silver sword had appeared inside the hat, its handle glittering with rubies the size of eggs.

"KILL THE BOY! LEAVE THE BIRD! THE BOY IS BEHIND YOU. SNIFF - SMELL HIM. SMELL THE _GIRL_, SHE'S BLEEDING!"

Harry pulled themselves on to their feet, the sword held tightly in his hands. Rose was holding on to her arm, which had a thin gash on it, a trail of blood spilling from it. The basilisk's head was falling, its body coiling around, hitting pillars as it twisted to face Harry. He could see the vast, bloody eye sockets, see the mouth stretching wide, wide enough to swallow the both of them whole, lined with fangs long as his sword, thin, glittering, _venomous_ -

It lunged blindly - Rose pulled them out of the way, dodging the serpent as hit the Chamber wall. It lunged again, and its forked tongue lashed Harry's side. He raised the sword in both his hands -

The basilisk lunged again, and this time its aim was true - Harry threw his whole weight behind the sword and drove it to the hilt into the roof of the serpent's mouth -

But as warm blood drenched Harry's arms, he felt a searing pain just above his elbow. One long, poisonous fang was sinking deeper and deeper into his arm and it splintered as the basilisk keeled over sideways and fell, twitching, to the floor.

Harry slid down the wall. He gripped the fang that was spreading poison through his body. Rose bent down and wrenched the fand out of his arm. But Harry knew it was too late. White-hot pain was spreading slowly and steadily from the wound. Even as he dropped the fang and watched his own blood soaking his robes, his vision went foggy. The Chamber was dissolving in a whirl of dull color.

"Harry..." breathed Rose, tears welling up in her eyes. "You can't die, don't..."

A patch of scarlet swam past, and Harry heard a soft clatter of claws beside him.

"Fawkes," said Harry thickly. "You were fantastic, Fawkes..." Harry could see that Rose smiled at the phoenix appreciatively.

Harry felt the bird lay its beautiful head on the spot where the serpent's fang had pierced him.

He could hear echoing footsteps and then a dark shadow moved in front of him.

"You're dead, Harry Potter," said Riddle's voice above him. "_Dead_." He shifted his head to look down at Rose.. "Don't waste your tears on him, girl, the bird is already doing that for the both of you-"

Harry blinked. Fawke's head slid in and out of focus. Thick, pearly tears were trickling down the glossy feathers.

"I'm going to sit here and watch you die, Harry Potter. Take your time. I'm in no hurry. And then after that, i'll kill the girl. I can't have her telling everyone what happened down here-"

Harry felt drowsy. Everything around him seemed to be spinning.

"So ends the famous Harry Potter," said Riddle's distant voice. "Alone in the Chamber of Secrets, forsaken by his friends, defeated at last by the Dark Lord he so unwisely challenged. A daft girl crying at your side has life slowly releases from you. You'll be back with your dear Mudblood mother soon, Harry... She bought you twelve years of borrowed time... but Lord Voldemort got you in the end, as you knew he must..."

_'If this is dying,'_ thought Harry,_ 'It's not so bad.'_ Even the pain was leaving him...

But was this dying? Instead of going black, the Chamber seemed to becoming back into focus. Harry gave his head a little shake and there was Fawkes, still resting his head on Harry's arm. A pearly patch of tears was shining all around the wound - except that there was no wound. Roe was looking down at him with shocked eyes.

"Get away, bird," said Riddle's voice suddenly. "Get away from him - I said, get away -"

Harry raised his head. Riddle was pointing Harry's wand at Fawkes; there was a bang like a gun, and Fawkes took flight again in a whirl of gold and scarlet.

"Phoenix tears..." said Riddle quietly, staring at Harry's arm. "Of course ... healing powers ... I forgot..."

He looked into Harry's face. "But it makes no difference. In fact, I prefer it this way. Just you and me, Harry Potter... you and me..." He raised the wand.

Then, in a rush of wings, Fawkes had soared back overhead and something fell into Harry's lap - the diary.

For a split second, both Harry and Riddle, wand still raised, stared at it. Then, without thinking, Rose grabbed the basilisk fang that she pulled out of Harry and plunged it into the heart fo the diary.

There was a long, dreadful, piercing scream. Ink spurted out of the diary in torrents, streaming over Rose's hands, flooding the floor. It splattered on to Harry's face.

Riddle was writhing and twisting, screaming and flailing and then he had gone. Harry and Rose's wands fell to the floor with a clatter and there was silence. Silence except for the steady _drip drip_ of ink still oozing from the diary. The basilisk venom had burned a sizzling hole right through it.

Shaking all over, Rose pulled them up on to their feet. Harry's head was spinning as though he'd just traveled miles by Floo powder. Slowly, he gathered together theirs wands, handing the thinner one to Rose, and the Sorting Hat, and, with a huge tug, retrieved the glittering sword from the roof of the basilisk's mouth.

Then came a faint moan from the end of the Chamber. Ginny was stirring. As Harry and Rose hurried toward her, she sat up. Her bemused eyes traveled from the huge form of the dead basilisk, over Harry and Rose, in their blood and ink-soaked robes, then to the diary in his hand. She drew a great, shuddering gasp and tears began to pour down her face.

"Harry - oh, Harry - I tried to tell you at b-breakfast, but I c-couldn't say it in front of Percy - it was me, Harry - but I - I s-swear I d-did-dt mean to - R-Riddle made me, he t-took me over - and - how did you kill that - that thing? W-where's Riddle? The last thing I r-remember is him coming out of the diary -"

"It's all right," said Harry, holding up the diary, and showing Ginny the fang hole. "Riddle's finished. Look! Him and the basilisk. C'mon, Ginny, let's get out of here -"

"I'm going to be expelled!" Ginny wept as Harry helped her awkwardly to her feet. "I've looked forward to coming to Hogwarts ever since B-Bill came and n-now I'll have to leave and - w-what'll Mum and Dad say?"

"They'll be happy that you're alive," said Rose quietly, steading Ginny's shaking form. "Come on."

Fawkes was waiting for them, hovering in the Chamber entrance. Harry and Rose urged Ginny forward; they stepped over the motionless coils of the dead basilisk, through the echoing gloom, and back into the tunnel.

Harry heard the stone doors close behind them with a soft hiss.

* * *

><p>After a few minutes' progress up the dark tunnel, a distant sound of slowly shifting rock reached their ears.<p>

"Ron!" Harry yelled, speeding up. "Ginny's okay! We've got her!"

They heard Ron and Sam give a strangled cheer, and they turned the next bend to see Ron's eager face staring through the sizable gap he had managed to make in the rock fall.

"Ginny!" Ron thrust an arm through the gap in the rock to pull her through first. "You're alive! I don't believe it! What happened?" Ron saw Fawkes. "How - what - where did that bird come from?"

Fawkes had swooped through the gap after Ginny.

"He's Dumbledore's," said Harry, squeezing through himself and helping Rose through.

"How come you've got a sword?" said Ina, gaping at the glittering weapon in Harry's hand.

"I'll explain when we get out of here," said Harry with a sideways glance at Rose. Ginny was crying harder than ever.

"But -"

"_Later_." Harry said shortly. He didn't think it was a good idea to tell Ron yet who'd been opening the Chamber, not in front of Ginny, anyway. "Where's Lockhart?"

"Back there," said Sam, her face covered in soot. "He's in bad shape. What till you see..."

Led by Fawkes, whose wide scarlet wings emitted a soft golden glow in the darkness, they walked all the way back to the mouth of the pipe.

Gilderoy Lockhart was sitting there, humming placidly to himself.

"His memory's gone," said Ina. "The Memory Charm backfired. Hit him instead of us. Hasn't got a clue who he is, or where he is, or who we are. I told him to come and wait here. He's a danger to himself."

Lockhart peered good-naturedly up at them all. "Hello," he said. "Odd sort of place, this, isn't it? Do you live here?"

"No," said Ron, raising his eyebrows at Harry. The girls, minus ginny, started giggling.

Harry bent down and looked up the long, dark pipe.

"Have you thought how we're going to get back up this?" he said to Ron.

Ron shook his head, but Fawkes the phoenix had swooped past Harry and was now fluttering in front of him, his beady eyes bright in the dark. He was waving his long golden tail feathers. Harry looked uncertainly at him.

Ina had a wild thought. "Grab on to his feathers!"

Ron looked at her, perplexed. "But we're much too heavy for a bird to pull up there -"

"He's a phoenix." said Ina excitedly. "They're _not_ normal birds-"

"We've got to hold on to each other." said Harry. "Everyone grab a hand." Rose and Ina grabbed on to Sam's hands. Ina grabbed Ginny' with her free hand as Ginny held on to Ron. "Professor Lockhart -"

"He means you," said Ron sharply to Lockhart.

"You hold Rose's other hand -"

Harry tucked the sword and the Sorting Hat into his belt, Ron took hold of the back of Harry's robes, and Harry reached out and took hold of Fawkes's strangely hot tail feathers.

An extraordinary lightness seemed to spread through his whole body and the next second, in a rush of wings, they were flying upward through the pipe. Harry could hear Lockhart dangling below him, saying, "Amazing! Amazing! This is just like _magic_!"

The chill air was whipping through Harry's hair, and before he'd stopped enjoying the ride, it was over - all seven of them were hitting the wet floor of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and as Lockhart straightened his hat, the sink that hid the pipe was sliding back into place.

Myrtle goggled at them. "You're alive," she said blankly to Harry.

"There's no need to sound so disappointed," he said grimly, wiping flecks of blood and slime off his glasses.

"Oh, well ... Id just been thinking ... if you had died, you'd have been welcome to share my toilet," said Myrtle, blushing silver.

Sam giggled as they left the bathroom. "Harry, i think Myrtle's grown fond of you! You've got competition, Ginny!"

Tears were still flooding silently down Ginny's face.

"Where now?" said Ron, with an anxious look at Ginny. Harry pointed. Fawkes was leading the way, glowing gold along the corridor. They strode after him, and moments later, found themselves outside Professor McGonagall's office.

Harry knocked and pushed the door open.

For a moment there was silence as they stood in the doorway, covered in muck and slime and (in Harry and Rose's case) blood. Then there was a scream. They all screamed out the four girls' names.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley jumped up from their and flung themselves on to their shaking daughter.

Rose's parents ran over to her and hugged her tight. Harry saw that instead of his cool demeanor, Professor Snape looked as if he was crying. "Rosie, i thought we lost you..."

A tall and lanky man and a curvy woman with auburn hair, who Harry assumed was Sam's parents, walked over to her. Her father lifted her up, swinging her slightly. "Oh thank god you're safe-"

"_Dad_," mumbled Sam, her feet dangling at least a foot off the ground. "Stop, your moustache is tickling me." Her father pulled back to look at her. The top of his smile was covered by his thick, black moustache that matched his hair.

Ina's parents crouched down her level. Her mother was holding her tightly, rubbing her hand down Ina's long hair, and sounding like she was chanting a song in Hindu. "Mum, please..." said Ina's muffled voice.

Harry, however, was looking past them. Professor Dumbledore was standing by the mantelpiece, beaming, next to Professor McGonagall, who was taking great, steadying gasps, clutching her chest. Fawkes went whooshing past Harry's ear and settled on Dumbledore's shoulder. Before he knew it, Harry found himself and Ron being swept into Mrs. Weasley's tight embrace. "You saved her! You saved her! How did you do it?"

"I think we'd all like to know that," said Professor McGonagall weakly. Mrs. Weasley let go of Harry, who hesitated for a moment, then walked over to the desk and laid upon it the Sorting Hat, the ruby encrusted sword, and what remained of Riddle's diary.

Then he started telling them everything. For nearly a quarter of an hour he spoke into the rapt silence: He told them about hearing the disembodied voice, how Hermione had finally realized that he was hearing a basilisk in the pipes; how he , Sam, Ron had followed the spiders into the forest, that Aragog had told them where the last victim of the basilisk had died; how Sam had guessed that Moaning Myrtle had been the victim, and that the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets might be in her bathroom...

"Very well," Professor McGonagall prompted him as he paused, "so you found out where the entrance was - breaking a hundred school rules into pieces along the way, I might add - but how on earth did you all get out of there alive, Potter?"

Harry, his voice now growing hoarse from all this talking, let Rose take over for him. She told them about Fawkes's timely arrival and about the Sorting Hat giving Harry the sword. But she stopped just in time before mentioning Riddle's diary - or Ginny. She was standing with her head against Mrs. Weasley's shoulder, and tears were still coursing silently down her cheeks.

Instinctively, Harry looked at Dumbledore, who smiled faintly, the firelight glancing off his half-moon spectacles.

"What interests me most," said Dumbledore gently, "is how Lord Voldemort managed to enchant Ginny, when my sources tell me he is currently in hiding in the forests of Albania."

Relief - warm, sweeping, glorious relief - swept over Harry. "W-what's that?" said Mr. Weasley in a stunned voice. "You-Know-Who? En-enchant Ginny? But Ginny's not ... Ginny hasn't been ... has she?"

"It was this diary," said Harry quickly, picking it up and showing it to Dumbledore. "Riddle wrote it when he was sixteen..."

Dumbledore took the diary from Harry and peered keenly down his long, crooked nose at its burnt and soggy pages.

"Brilliant," he said softly. "Of course, he was probably the most brilliant student Hogwarts has ever seen." He turned around to the others, who were looking utterly bewildered.

"Very few people know that Lord Voldemort was once called Tom Riddle. I taught him myself, fifty years ago, at Hogwarts. He disappeared after leaving the school ... traveled far and wide ... sank so deeply into the Dark Arts, consorted with the very worst of our kind, underwent so many dangerous, magical transformations, that when he resurfaced as Lord Voldemort, he was barely recognizable. Hardly anyone connected Lord Voldemort with the clever, handsome boy who was once Head Boy here."

"But, Ginny," said Mrs. Weasley. "What's our Ginny got to do with - with - him?"

"His d-diaryl" Ginny sobbed. "I've b-been writing in it, and he's been w-writing back all year -"

"Ginny!" said Mr. Weasley, flabbergasted. "Haven't I taught you anything. What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain? Why didn't you show the diary to me, or your mother? A suspicious object like that, it was clearly full of Dark Magic-'

"I d-didn't know," sobbed Ginny. "I found it inside one of the books Mum got me. I th-thought someone had just left it in there and forgotten about it -"

"Miss Weasley should go up to the hospital wing right away," Dumbledore interrupted in a firm voice. "This has been a terrible ordeal for her. There will be no punishment. Older and wiser wizards than she have been hoodwinked by Lord Voldemort." He strode over to the door and opened it. "Bed rest and perhaps a large, steaming mug of hot chocolate. I always find that cheers me up," he added, twinkling kindly down at her. "You will find that Madam Pomfrey is still awake. She's just giving out Mandrake juice - I daresay the basilisk's victims will be waking up any moment."

"So Hermione's okay!" said Ron brightly.

"There has been no lasting harm done, Ginny," said Dumbledore.

Mrs. Weasley led Ginny out, and Mr. Weasley followed, still looking deeply shaken.

"Might i suggest that you three go to the hospital wing as well." said Dumbledore, addressing Rose, Sam, and Ina. "Especially you, Ms. Snape, i've heard stories of your artistic abilities, we can't have a good arm like yours being wasted." Their parents beckoned them out. Harry saw a fleeting glance of Professor Snape before the office door snapped shut behind him.

"You know, Minerva," Professor Dumbledore said thoughtfully to Professor McGonagall, "I think all this merits a good feast. Might I ask you to go and alert the kitchens?"

"Right," said Professor McGonagall crisply, also moving to the door. "I'll leave you to deal with Potter and Weasley, shall I?"

"Certainly," said Dumbledore. She left, and Harry and Ron gazed uncertainly at Dumbledore.

"I seem to remember telling you both that I would have to expel you if you broke any more school rules," said Dumbledore. Ron opened his mouth in horror.

"Which goes to show that the best of us must sometimes eat our words," Dumbledore went on, smiling. "You and your friends will receive Special Awards for Services to the School and - let me see - yes, I think two hundred points apiece for Gryffindor. A few for Slytherin, i daresay."

Ron went as brightly pink as Lockhart's valentine flowers and closed his mouth again.

"But one of us seems to be keeping mightily quiet about his part in this dangerous adventure," Dumbledore added. "Why so modest, Gilderoy?"

Harry gave a start. He had completely forgotten about Lockhart. He turned and saw that Lockhart was standing in a corner of the room, still wearing his vague smile. When Dumbledore addressed him, Lockhart looked over his shoulder to see who he was talking to.

"Professor Dumbledore," Ron said quickly, "there was an accident down in the Chamber of Secrets. Professor Lockhart -"

"Am I a professor?" said Lockhart in mild surprise. "Goodness. I expect I was hopeless, was I?"

"He tried to do a Memory Charm and the wand backfired," Ron explained quietly to Dumbledore.

"Dear me," said Dumbledore, shaking his head, his long silver mustache quivering. "Impaled upon your own sword, Gilderoy!"

"Sword?" said Lockhart dimly. "Haven't got a sword. That boy has, though." He pointed at Harry. "He'll lend you one."

"Would you mind taking Professor Lockhart up to the infirmary, too?" Dumbledore said to Ron. "Id like a few more words with Harry..."

Lockhart ambled out. Ron cast a curious look back at Dumbledore and closed the door.

"First of all, Harry, I want to thank you," said Dumbledore, eyes twinkling again. "You must have shown me real loyalty down in the Chamber. Nothing but that could have called Fawkes to you."

He stroked the phoenix, which had fluttered down onto his knee. Harry grinned awkwardly as Dumbledore watched him.

"And so you met Tom Riddle," said Dumbledore thoughtfully. "I imagine he was most interested in you, and most likely surprised why another student was with you, but... "

Suddenly, something that was nagging at Harry came tumbling out of his mouth.

"Professor Dumbledore, Riddle said I'm like him. Strange likenesses, he said ..."

"Did he, now?" said Dumbledore, looking thoughtfully at Harry from under his thick silver eyebrows. "And what do you think, Harry?"

"I don't think I'm like him!" said Harry, more loudly than he'd intended. "I mean, I'm - I'm in Gryffindor, I'm . . ." He fell silent, a lurking doubt resurfacing in his mind.

"Professor," he started again after a moment. "The Sorting Hat told me i'd - i'd have done well in Slytherin. Everyone thought I was Slytherin's heir for a while ... because I can speak Parseltongue ..."

"You can speak Parseltongue, Harry," said Dumbledore calmly, "Because Lord Voldemort - who is the last remaining ancestor of Salazar Slytherin - can speak Parseltongue. Unless I'm much mistaken, he transferred some of his own powers to you the night he gave you that scar. Not something he intended to do, I'm sure ...

"Voldemort put a bit of himself in me?" Harry said, thunderstruck.

"It certainly seems so."

"So I should be in Slytherin," Harry said, looking desperately into Dumbledore's face. "The Sorting Hat could see Slytherin's power in me, and it -"

"Put you in Gryffindor," said Dumbledore calmly. "Listen to me, Harry. You happen to have many qualities Salazar Slytherin prized in his handpicked students. His own very rare gift, Parseltongue - resourcefulness - determination - a certain disregard for rules," he added, his mustache quivering again. "Yet the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor. You know why that was. Think."

"It only put me in Gryffindor," said Harry in a defeated voice, "because I asked not to go in Slytherin . . . ."

"Exactly, "said Dumbledore, beaming once more. "Which makes you very different from Tom Riddle. It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

Harry stood motionless.

"If you want proof, Harry, that you belong in Gryffindor, I suggest you look more closely at this." Dumbledore reached across to Professor McGonagall's desk, picked up the blood-stained silver sword, and handed it to Harry. Dully, Harry turned it over, the rubies blazing in the firelight. And then he saw the name engraved just below the hilt.

_Godric Gryffindor_

"Only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that out of the hat, Harry," said Dumbledore simply.

For a minute, neither of them spoke. Then Dumbledore pulled open one of the drawers in Professor McGonagall's desk and took out a quill and a bottle of ink.

"What you need, Harry, is some food and sleep. I suggest you go down to the feast, while I write to Azkaban - we need our gamekeeper back. And I must draft an advertisement for the Daily Prophet, too," he added thoughtfully. "We'll be needing a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher... Dear me, we do seem to run through them, don't we?"

Harry got up and crossed to the door. He had just reached for the handle, however, when the door burst open so violently that it bounced back off the wall.

Lucius Malfoy stood there, fury in his face. And cowering behind his legs, heavily wrapped in bandages, was Dobby.

"Good evening, Lucius," said Dumbledore pleasantly.

Mr. Malfoy almost knocked Harry over as he swept into the room. Dobby went scurrying in after him, crouching at the hem of his cloak, terror on his face.

The elf was carrying a stained rag with which he was attempting to finish cleaning Mr. Malfoys shoes. Apparently Mr. Malfoy had set out in a great hurry, for not only were his shoes half-polished, but his usually sleek hair was disheveled. Ignoring the elf bobbing apologetically around his ankles, he fixed his cold eyes upon Dumbledore.

"So!" said Lucius, his face sneering. "You've come back. The governors suspended you, but you still saw fit to return to Hogwarts."

"Well, you see, Lucius," said Dumbledore, smiling serenely, "The other eleven governors contacted me today. It was something like being caught in a hailstorm of owls, to tell the truth. They'd heard that Arthur Weasley's daughter had been killed and wanted me back here at once. They seemed to think I was the best man for the job after all. Very strange tales they told me, too ... Several of them seemed to think that you had threatened to curse their families if they didn't agree to suspend me in the first place. Except for one, Newton Wargrave i believe his name was, he was more than happy to sign."

Mr. Malfoy went even paler than usual, but his eyes were still slits of fury.

"So - have you stopped the attacks yet?" he said angrily. "Have you caught the culprit?"

"We have," said Dumbledore, with a smile.

"Well?"said Mr. Malfoy sharply. "Who is it?"

"The same person as last time, Lucius," said Dumbledore. "But this time, Lord Voldemort was acting through somebody else. By means of this diary."

He held up the small black book with the large hole through the center, watching Mr. Malfoy closely. Harry, however, was watching Dobby.

The elf was doing something very odd. His great eyes fixed meaningfully on Harry, he kept pointing at the diary, then at Mr. Malfoy, and then hitting himself hard on the head with his fist.

"I see. . . " said Mr. Malfoy slowly to Dumbledore.

"A clever plan," said Dumbledore in a level voice, still staring Mr. Malfoy straight in the eye. "Because if Harry here-" Mr. Malfoy shot Harry a swift, sharp look. "-And his friend Ron hadn't discovered this book, why - Ginny Weasley might have taken all the blame. No one would ever have been able to prove she hadn't acted of her own free will..."

Mr. Malfoy said nothing. His face was masklike.

"And imagine," Dumbledore went on, "what might have happened then ... The Weasleys are one of our most prominent pure-blood families. Imagine the effect on Arthur Weasley and his Muggle Protection Act, if his own daughter was discovered attacking and killing Muggle-borns ... Very fortunate the diary was discovered, and Riddle's memories wiped from it. Who knows what the consequences might have been otherwise..."

Mr. Malfoy forced himself to speak. "Very fortunate," he said stiffly. And still, behind his back, Dobby was pointing, first to the diary,

then to Lucius Malfoy, then punching himself in the head.

And Harry suddenly understood. He nodded at Dobby, and Dobby backed into a corner, now twisting his ears in punishment.

"Don't you want to know how Ginny got hold of that diary, Mr. Malfoy?" said Harry.

Lucius Malfoy rounded on him. "How should I know how the stupid little girl got hold of it?" he said.

"Because you gave it to her," said Harry. "In Flourish and Blotts. You slipped it in to her cauldron, didn't you?"

He saw Mr. Malfoy's white hands clench and unclench. "Prove it," he hissed.

"Oh, no one will be able to do that," said Dumbledore, smiling at Harry. "Not now that Riddle has vanished from the book. On the other hand, I would advise you, Lucius, not to go giving out any more of Lord Voldemort's old school things. If any more of them find their way into innocent hands, I think Arthur Weasley, for one, will make sure they are traced back to you..."

Lucius Malfoy stood for a moment, and Harry distinctly saw his right hand twitch as though he was longing to reach for his wand. Instead, he turned to his house-elf. "We're going, Dobby!"

He wrenched open the door and as the elf came hurrying up to him, he kicked him right through it. They could hear Dobby squealing with pain all the way along the corridor. Harry stood for a moment, thinking hard. Then it came to him -

"Professor Dumbledore," he said hurriedly. "Can I give that diary back to Mr. Malfoy, please?"

"Certainly, Harry," said Dumbledore calmly. "But hurry. The feast, remember..."

Harry grabbed the diary and dashed out of the office. He could hear Dobby's squeals of pain receding around the corner. Quickly, wondering if this plan could possibly work, Harry took off one of his shoes, pulled off his slimy, filthy sock, and stuffed it in to the diary. He ran down the dark corridor and caught up with them at the top of the stairs.

"Mr. Malfoy," he gasped, skidding to a halt, "I've got something for you -"

And he forced the diary into Lucius Malfoy's hand.

"What the -?" Mr. Malfoy threw it aside, looking furiously from the ruined book to Harry.

"You'll meet the same sticky end as your parents one of these days, Harry Potter," he said softly. "They were meddlesome fools, too."

He turned to go. "Come, Dobby. I said, come."

But Dobby didn't move. He was holding up the diary open, Harry's disgusting, slimy sock was in it, almost like a bookmark, and Dobby was looking at it as though it were a priceless treasure.

"Master has given a sock," said the elf in wonderment. "Master gave it to Dobby."

"What's that?" spat Mr. Malfoy. "What did you say?"

"Got a sock," said Dobby in disbelief. "Master threw it, and Dobby caught it, and Dobby - Dobby is free. "

Lucius Malfoy stood frozen, staring at the elf. Then he lunged at Harry. "You've lost me my servant, boy!"

Dobby shouted, "You shall not harm Harry Potter!"

There was a loud bang, and Mr. Malfoy was thrown backward. He crashed down the stairs, three at a time, landing in a crumpled heap on the landing below. He got up, his face livid, and pulled out his wand, but Dobby raised a long, threatening finger.

"You shall go now," he said fiercely, pointing down at Mr. Malfoy. "You shall not touch Harry Potter. You shall go now."

Lucius Malfoy had no choice. With a last, incensed stare at the pair of them, he swung his cloak around him and hurried out of sight.

"Harry Potter freed Dobby!" said the elf shrilly, gazing up at Harry, moonlight from the nearest window reflected in his orb-like eyes. "Harry Potter set Dobby free!"

"Least I could do, Dobby," said Harry, grinning. "Just promise never to try and save my life again."

The elf's ugly face split suddenly into a wide, toothy smile.

"I've just got one question, Dobby," said Harry as Dobby pulled on Harry's sock with shaking hands. "You told me all this had nothing to do with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, remember? Well -"

"It was a clue, sir," said Dobby, his eyes widening, as though this was obvious. "He was giving you a clue. The Dark Lord, before he changed his name, could be freely named, you see?"

"Right," said Harry weakly. "Well, Id better go. There's a feast, and my friend Hermione should be awake by now..."

Dobby threw his arms around Harry's middle and hugged him.

"Harry Potter is greater by far than Dobby knew!" he sobbed.

"Farewell, Harry Potter!" And with a final loud crack, Dobby disappeared.

* * *

><p>"Can we have this every year?" asked Fred happily. Rose looked around the Great Hall, everybody was in their pajamas, She was certain that the celebration would last all night.<p>

She saw Hermione running towards Harry at the Gryffindor table, screaming "You solved it! You solved it!" a half an hour in to the feast.

Justin from Hufflepuff entered soon after her, ready to apologize endlessly for suspecting Harry. Half past three, Hagrid turned up to a very happy Ron and Harry. Down the Slytherin table, Charisse sat with her face in an ugly blotchy red colour, she didn't touch her food.

"With all the trouble we all had to go through this year," said McGonagall, standing up at the staff table. "My fellow staff members and i have decided as a school treat to cancel all End-of-the-Year exams!"

Th hall erupted in applause and cheering. Fred clapped while he had a chicken leg in his mouth. Rose saw that Zachary moaned in disappointment from the Ravenclaw table.

Near the end of the feast, Dumbledore announcing that, unfortunately, Professor Lockhart would be unable to return next year, owing to the fact that he needed to go away and get his memory back. Quite a few of the teachers joined in the cheering that greeted this news. Rose saw that her father had a triumph smile on his face.

"What a shame," said Fred, helping himself to a doughnut. "He was _really_ starting to grow on me."

The rest of the final term passed in a haze of blazing sunshine. Hogwarts was back to normal with only a few, small differences - Defense Against the Dark Arts classes were canceled, and Lucius Malfoy had been sacked as a school governor.

Draco was no longer strutting around the school as though he owned the place. On the contrary, he looked resentful and sulky. On the other hand, Ginny Weasley was perfectly happy again. Too soon, it was time for the journey home on the Hogwarts Express.

Fred sat next to Evan Wright on their way back, discussing ways to possibly make their own T.A.R.D.I.S ("Just get an old police box and use an Undetectable Extension Charm. How has no one thought of this before?") while Alice sat with Ginny, glad that she had her friend back.

They were almost at King's Cross when Harry remembered something.

"Ginny - what did you see Percy doing, that he didn't want you to tell anyone?"

"Oh, that," said Ginny, giggling. "Well - Percy's got a girlfriend."

"What?" said Fred Weasley.

"It's that Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope Clearwater," said Ginny. "That's who he was writing to all last summer, remember? He's been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day. He was so upset when she was - you know - _attacked_. You won't tease him, will you?" she added anxiously.

"Wouldn't dream of it," said Fred Weasley, who was looking like his birthday had come early.

"Definitely not," said his twin, sniggering.

The Hogwarts Express slowed and finally stopped.

Harry pulled out his quill and a bit of parchment.

"This is called a telephone number," he told Ron, scribbling it the numbers on. "I told your dad how to use a telephone last summer - he'll know. Call me whenever you can. I don't think i can stand another two months with only Darius to talk to..."

"What kind of stupid name is "Darius" anyway?" asked Fred, taking a piece of the parchment for Rose.

"Your aunt will be proud, though, won't she?" said Hermione as they got off the train and joined the crowd thronging toward the enchanted barrier. "When she hears what you did this year?"

"Proud?" said Harry. "Are you crazy? All those times I could've died, and I didn't manage it? She'll be furious-"

"You sound like you have a wonderful aunt like we do." said Rose happily as she walked up to them. "One time she slammed the door on our faces when we delivered them Christmas presents. Mind you, we were about six and seven years old at the time."

"You're joking." said Harry. "How did that go?"

Rose went on about her aunt Petunia as they walked back through the gateway to the Muggle world.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: FINALLY. PRISONER OF AZKABAN. LUPIN AND SIRIUS ARE FINALLY BACK.<strong>

**(Also, i had a dream last night where we got fanart for this fic. Crazy, i know, but i can dream, can't i?) **


	24. Sirius Black

Fred sat on the floor right in front of the television set watching an old episode of _Doctor Who_. He scratched Eccleston's stomach as he watched the screen. There was a bright red fez on the top of his black hair.

Alice sat on the sofa behind him. She looked up from the new issue of the Daily Prophet, which had a moving picture of the Weasley family smiling and waving infront of a pyramid, and look at Fred. "Will you ever take that stupid thing off?"

"Nope." said Fred happily. The Weasleys had won a seven hundred galleons from the Daily Prophet Prize Draw and went to visit their eldest son, Bill, in Egypt. The Weasley Twins had sent Fred a fez as a gift and he absolutely loved it.

Rose sat on her father's favorite armchair. She looked at Fred's fez with calculating eyes. "I'm going to blow that thing up."

"No, you're not." said Fred. "Isn't that right, Fezzy?" He patted the hat like it was a pet. Rose rolled her eyes.

Alice looked at the television screen. A man with wavy blond hair in a cream coloured frock was talking. A piece of celery was attached to his lapel.

"He looks ridiculous." said Alice.

Fred gasped, turning his head towards her. "Do not insult Peter Davison in front of me!" Alice shrugged. Their parents, Severus and Lily, walked in to the living room. Lily was picking at Severus's hair.

"Sev, you've got hair all in your eyes." said Lily, pushing some of his hair out of his face. "I swear, have you ever thought of cutting it? It'd be so much more manageable."

"Lily, please stop your fussing…"

The television's image changed. It now read "URGENT NEWS."

"Oi!" said Fred. "What is this?"

"Urgent news, obviously." said Rose.

"It better be good." mumbled Fred.

"There are more important things in life than Doctor Who, you know." said Alice, snapping her book shut.

"_Nothing_ is more important than Doctor Who." said Fred in a prideful voice. A newscaster appeared on screen.

"Urgent news. A prisoner known as Sirius Black has escaped captivity. The public is warned that Black is armed and _extremely_ dangerous. A special hot line has been set up, and any sighting of Black should be reported immediately."

A picture of the prisoner popped up. His gaunt face had a hollowed out look it, and he was unshaven. A wild, matted tangle of black hair fell to his elbows.

"Oooh," said Fred. "He's not a good-lookin' one, is he?"

Alice crinkled up her nose. "He looks like a vampire."

"What 'bout you guys?" asked Fred, looking up at his parents. They didn't respond. Their focus was on the prisoner on the screen, their eyes were wide in shock.

Fred looked at them confusedly. "Mum...? Dad..? _Hello_?" They didn't answer.

Something bounced against Fred's fez and it flew off his head. "Hey!"

Rose smiled at him, a small pile of beads that she conquered up with her wand was in her hand. "Consider this part one of "Plan: Blow up Fred's Fez."

* * *

><p>Harry sat on the sidewalk next to a deserted playground. His school trunk and empty owl cage laid next to him on the slightly damp ground. He was sure that his deceased uncle's sister, Angelica, was floating about somewhere.<p>

Despite that she wasn't really his aunt, Harry was still forced to call her "Aunt Angelica" whenever she came over. She looked like a blond version of her brother, curly hair and a strong built, though for some odd reason, she never married. She was a breeder of Pomerians, which descended from her native Germany. Even though they were incredibility tiny, her dogs had a _very_ nasty bite.

Angelica never liked him, purely because she really never liked anyone who wasn't like her. She always compared him to his cousin, Darius, saying how handsome he was and how well off his was, while Harry was subjected to criticism about his skinny frame and unruly hair. It was during dinner on her last night spending the week with them that Angelica pushed him over the edge.

"Don't blame yourself for how this vun turned out." said Angelica in her thick german accent. "Ve alvays have a bad egg in ze family."

She patted Aunt Terry's skinny hand sympathetically. Harry sat there, stabbing his food with his fork out of frustration. He tried to keep his mind somewhere else.

"It's just like wiv dogs. I sees it all ze time." said Angelica. "If there is something wrong wiv ze bitch, there vill somezing wrong wiv ze pup."

Harry could feel his blood boiling inside of him. Darius was more focused on his food than anything.

"Now ze father." said Angelica. "Vhat did he do?"

"Nothing." said Terry. "He was - uh - unemployed."

"And a drunk, no doubt." said Angelica in a knowing tone.

Harry threw his fork down. "My father wasn't a drunk." said Harry, his voice shaking form anger.

"Vhat vas that?" asked Angelica, her thick eyebrows contracted at his outburst.

"My dad was not a drunk!" said Harry angrily, losing his control. "Stop talking about him like that!"

"Now listen here, boy-" started Angelica, pointing her finger at him. She opened her mouth to speak but stopped. She was focused on her finger. It was expanding...

Darius didn't seem to notice anything until some of Angelica's sweater buttons popped off her rapidly expanding form and hit him on the side of the face. Before they knew it, Angelica had expanded to size of a sofa, she looked like a hot-air balloon. She bounced against the roof and flew out the open patio door. Harry ran up to his bedroom, slammed his school supplies into his trunk and blasted the cupboard under the stairs open to get the rest of his books and broomstick. Aunt Terry ran after him.

"You bring her back!" screeched Terry, her thin face looking wild. "Put he right!"

"She deserved what she got." snapped Harry. He pointed his wand at her menacingly.

Aunt Terry widened her eyes. "You can't do magic at out of school!" She yelled. Harry had gotten a warning from the Ministry of magic the summer before. "You have no where else to go!"

"I don't care. Anywhere is better than here." said Harry with venom in his voice. He threw open the door, pushed his luggage out, and slammed the door shut behind him. Without a backwards glance to the house, he walked down the street in the late July night.

Now he was where he was now. After what felt like hours of walking, he slumped on to the sidewalk. He looked over to his empty owl cage. Hedwig was out, delivering a message to Ron Weasley, who was still in Egypt. He felt oddly lonely.

There was rustling noise in the bushes standing across the street. Harry turned to the sound. A giant pair of yellow eyes were looking at him. The creature got closer, Harry could see that it had black fur. It looked larger than any animal Harry has ever seen, almsot like a bear, but it still looked distinctly like a dog. It was staring at him.

"Shoo!" said Harry. He had a weird feeling about the overly-large dog. It stepped closer. Harry started to reach for his wand when the dog started barking and snarling at him.

Harry grabbed his wand and pointed it at the dog. There was loud _BANG_ and Harry was thrown back. A violently purple, triple-decker bus stopped in front him. A thin boy came clambering out. Harry noticed that his face was covered in pimples. He started talking an official tone.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. My name is Stan Shunpike and I will be your conductor this evening."

He stopped and looked down at Harry. "What you doin' down there?" he asked, dropping his professional tone.

"I fell over." said Harry.

"What 'choo fell over for?" asked Stan.

"I didn't do it on purpose." said Harry, pushing himself up.

"Well come on then!" said Stan, waving his hand to Harry. "Let's not wait for the grass to grow!"

Harry looked around the Knight Bus. The giant, black dog was gone.

Stan looked around Harry. "What 'choo lookin' at?"

"Nothing." said Harry uncertainly.

Harry went to pick up his luggage. Stan stopped him. "Eh, you get in. I'll take care of this." He picked up Harry's school trunk, which was heavy, and lugged it on to the bus. Harry looked around the inside. There was no seats, instead there rows of lumpy, different coloured cots. A few wizards and a old looking witch were sound asleep. A long, crystal chandelier was hanging from the ceiling, two decks up.

Stan jumped back on. He ripped off a ticket from his belt and handed it to Harry. "Eleven sickles, if ya' please."

Harry shuffled through his trunk, found his money, and gave Stan the proper amount.

"Well," said Stan, heading back to front with Harry foloowing. "Make ya'self at home."

He tabbed on the glass, where a tiny, wizened-looking old wizard sat behind it, his frail hands on the wheel. "Take 'er away, Ern."

Ern, who's nameplate read Ernie Prang, pushed his think spectacles up on to the bridge of his nose and pulled the lever. The bus flew forward with so much force that Harry was pushed back on to the cot behind him.

"Where ya' headin'?" asked Stan.

"The Leaky Cauldron." said Harry. "That's in London."

"Did ya 'ear that Ern? '_The Leaky Cauldron, That's in London._'" snorted Stan.

The surrounding outside of the bus was rushing by in a blur. "Won't the muggles see us?" asked Harry, pushed himself up on his elbow.

"Muggles?" said Stan. "Muggles don't notice nothin', do they?"

Stan unfolded a copy of the_ Evening Prophet_. A man with dark, elbow length hair and a gaunt face stared back at him from the front page.

"Who's that? That man?" asked Harry. The man had a wild look to him, His moving picture was screaming. The title above it read "Escape from Azkaban."

"This?" asked Stan, pointing to the cover. "This is Sirius Black, that is."

Stan leaned in closer. "'He's a _murderer_."

"Oh." said Harry.

"Killed thirteen Muggles before they got 'em. And you what he did when they got there to arrest 'em?"

"What?"

"_Laughed_." said Stan simply. "Had no remore, no sir. Worked fer You-Know-Who." Stan added in a whisper. "I reckon you've heard of 'em, eh?"

Harry felt a slight tingle on the lightning bolt scar on his forehead. "Yeah, i've heard of him."

The Knight Bus halted to a stop suddenly and Harry flew off the cot. "The Leaky Cauldron." said Stan with a wave of his hand. Harry pulled himself up as Stan pulled his luggage off the bus. Tom, the Leaky Cauldron's innkeeper, was standing in the pub's doorway.

"Ah," said Tom with his toothless grin. "Mr. Potter. At last."

Tom took Harry's luggage into the pub and took lead Harry up the stairs, where when turning into one room, they saw Hedwig there, hooting on a iron perch.

"Hedwig!" said Harry, walking over to the owl and rubbing the top of her head affectionally.

"Got yourself one incredibly smart bird there, Mr. Potter." said Tom. "She arrived here no more than five minutes before you did yourself..."

"Ahem."

Harry turned around to see a short, portly man with rumpled grey looking at him. He was unconsciously spinning his lime green bowler hat in his hands.

"Sit down, Harry." said the Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, indicating to a chair near the fireplace. Harry had seen him before the pervious year when he traveling to Hogwarts to tell Hagrid and Dumbledore to leave Hogwarts for the Chamber of Secrets attacks. Of course, Harry was wearing his father's invisibility cloak at the time, the Minister couldn't know that.

Harry took a seat, goose bumps rising on his arms despite the fire. Fudge took a seat across from him.

"I'm Cornelius Fudge, Harry. The Minister of Magic."

Tom the innkeeper reappeared, a flowery apron wrapped around his waist. He set down a tray of tea and crumpets on the table between Fudge and Harry, and as he went to leave, Fudge started pouring a cup for Harry.

"Well, Harry," said Fudge, handing the cup of tea to Harry, which he took but didn't take a sip of. "You've had us all in a right flap, i don't mind telling you. Running away from your aunt's house like that! I'd started to think... but you're safe, and that's what really matter."

Fudge buttered himself a crumpet and pushed the plate towards Harry. "Eat, Harry, you look dead on your feet...Now then, you'll be pleased to hear that we have dealt with the unfortunate blowing-up of Miss Angelica Krauss. Two members of the Accidental Magic Reversal Department were went a few hours ago. She has been punctured and her memory has been modified. She'll have no recollection of the incident at all. So that's that and no harm done."

Fudge smiled at Harry over the rim of cup, almost like an uncle surveying his favorite nephew. Hrary couldn't believe his ears. He went tos ay something, but nothing came to mind and he closed it again.

"Ah," said Fudge. "You're worrying about the reaction of your aunt? Well, i won't dent that she's extremely angry, Harry, but she's prepared to take you back next summer as long as you stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas and Easter holidays."

"I always stay at Hogwarts for Christmas and Easter holidays." said Harry suddenly.

"Now, now, i'm sure you'll feel differently once you've calmed down," said Fudge in a worried tone. "She is family, after all. I'm sure you both are fond of each other - uh - _very_ deep down."

"So, seeing as you would much rather be out of your aunt's hair for the time being," said Fudge, buttering himself another crumpet. "It seems best that you'd stay here at the Leaky Cauldron for the time being, until you go back to Hogwarts, of course."

"Hang on," blurted Harry. "What about my punishment?"

"Punishment?" asked Fudge, obviously puzzled.

"I broke the law! I did underage magic, didn't i?" asked Harry.

"Oh, my dear boy," said Fudge. "We're not going to punish you for a little thing like that! It was accident. We don't sent people to Azkaban for blowing-up their aunts!"

Harry felt a slight annoyance rise up in his throat. He had gotten a warning from the Ministry of Magic the previous year for a Hover Charm that Dobby the House Elf did, though he, Harry, had been warned about it.

"Circumstances change..." said Fudge bracingly. "Now Harry, Tom will lead you up to your room."

Harry looked to the door where Tom the innkeeper was standing, waving slightly. Harry got up to leave. He called Hedwig, who landed on Harry's outstretched arm.

"Oh, and Harry," said Fudge, who had a quill writing a letter for him by itself. "While you stay here, it'd be best that you don't - uh - _wander_. Goodnight."

With a fleeting look back at Fudge, Harry followed Tom up a handsome set fo wooden stairs, where he lead him to a door with a brass number eleven on it. Tom opened the door to reveal a very comfortable-looking bed, a happily crackling fire, some highly polished, oak furniture. Hedwig flew off harry's arm and on to the wardrobe.

"If there's anything you need, Mr. Potter," said Tom. "Don't hesitate to ask."

He gave another bow and left.

* * *

><p>It was very odd. Harry had never had so much freedom in his life. He was able to finish his summer essays in the daylight, instead of having to it by flashlight at the dead of night, and he was also able to look around Diagon Alley, which was on the other side of the pub's back doorway with a simple tab of the wand. Harry grew very accustomed to seeing everything the Alley had to offer. He especially grew fond of a brand new broomstick model, a Firebolt, which was the absolute finest in the world. Harry had a half a mind to buy him one too, until he noticed that it's price was request only. Harry still had another four years of Hogwarts education to think about, so he drove the thought of buying it out of his mind. Still, that didn't stop him from passing by its window display everyday.<p>

A few days before the start of the new Hogwarts year started, Harry heard a knock at his room's door.

Harry got up from his bed and walked over. He looked through the eyehole to see a bright green eye looking at him. Harry smiled slightly as he opened the door.

"Top of the mornin' to ya'!" said Fred Snape happily. Looking very much like his father, Severus Snape, he had the same black hair and hooked nose, though he definitely didn't act like him at all. He was the Weasley Twins prodigy, a trouble maker to say the least, and even though he was in Slytherin, he still had ties with large handful of students, no matter what house they were in. He was a year younger than Harry but he was already a few inches taller than him.

There was a low grumble. Fred looked past Harry to see a large, fanged book nibbling on one of Harry's shoes.

"Ah, you got a copy of the "The Monster Book of Monsters" too, eh?" smiled Fred.

Fudge had taken the liberty of ordering Harry's school books for him. _The Monster Book of Monsters_ reminded Harry of something Hagrid, the school groundskeeper, would keep for pet, especially since it loved to run around and bite anything in sight.

"Yeah," said Fred. "Rose got one of those too. ''Course, she had to tie her copy up with a length of rope. It tried to eat Alice's cat, you see. And it chased my dog down the hallway, and, well, her owl looks an awful lot like a chicken if you think about it."

Harry laughed. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Taking you down to Diagon Alley, of course." said Fred. "The Weasleys are back. They've been _dying_ to see you."

* * *

><p>Sam walked down the Alley with her little brother, Julian, in tow. Despite already being at Hogwarts for a year, he was still incredibly shy. He was small and with olive coloured skin, a wavy mop of black hair on his head. He looked like his father and older sister, Gabrielle, but he had their father's bue eyes, while she had their mother's green ones.<p>

"How does it feel?" asked Louis, his wavy auburn hair shining slightly in the late summer sun.

"How does what feel?" asked Gabrielle.

"Being a seventh year." said Louis. "Are you and Oliver going to be shacking up after this year of what?"

Gabrielle blushed pink. "That's none fo your business." She had been dating Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, since her fifth year.

"Oh, what's _that_?" asked Louis, putting his hand behind his ear to make himself hear better. "Oh my, i hear wedding bells!"

Gabrielle slapped him in the stomach with her new Transfiguration book. Louis fell to ground, his hands on his stomach "What was that for?" he asked, out of breath.

"You're just annoying me." said Gabrielle. "No offense."

"None taken." said Louis, pushing himself from the pebbled ground.

Sam spotted Fred's tall form in the window of _Magical Menagerie_. For some reason, he had a top hat on. "I'll see you guys in bit." Sam took off for the store.

"Wait!" said Julian feebly. "What about me?"

"Don't worry, little bro," said Louis, placing his hand on his brother's shoulder. "I'll help you get your stuff." He spotted a small girl with very light, short blond hair, who was sorted into Hufflepuff with Julian, at Flourish and Blotts.

"Ah, you like her, don't you?" said Louis, looking down at his brother's flushed face. "Come on, i'll set up a date for you two-"

"Please," said Julian quietly, "No-"

"I am a Ravenclaw," said Louis proudly. "We do not take "No" for an answer."

"I thought that was Slytherin..." said Julian.

"Close enough." said Louis.

* * *

><p>Rose saw the bright set of green pigtails of Sam Balavan enter the store. She ran over to Fred and poked him in the side. He looked down. "Hey Sam."<p>

Rose was under the impression that Fred and Sam were doing unconscious flirting with each other, and wouldn't be surprising that in at least two years time that they'd be an item. Then again, Fred never dawned her as the type of person to settle down with anyone.

"Nice top hat." said Sam with snicker, pointing to the hat on Fred's head. There was a loud snapping sound and the hat was gone, replaced with a fuzzy, white rabbit.

Fred looked up at the rabbit on his head. "I don't think i can work this look." He said, pulling the rabbit off his head. There was another snapping noise and the rabbit turned back into the top hat.

"Good lord," said Fred in shock. "How am i ever supposed to go to Opera with my hat turning into a rabbit and back to hat every twenty seconds?" Sam and Fred both laughed. Rose turned to the corner, where Harry, Ron, and Hermione were standing.

"I think Egypt tired him out." said Ron, pointing to the dirty, lumpy rat on the counter. Rose never did like Ron's rat, Scabbers. She thought he was completely useless. But she never told Ron that.

"Use this." said the store owner, handing Ron a small, red bottle of Rat tonic. "That'll be-"

They were cut off as a large ball of orange fur flung itself on to the counter, trying to grab Scabbers.

"Crookshanks!" said owner in a depserate tone. "Stop that!"

Luckily, Ron grabbed Scabbers before he was eaten and ran out of the store.

"Did you see that thing?" said Ron angrily. "It tried to eat poor Scabbers."

"I think it'd get a disease of it ate Scabbers, to be quite honest with you." said Fred in an undertone, standing in the doorway with Sam. Ron ignored him.

Hermione walked out of the store. Instead of holding an owl cage like she was originally planning to buy, she was holding a swrimming mass of orange cat in her arms.

"You got that _thing_?" asked Ron. his eyes wide.

"I know, isn't he beautiful?" asked Hermione happily, petting the cat's fluffy orange fur down. The cat's face looked squished, almost as if he ran face-first into a wall, and he were slightly bow-legged.

"He almost ate Scabbers!" said Ron angrily, pointing to the quivering lump in his pocket.

"You didn't mean it, did you Crookshanks?" said Hermione. The cat looking very sleepy in her arms.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Julian really didn't do anything last year, so i get to write him in now.<strong>

**(Also, some of you have been suggesting that Lily become a Professor, i haven't started the next chapter yet, but i'd like your feedback on it. (Some have suggested Herbology or Charms or Muggle Studies, but hey, who knows.))**


	25. Dementors

Crookshanks sat in his wicker basket that Hermione had gotten for him. Maybe it was the fact that Ron insulted her cat, but Hermione was not particularly happy with him at the moment.

"Honestly _Ronald_," said Hermione as they loaded their luggage on to the Hogwarts Express. "He's a cat, it's in his nature to hunt rats!"

"He's not a _normal_ cat." said Ron scornfully. "He's got it out for Scabbers!" Ron pointed to the lump in his coat's pocket.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Ron."

Before Harry stepped on board, Mr. Weasley pulled him aside.

"Harry," he said, his glasses a little lopsided on the bridge of his long nose. "Promise me that you won't go looking for trouble this year."

Harry smiled uncomfortably. The previous night, as Harry went down to get Ron's forgotten Rat tonic from the Leaky Cauldron's bar, he couldn't help but over hear the heated argument between Mr. and Mrs. Weasley about Harry's safety. Long story short, Sirius Black, the convicted murderer of thirteen, was after Harry, bent on revenge for stopping his master's downfall twelve years ago.

"Mr. Weasley," said Harry after an awkward moment of silence. "Why would i go looking for-?"

"I know much more about your little adventures with Ron than you think, Harry." said Mr. Weasley with a tiny smile. "Just stay safe, alright?"

"Okay." said Harry. "Trust me, why would i go looking for someone who's trying to kill me?"

Before Mr. Weasley could question him anymore, Harry jumped on board, the train pulling quickly out of the station in a stream of smoke.

"We'll be in the compartment next to yours." said Rose, who was walking in front of Harry with her owl cage in her free arm.

"Try not to get detention before we get there." said Fred, slipping in to one of the last free compartments.

"I'd be more worried about yourself, Frederick." said Alice, following him. Harry lead his way to the compartment next to them, where a man was already in, sound asleep.

"Everywhere else is full." said Ron. Harry shrugged and walked in, Ron and Hermione following and snapping the door shut behind them.

"Who's he?" asked Ron, pointing to the sleeping man, who was resting against the window. Closer up, it was apparent that he was still fairly young, with his light brown hair freckled with grey. His face was covered in faint scars, and his robes were patched and frayed.

"Professor R. J. Lupin." said Hermione, sitting down. Ron looked at her in amazement. "How'd you know that?"

"It's on his suitcase, Ronald." said Hermione impatiently, pointing to the shabby suitcase in the overhead rack. "Oh." said Ron, sitting next to her.

"Are you sure he's asleep?" asked Harry, lugging his trunk up and on to the rack.

"Pretty sure." said Ron. "Why?"

"Because i have to tell you something." said Harry, sitting next to the sleeping Lupin on the side facing his two friends.

Harry went in to full detail of what he heard the night before, about how Black was after him and was out for revenge, though strangely skipping over the fact that he heard it from an angry arguemnet between Ron's parents. By the time he was done, Hermione and Ron looked shocked and scared.

"You don't think Sirius Black would go to Hogwarts, would he?" said Hermione tensely.

"How could he? With Dumbledore around, no one can touch the place." said Ron. "Of course, no one has broken out of Azkaban before, and everyone says he's a raving lunatic..."

"Thanks Ron." said Harry in false amusement. The train went on, getting pounded with heavy rain. Then, a few hours later, after complaining about Malfoy and Harry saying that he wouldn't be allowed to go to Hogsmeade with his fellow Third years, as his aunt hadn't signed his permission slip for him, the train suddenly halted to screeching stop.

"What the-?" said Hermione, looking out the rain-filled window. "We can't be there yet..." The lights flickered out, consuming the compartment in to darkness. The train gave another push forward, threatening to spill their luggage from the racks. There was a loud _bump_ outside the compartment.

"What the bloody hell was that?" asked Ron in a slightly high-pitched voice. The compartment door slid open, and a body flopped on to the floor.

"Hello?" said an very familiar voice.

"Fred?' asked Harry, slightly bemused. 'What are you doing?"

"I was trying to go get something off the Candy Trolley." said Fred's voice in the darkness. "But i remembered left my money in my trunk so i came back, but then the train went stupid so i ended up in here. Rose is going to _kill_ me..."

"Fascinating." said Hermione. The compartment door slipped open again, and another voice was heard, this one higher than Fred's.

"Ginny?" asked Hermione.

"Hermione?" said Ginny. "What did i just fall on?"

"Me." said Fred's muffled voice. "Get a seat so i can get up." Ginny pushed herself up in the darkness and tried to sit down. "That's me!" said Harry frantically as Ginny tried to sit on his lap. She jumped and slipped to the other side, sitting next to Ron. Fred got up and felt his way and sat next to Harry. "What do we do know?" he asked.

"Be especially quiet." said a hoarse voice next to him. A bright blue light filled the compartment, and they saw that the sleeping teacher was now awake. The flames held in his hands made his young, scarred face look even more aged.

"Stay here and hold this." said Professor Lupin, handing Fred the blue flames. "I'm going to check in with the conductor in front..."

The compartment door slipped open once again, except this time, it wasn't another student. The compartment's atmosphere changed dramatically, its comfortable heat was now icy, bone-chilling. They could see their breath. Crookshanks gave a loud hiss and jumped under the seat.

A bony, decayed hand poked out of a ragged black sleeve, the creature's face was hidden under its hood. It was reaching from the ceiling to the floor, the bottom of its robes floating slightly around where its ankles would be. It turned towards Harry.

His whole body tensed up, and he felt an odd feeling trying to leave him. His insides felt frozen, and a voice, a woman's voice, was begging, pleading...

_"Please ... not Harry ... please ... have mercy ..."_

_"Stand aside, silly girl ... Now!"_

_"Take me, kill me instead ... please ...!"_

She was going to die, Harry had to help, but she was so far away ... Harry heard screaming, she was dying ... the other voice was _laughing_ ... Harry's vision was blurred, he couldn't see a thing. Harry took a sharp breath and saw a blur of bright light before everything went black.

"..._Harry_. Damn, he's not waking up. Go get Rose, she'll slap him awake..."

Harry came back in to consciousness. He could feel that the train was moving again. His eyes fluttered open as he heard the sound of something snapping.

"Oh thank god." said Hermione's frail voice as Harry stirred. Fred helped Harry up, he was still a bit shaky. Harry looked to the left to see Professor Lupin snapping a thick chocolate bar in to pieces.

"Eat this." he said, handing Harry and the others a piece. Harry looked at him skeptically. Lupin smiled at him. "_Eat_. It'll make you feel better."

Harry looked at the piece in his hand and took a bite out of it. The moment he swallowed it he felt a sense of warm fill him up.

"What was that _thing_?" asked Harry, a chill going down his spine.

"A Dementor." said Lupin. "A guard of Azkaban to be more precise. They were searching the train for Sirius Black. I'm afraid that their stopping of the train was not authorized, however. "

Harry shivered slightly. Lupin sighed. "I'm off to check with the conductor in front." He stood up and opened the door. He looked at the kids. "Fred, make sure Harry eats his chocolate, will you?"

Fred nodded his head before Lupin shut the door behind him. Harry was confused, how did he know their names?

As Lupin left their view, Harry looked at them. "D-did any of you faint?"

"N-no." said Ron, trembling slightly. "But Ginny kinda seized up, got real bad shakes." Ginny was curled in a ball next to the window. She gave a shaky breath and burst in to tears. Hermione went over to her and put her arm around Ginny's shoulders, trying to calm her down.

"It felt weird though." piped up Fred. "Like my insides were frozen or something-"

"And like i'd never be cheerful again." added Ron. Fred nodded in agreement.

"What 'bout the voice?" asked Harry. "Did you hear the screaming at least?"

There was a tense silence. "Harry," said Hermione. "No one was screaming."

Harry's stomach clenched up. Fred patted him on the back. "You'll be alright." Fred got up up at looked out the window. "We're near Hogwarts, we better get dressed in to our robes. See you guys later."

Fred slipped out the compartment to the one next to them. Harry heard a outbreak of voices through the wall separating them.

* * *

><p>Harry walked in to the Great Hall. The Sorting was already over and they were still just starting the first course.<p>

Hearing what had happen on the train, Professor McGonagall had insisted that Harry be checked over and stay at the hospital wing for the night, despite Harry's assurance that he was okay. After refusing to stay, McGonagall reluctantly let Harry go to the Start-of-term feast. Harry walked over to the Gryffindor table quickly, trying to back sure that no one noticed him. News traveled fast at this school.

Harry slumped in to the seat in-between Ron and Hermione. "Did i miss anything?"

"Nothin' special." shrugged Ron. "Just the hat singing about the houses and stuff."

Later, after plates cleared of their desserts, Headmaster Dumbledore stood up, his long, silver beard and hair shining under the candle light. He looked around at the students, his light blue eyes twinkling. He was the type of person that you couldn't help but trust, and for the first time since the incident on the train, Harry felt relaxed.

"Welcome back to another magical year at Hogwarts!" he said happily, waving his hands slightly. "I have a few things to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled with the next few hours of freedom before you all start your classes..."

Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued. "As you all will be aware after their search on the Hogwarts Express, our school is playing host to some of the dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business."

It might have just been Harry, but Dumbledore didn't look pleased about that piece of information.

"They are stationed at every entrance of the grounds," continued Dumbledore. "And while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave the school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled tricks or disguises - or even Invisibility Cloaks." added Dumbledore. Harry and Ron glanced at each other from the corner of their eyes. "It is not in the nature of a dementor understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no students runs afoul of the dementors."

Harry saw down the table that Percy Weasley, with his eyes directly at Dumbledore, puff up his chest importantly. A gleaming, golden badge with the words "Head Boy" was on his chest.

"On a happier note," continued Dumbledore. "I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year. First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was a wave scattered, rather unenthusiastic applause. Only the few in the train compartment with clapped hard, including Harry. For some reason, Harry looked towards the Slytherin table, where Rose and Alice was clapping just as hard as Fred was.

"Look at Snape!" hissed Ron, pointing his finger towards the staff table. Harry looked to see Snape sitting next to Lupin, looking so much like his son sitting at the Slytherin table, in his usual black.

Rose had told Harry in their first year about how much her father constantly wished for the Defense job, but never got it. It was no surprise that Snape was usually not on the best of terms with the new subject's teacher every year, but now, instead of looking angered or annoyed, he looked genuinely supportive and clapped for Lupin. His mouth looked like it was fighting back the urge to smile.

"How weird is that?" whispered Ron as the lukewarm applause died down.

"As to our second new appointment," continued Dumbledore. "Well, i'm saddened to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care for Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year to enjoy time with his remaining limbs. However, i am immensely pleased to announce that his post will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job as well as his groundskeeper duties."

The Gryffindor table erupted in to loud applause. Harry looked at Rona nd Hermione, stunned.

"I should have guessed." said Ron, barely audibly through the applause. "Who else would assign a biting book?"

* * *

><p>"Do try to win the Quidditch Cup this year, won't you Oliver?" said Raina Zelena, her arm intertwined with Gabrielle Balavan's. Oliver Wood looked them. They have been best friends since their first year, despite one being in Ravenclaw and the other in Gryffindor. This was their last year, and Oliver was determined to go out with a bang.<p>

"That Cup will look great with our name on it." said Oliver, taking Gabrielle's free hand.

Raina giggled. "Excellent, because i don't think you'd be able to handle the other houses' torments if you lost." Oliver's eye twitched slightly as Gabrielle pat him on the back saying "Don't listen to her."

Harry walked past them and towards the Slytherin table, looking for Rose. A loud group, including Draco, stood by, laughing.

"Well look who it is!" said Draco happily. "Fainting Potter!" The group laughed. Harry ignored them as they walked out of the Great Hall. Ron and Hermione rushed up to Harry.

Rose was eating her cereal when Harry sat next to her. "Can you explain something to us?"

"Explain what?" said Rose. Sam and Ina looked up from their course schedules at Harry in mild interest.

"Well, i guess isn't too important, but it was on my mind all night. Last night, when Dumbledore announced the new Defense teacher, your dad didn't look mad about it..."

"Is he supposed to?" asked Alice, flipping a page in her Herbology book.

"I suppose not." said Harry. "But i'm a bit used to the image of your dad being - uh - _annoyed_, i guess."

"Why would our dad be mad at his friend?" asked Fred.

Harry's eyes widened. "They're _friends_?"

"Of course they are." said Rose impatiently. "It wouldn't be practical if my father wasn't friends with my godfather, would it?"

"Lupin is your _godfather_?" asked Ron, astonished.

"Yes, i suppose my parents asking him to be my godfather when i was born and him accepting it makes him my godfather." said Rose sarcastically.

"Blimey..." said Ron. "All you need is your mum to be a professor here and you'll be set, wouldn't you?."

Fred moaned. "Don't remind me."

Ron looked at Rose in confusion. "What'd i say?"

"Our mum is thinking about teaching here next year." said Alice, trying not to smile at Fred's moping face.

"What'd she teach?" asked Sam.

"Muggle Studies or something." shrugged Alice. "It'd be brilliant for Potions class though."

"And how is that?" asked Ina. "Those are two _completely_ different subjects."

"Well," started Fred. "Have you ever notice those random weeks where our dad is just in a great mood and everyone gets higher scores than they normally would?"

"Sometimes, yeah." said Harry.

"Well, those are usually the weeks where our mum will visit here on the weekends." said Rose. "And he's in the great mood and everyone gets the rewards because of it. If she was here teaching, pretty much everyone would have top markings in Potions class for the whole year no matter what."

Ron whispered behind him: "I actually thought i was doing better at Potions!"

"Wait," said Harry. "If she visits the castle all the time, how come we never _see_ her?"

"They usually don't roam the grounds." said Alice. "They're usually just spend time together..."

"Doing what?" asked Sam.

"Trust me," said Fred with a semi-disgusted look on his face. "I don't think we want to know."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm sorry this took so long to update, i've been having some family issues, but thank you for being patient. :)<strong>

**(ALSO, i'm taking drabble prompts at my tumblr : iwanttolivewithoutyou)**


	26. Tea Leaves

**AN: I am laying the whole Sam/Fred thing on so thick, oh my god.** **Be warned for that. **

* * *

><p>Sam tried desperately to keep her eyes open, but the strong fumes of the Divination class was making her very sleepy. Her face was rested against her propped up arm.<p>

"When is this class over?" she said sleepily.

"Not for another hour." said Rose with a yawn. She was obviously being affected by the overpowering fumes as well. She was turning Ina's tea cup in her hand, trying to see if anything was in the soaked tea leaves. "Ina, you have a cup in this. A cup in a cup, what is that supposed to mean?"

"I'm going to have a wonderful of dining set when i get older." said Ina. She narrowed her eyes trying to figure out whatever was going on with Sam's cup. "This looks like a fan." She looked down at her propped open_ Unfogging the Future_ book. "That means _flirtation_. Sam, who are you flirting with?"

Sam wasn't listening. She couldn't take it anymore. Her eyelids drifted downwards and she was fast asleep.

Her dream was oddly misty looking, but she didn't mind it, it was clear enough. She was resting against soft green grass, the gentle autumn breeze was flowing through her hair. She sat there in contentment until she heard laughter and looked to her side.

Fred Snape sat next to her, his face cracked in his usual grin, except he was a bit older than what Sam remembered. His hair was a little bit longer, and he was scratching his long neck, where an Adam's apple was protruding. He looked at her with his bright green eyes shining. "Are you having a good birthday?"

"Is it my birthday?" asked Sam in amusement. Her birthday wasn't for another two months. "How old am i now?"

"Sixteen." said Fred. "Don't you remember your own birthday? November seventeenth?"

"Of course i do." said Sam. This must obviously be her imagining the future, she wouldn't be sixteen for another two years. "How'd you know?"

"How'd i _not_ know?" said Fred. He scooted over to be right next to Sam and put his arm around her shoulders. "You look absolutely beautiful, you know." he whispered to her.

Sam's face flushed red. "I do?"

"I tell you that everyday." laughed Fred. He placed a kiss on her temple. "You're the most beautiful girl i've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Of course, you jumped on me, but it still counts."

Sam smiled despite herself. "Thank you."

"_Aww_, stop it, you're making me blush." said Fred in fake embarrassment. They laughed and Sam put her head on his shoulder. "I know i might be a bit blunt here," said Fred, his head resting on Sam's. "But i've always been mad about you, ever since i met you. You're like my second half, i don't know what i'd do without you..."

"-Rose, is this a kite or a leaf?"

Sam's eyes snapped open. Ina was still trying to figure out the tea leaves in Sam's cup, as she was writing down possible answers on a spare piece of parchment. Finally, she set the cup down.

Ina turned to face Sam and smiled. "Had a nice nap?"

Sam nodded slightly but said nothing. "Wonderful," said Ina. "I have your future here." Ina looked down the list and read aloud: "You have a needle, which means someone will finally notice you, which is silly. With your hair, how would anyone _not_ notice you? Then you have a heart, which means Love. Oviously, what else would it mean? Then you have a sun, which means happiness. Sounds good, right?"

Sam stared out in to space for a minute, trying to figure out her dream. Ina furrowed her brow. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah." said Sam. "Just dandy."

"Good to know." said Ina. "Because according to Harry's cup," She pointed towards Harry and Ron's table, where a very stricken looking Professor Trelawney stood, her magnified eyes more wide looking in shock. "He's going to die from a giant black dog."

"He always has the best of luck." said Rose nonchalantly. "_The Grim_. My dad was right, Trelawney _is_ loony."

* * *

><p>Severus and Remus walked down an empty corridor, their cloaks flapping slightly around their ankles.<p>

"Does Rose still crawl in to bed with you and Lily?" asked Remus.

"She hasn't done that since she was seven." said Severus. "I thought you knew that."

Remus smiled. "Must have forgotten. Strange think she used to do that. She always dawned me as a brave girl."

"She had nightmares." said Severus. "You know those type of shows that Frederick watches, they always terrified the girls. He loves them though, for some _odd_ reason."

"He's definitely got some of Lily's father in him." said Remus as they turned a corner. "He's a bit of a science fiction freak, isn't he?"

"No doubt about that." said Severus. "He sees it once when he's a toddler and he's hooked for life."

"The life of a child." said Remus. "You never know that you'll miss it until it's done."

"Rose certainly isn't a child anymore." mumbled Severus.

"Isn't she?" asked Remus. "She's only thirteen, you know."

"I know that." said Severus. "But it just seems like yesterday that i was holding her for the first time, her little fist trying to grab on to my hair. Now she's in her third year here."

"So?" asked Remus.

"Well, the whole 'your child growing up' process seems all too real when you can't help but overhear a few Hufflepuffs talking about asking your daughter out on date, doesn't it?" said Severus in one take.

"_Oh_," said Remus in an understanding tone. 'You just don't want your little girl to get involved with some boy. I get it."

"Of course i don't." snapped Severus. "Most boys are numbskulls. I can't see any half-wit to ever stand up to Rose's standards."

"I think it's more of _your_ standards they'd have to live up to, to be honest with you." said Remus.

"I'm the one they have to ultimately impress in the end if they want a happy life with her," said Severus. "Or with Alice for that matter." he added

"There has to be at least one boy here who lives up to your approval for Rose." said Remus. Severus shook his head.

"I don't know." said Severus after a few silent minutes. "But i do suspect that a boy in Rose's year in Ravenclaw is particularly _fond_ of her, but i don't think she notices it yet. He's especially gifted though, he's very promising. "

"Poor lad." said Remus sadly. "He has your approval already and he doesn't know it yet."

* * *

><p>Draco walked in to the Slytherin Common Room dramatically, his arm wrapped in an arm sling. He looked as if he was going to faint any moment.<p>

Pansy Parkinson ran up to him, her face full of fear. "Are you okay, Draco? Did that stupid beast ruin your arm forever?"

Rose rolled her eyes. At their first Care for Magical Creatures lesson, Draco had gotten the _wonderful_ idea to insult a hippogriff (an especaiily prideful eagle/horse hybrid creature) and, to no one's surprise, the creature named Buckbeak scratched him arm, and being Draco Malfoy, he completely put the blame on Hagrid and the hippogriff, never himself in the slightest. Rose even remembered him saying "You'll pay for this! You and your stupid chicken!" before Hagrid carried him off to the castle for Madam Pomfrey to check him.

"Pomfrey says i might _never_ recover." said Draco mournfully. Pansy gave an aspirated squeak. "Who knows if i'll ever use my arm ever again!" said Draco with a drooping of his head.

"I don't know what he's talking about." whispered Fred to Sam, watching Draco's display. "If he can't do magic, then i get an easier target to practice my hexes and he gets to actually be useful for once. Everyone wins."

"You might want to start practicing now then." said Alice irritably. "He's getting on my last nerve."

"You don't need to tell me twice." said Fred happily, trying to get a good arm of Draco's head.

* * *

><p>"Bloody <em>hell<em>." moaned Ron, looking down at the newest issue of _the Daily Prophet_. A large title ran across the front page, reading: _"Sirius Black sighted at Hogsmeade Village."_ The tension in Hogwarts had gone up significantly because of the news.

"I don't get why everyone's worrying." said Matthew Greenley, a fourth year Gryffindor that the Weasley Twins were particularly fond of. "This is _Hogwarts_. There's nowhere safer."

"I heard he can transform though." said Alice in a slightly high voice. "He can disguise himself if he wants."

"Oh yeah," said Fred. "He's probably in the form of a flowering shrub right now. Very intimidating."

Alice shot him a look full of venom as her twin giggled at his snappy response.

Later, at Potions class, Draco was getting on Harry's nerves.

"_I'd_ be going after him." he said, purposely taking the oddly empty seat of Hermione's the day he finally came back to class. "Wouldn't you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." said Harry through clenched teeth.

"You don't _know_?" asked Draco, a nasty smile forming on his face. "My father told me just over the summer. You really are oblivious, aren't you?"

A slimy newt tail hit the back of Draco's head. When he whipped around to see who done it, he noticed that Rose, Ina, and Sam's glances were completely focused on their potions, though Rose looked strangely pleased with herself.

The Gryffindors and Slytherins piled in to their Defense class, taking out their parchment and quills. Professor Lupin walked in a short time afterwards, walking towards the front and turing to face them, smiling. "No need for the quills today, just your wands."

The class exchanged surprised glances and put their supplies away. Lupin waited for them to get their wands and proceeding to lead them out of the classroom.

"We'll need space for this particular lesson." explained Lupin. Harry and Rose were just behind him, leading the class.

Lupin brought them to an door being guarded with a set of very ugly stone gargoyles. They gave him a look and opened the door for him.

Harry had been in the Staffroom only two times before, both for reasons he didn't necessarily want to remember. It was a large room, full of mismatched chairs and an old wardrobe where the teachers put their cloaks. Surprisingly, someone was already sitting in the room, reading _the Daily Prophet_, an angry picture of Sirius Black yelling silently from the front page.

The newspaper flipped downwards to reveal Professer Snape, slightly bemused by the class's arrival. "Am i interrupting?"

"Not at all." said Lupin. "We were just having our first lesson. I expect you've noticed what we'll be practicing today?"

Snape looked towards the wardrobe, where it gave a violent shake. "I should have known. Would i be intruding with i - _uh_ - wanted to stay and see?"

Rose gave a nervous shift of weight next to Harry. "I wouldn't mind at all." said Lupin. Snape foldded his newspaper and walked towards the windowsill, keeping silent.

"Excellent." said Lupin, turing back to class. "Now, seeing that the creature has made itself noticed, can anyone tell me what it is?"

"A boggart." said Hermione quickly. Ron spun towards her, shocked. "When did she get here?" he whispered to Harry. She wasn't there at the beginning of the class.

"Correct. Ten points to Gryffindor." said Lupin. "Now, can anyone tell me what it does?"

"It turns in to whatever the person near it fears." said Ina. Hermione looked at her, slightly impressed.

"Correct. Ten points to Slytherin then." said Lupin. "A boggart turns to whatever you fear the very most. Now, how do we get rid of such a creature? It's a simple, really. All we need is laughter, and how do we laugh at the thing we fear the most? We use a spell known as '_Riddikulus!_', which turns the creature in to something amusing. Repeat after me: '_Riddikulus!_'"

The class repeated "_Riddikulus_!" and Lupin smiled. "Well done, well done. Now, who wants to face it head-on?"

The class looked at each other nervously. "How about Neville?" asked Lupin kindly.

Neville Longbottom froze up, he was never a promising student. "M-me?"

Lupin waved him forwards. Neville shot a nervous look at the rest of the class and stepped forward.

"Now, Neville, what do you fear the most?" asked Lupin, bending down towards him. Neville moved his mouth but no words came out. "Sprry, i couldn't hear you." said Lupin. "Please speak up."

Neville gulped and mumbled: "Filch."

The class laughed. Harry was almsot positive that Neville was going to say Professor Snape, but considering that he was usually in a much better mood when Rose was in his class, and that he was right there, he thought that Neville wouldn't push it.

"Ah, he is very intimidating, isn't he?" asked Lupin. "And you live with grandmother, if i'm correct?"

"Yes." said Neville. "But i don't want it to turn in to her either!"

"Don't worry." said Lupin. "It won't. Just focus on her clothes, _just_ her clothes. And when i open the wardrobe, yell exactly what we practiced, alright?"

Neville gave a shaky nod of the head and Lupin stepped back toward Snape, pointing his wand at the wardrobe. Its creeked open, and the wheezy form of Argus Filch came staggering old, his yellow teeth bared.

Neville gulped and bellowed: "_Riddikulus_!"

There was a loud _crack_ and Filch tumbled backwards, a bright red purse hanging from his arm, an ugly vulture hat on his head, and wearing a old, green dress.

The class laughed. The disgruntled Filch looked around frantically.

"Next!" said lupin, standing next to a smiling Snape. "Rose! Go for it!"

Rose stepped up, her wand pointed ahead of her. There was a loud _crack_ Filch disappeared, the creature was now the form of an ugly, green-skinned woman with a hollowed out face, her dark hair reaching the ground, a Banshee. She opened her mouth and gave an unearthly, high-pitched scream. The screams blew Rose's hair back, but with determination, she yelled "_Riddikulus_!" and the Bashee grabbed her throat, her voice was gone.

Rose smiled and let Ron go after her. There was another crack and a giant spider stood in front of him, its pincers snapping dangerously. Ron gave a squeek and, after regaining his confidence, yelled: "_Riddikulus_!"

The spider's legs popped off, rolling on the ground.

"He's getting confused!" yelled Lupin. "Keep going, he's almost finished!"

The next few students walked up, the boggart turning in to A mummy, a bloody hand, and a giant eyeball, all of them laughing at the ridiculous results. Finally, Harry faced the boggart.

A shiver went down his spine as he saw the form of a dark, smoky robe of a dementor started to focus in front of him, but before he could even lift his wand, Lupin jumped in front of him. The Dementor disappeared, and a shining white orb floated in front of him.

"_Riddikulus_!" said Lupin confidently. The orb popped and left a small puff of smoke in its wake.

The class gave a aggravated groan. "That's all for today!" said Lupin. "Back to class, come on now!"

Harry felt a lump form in his throat as he departed the staffroom after Ron. Why didn't Lupin let him face the boggart himself?

"That was brilliant, Neville!" said Rose. Neville have a sheepish grin at her.

"I wonder why Lupin's afraid of crystal balls." asked Lavender Brown, who was walking in front of Harry.

"Maybe he doesn't like Divination." said her friend, Parvarti Patil. Lavender gave a shrug and they walked on.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: i didn't want to have Neville terrified of Snape because he's nicer when Rose is in his class (Thank god the Slytherins have Potions with the Gryffindors, right?) and because i didn't want to embarrass Rose. She already had to deal with the whole "Lockhart Valentine Celebration" on her birthday last year anyway.<strong>

**(Also, still taking drabble ideas at my tumblr! iwanttolivewithoutyou) **


	27. Lupin and Branin

The October wind fell over Hogwarts quickly. Divination was easily becoming Harry's least favorite subject, as the kooky Professor Trelawney predicted Harry's death at least once a class, and Hagrid's Care for Magical Creatures class lost its luster after the exciting encounter with the hippogriff, now they barely did anything more exciting than feed Flobberworms, which died by the next lesson after eating too much lettuce.

Halloween was rapidly approaching, and, much to Harry's disappointment, so was the first trip to Hogsmeade, which Harry was not allowed to go to, as Aunt Terry had refused to sign his permission form, and he sorta ran out before he could try again.

"Don't worry, Harry," said Ron bracingly on Halloween morning. "We'll bring you back all the sweets and doodads that we can carry back. Promise."

"I can always forge the signature if you want." suggested Fred. He wasn't allowed to go to Hogsmeade until next year, but having a professor for a father almost guaranteed that he'd be ready to go once summer rolled around.

"You most certainly will not." snapped Hermione. "That's against the rules and you know it."

"Like Fred ever had a high regard for rules anyway." snorted Rose. Fred smiled proudly.

Later that afternoon, with a sad backward glance from the others as they departed for Hogsmeade, Harry stalked back to the castle, an empty feeling in his stomach.

"Oi! Harry!"

Harry turned to see Fred walking towards him with none other than Professor Lupin besides him. For some reason, Lupin looked oddly tired, but happy nonetheless.

"Why aren't you at Hogsmeade?" asked Lupin kindly.

"I didn't get my form signed." sighed Harry. Fred shook his head. "I could have fixed that for you..."

"How?" asked Lupin. "By writing his Aunt's name on the form?"

Fred's eyes widened slightly. Lupin gave a chuckle. "I've known you for years, Fred. I know all your tricks." He turned to Harry. 'We were just off for a friendly chat around the castle. Would you care to join us?"

"Alright." shrugged Harry. The three of them departed for the Courtyard.

After a few minutes of Fred talking about some actor named Tom Baker, Harry had the urge to ask what had been bugging him for the past few weeks.

"Professor?" asked Harry as Lupin turned to look at him. "In our first Defense lesson, you wouldn't let me go against the boggart. Why?"

Lupin sighed. "Well, Harry. I think you noticed what it turned into as it faced you, yes?"

"A Dementor." said Harry. "But i didn't think it would turn into _that_-"

"Indeed." said Lupin. "I was almost positive that it would have taken the shape of Lord Voldemort, and that wouldn't be a circumstance that we would want."

"But it _didn't_." stressed Harry, a little flabbergasted that Lupin said Voldemort's name. Only he and Dumbledore did that. "It's those Dementors, they just-"

Lupin gave him an understanding smile. "Don't fret, Harry. Dementors are some of the foulest creatures on this world. You fear Fear _itself_. Very wise."

"But-" said Harry.

"You have gone through more in your young life than most of the students here could ever hope to think of." continued Lupin. "You've gone through unspeakable things, and that's what Dementors feed on, they feed on our happiness, our happy memories, they _steal_ them... They absorb us until we're just a shell of all the bad we've gone through. Hence why you're effected by them so much..."

"Is that why they use Dementors at Azkaban?" asked Fred. Harry had almost forgetten that he was walking along side them.

"Exactly." said Lupin. "Almost all the inmates go insane within weeks held in the prison's walls, how Sirius Black slipped by them though, seems _impossible_..."

Lupin was lost in thought for a few minutes. Fred and Harry looked at each other with confused looks.

"Fred," said Lupin as he snapped out of his thoughts. "Has your father made anymore of the potion?"

"Yes." said Fred. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"It's for an illness." said Lupin, noticing Harry's puzzled look. "It's quite a privilege to be able to work and play alongside such a talented Potion brewer as him, seeing as i was never a particularly gifted one in our days at school. James had a tiny bit of a knack for it, though..."

Harry looked at him, shocked. "You knew my dad?"

Lupin smiled. "Of course. We went to school together, alongside Fred's parents as well."

"They weren't too chummy with each other for the first few years here." whipsered Fred.

"I'm afraid not." chuckled Lupin. "But after properly moving past our differences in our sixth year, i really do think we all grew a bond with one another."

"And you're Rose's godfather." said Fred.

"Yes, that too." said Lupin.

* * *

><p>There was a loud slam of a door and two boys were thrown from The Three Broomsticks. A very disgruntled looking Madam Rosmerta stood in the doorway, her bottle-blond hair falling in front of her green eyes, which were slits with annoyance.<p>

"Don't come back until ya' learn your lesson!" she yelled as the two boys pushed themselves up once again, brushing strands of loose grass and dirt off their cloaks. Madam Rosmerta snapped the pub's door loudly. The taller of the two, a boy with shaggy, dark brown hair gave a snort of laughter as he looked to the closed door. "What's up with _her_?"

"You know damn well _'what's up with her_'!" said Zachary Leon angrily. Why he ever agreed to ever go to Hogsmeade with Branin Haskell, he'll never know.

Branin wasn't necessarily _bad_, it as just that he knew how to push your buttons almost too easily. He was a bit cocky, but he could be polite when he wanted to. He is what Zachary would define as "_Agressive_", he gets what he wants, when he wants. Not really someone you'd expect to be in Ravenclaw with the mellow, quiet Zachary, but he did ask the Sorting Hat to put him in Ravenclaw, so you really couldn't blame him for his preference. And, it was one of the few things that Branin thought would win his parents back over.

When he was a younger, around nine or so, he got lost in the forest near his Father's cottage. A bright gold pair of eyes lured him in, his childhood mind still innocent with wonder as who owned them. He never expected to see a man, no older than his own father staring at him, his face full of anguish and disgust. The man's face had an odd, animalistic look to it, and his eyes looked as if they were changing from blue to gold once again in what little light that the thick trees let through. He stared at Branin is mild interest, and then he lunged forward, his oddly sharp teeth bared.

The last thing Branin remembered was waking up on what was once his bed, his whole body arching and his face burning with pain. His Mother sat next to him, the icy blue eyes that he inherited from her were watery. His Father was in the other room, writing a particularly long letter. He came in after a few silent minutes, his face looking more beaten than it ever has.

The very next day, he was sent to live with his close childhood friend, Roger Malone, who lived about twenty miles away from his Parents.

Branin didn't mind it that much. He only really liked his Mother anyway, his Father was much too serious for him, and the Malones were more than happy to accept him in to their home. Of course, once Roger and him both arrived at Hogwarts, they were both separated by the Sorting Hat. Roger was sorted in to Slytherin, like his Father before him, but Branin did not take that same route. When the Hat touched his head, he heard the Hat's voice say_ "Slytherin, eh?"_ But Branin thought elsewhere. His whole family had been in Ravenclaw, so why not him? He asked the Hat for that house, that the Hat followed suit. He still remembers seeing Roger clap for him as he walked towards the table in blue.

"Let's just go back in." said Branin, waving his hand towards the pub door.

"We _can't_ go back in." said Zachary. "_We_ got kicked out because _you_ just couldn't stop bugging that old gaggle of ladies near the bar!"

Branin shrugged. "They had purple warts, i wanted to ask a few questions 'bout how they got 'em. Let's go back to Zonko's then..."

"No, we _can't_." snapped Zachary. "You broke their display of Sneakoscopes, remember? They banned you from returning."

"What about-?" started Branin.

"Honeydukes banned you too," said Zachary. "For setting their Ice Mice shelf on fire with your wand."

"I wanted to see if they were real!" retorted Branin. Zachary rolled his eyes. "All the good stops in Hogsmeade and we can't go there because of you just couldn't restrain yourself!"

"Oh come," smirked Branin. "Let's head back to the castle then. Hogsmeade is overrated as it is. Plus, i need to find the answers to our Charms homework anyway."

"And how do you expect to do t_h_at?" asked Zachary, cocking his eyebrow at him.

"I have the password to the Slytherin Common Room." said Branin triumphantly. "Come on."

Zachary gave a sigh and turned to follow Branin. As they reached the way out of Hogsmeade, Zachary turned back to the village for one last look, where he caught sight of Rose Snape walking towards The Three Broomsticks with Ina and Sam, her arms full with bags from Honeydukes. Her crimson hair was flying behind her in a long wave, which made the green in her Slytherin scarf and eyes pop magnificently, even though they were some distance away. As she walked in to the pub, he noticed a few select male students turn to watch her as well. Zachary made a low, annoyed noise in his throat and turned back towards the castle after Branin, his face slightly red. Branin payed no notice.

* * *

><p>They walked back towards the castle, and soon enough they were standing in front of a dark stone wall. Branin had a look of concentration on his face.<p>

"Ah," said Branin as Zachary was just about to turn back to the Ravenclaw Tower. "I remember it now. _Serpentine_."

The dark stone wall slid open to reveal an opening. Branin gestured Zachary in to the room. Zachary looked over his shouler, not sure if they should be doing this or not, and stepped forward after a nudge in the shoulder from Branin.

The Slytherin Common Room was long, low-ceilinged room that had a greenish tinge to it, as its windows allowed light from the Hogwarts lake to shine in. There was a bright fire burning under a handsomely-carved fireplace. Zachary didn't get enough time to look at the hangings on the walls before a loud explosion snapped him out of his curiosity.

There was a small cloud of dark smoke, where two people were coughing from. They waved away the smoke, which revealed two boys, both with jet black hair sitting on the ground. The taller, lankier of the two with longer hair held a steaming glass flask in his spindly fingers. "Okay, maybe i shouldn't have used the Flobberworm Mucus then." he said. Zachary gave a sigh of relief. He knew Fred's voice anywhere.

"And what makes you say _that_?" said the other boy sarcastically, which was Harry Potter's voice. He was wipping black soot off his face and round glasses. Fred giggled.

"Oh honestly." said girl's voice, which Zachary recognized as Alice's. "You never do listen to Dad, do you?"

"It's very distracting listening at someone who looks _just like you_." said Fred, wiping the soot off his hooked nose. "Though admittedly, if i can ever keep a whole set of children's attention for as much time as he does, i'll be very happy with myself."

"You learn from the best." said Harry, wiping his cheeks clean. Branin laughed and walked over to them with Zachary trailing behind him, towering over them as they sat on the ground. "A little trouble with Potions, eh?" said Branin.

"I am insulted by you accusations, my good man." said Fred proudly, looking up at him, still holding the smoking flask in his hand. "I am the son of the Potions Master. Therefore, i am amazing at Potions by _default_."

"Well, it sure isn't showing." snapped Alice impatiently. Branin turned towards her to retort, but he was lost for words.

He brushed some of his shaggy hair out of his eyes to get a better look at her. He was dumbstruck. She was much tinier then one would expect, but it fit her. She had her sister's looks. Her long, curled dark hair flowed around her face, which with her annoyed expression still made her look quite pretty. Her dark brown, almost black eyes glowed amber in the fire's light. Branin grinned and walked towards the leather sofa she rested on and sat next to her.

Alice's eyes widened slightly at him. "Do i know you?"

"Branin Haskell." said Branin. "Ravenclaw."

"Uh ... excellent then." said Alice uncertainly.

"Don't try to win her over." said Fred, waving towards his twin. "She already has a little _boyfriend_."

"Does she now?" snorted Harry. "His name doesn't happen to rhyme with_ Hatthew Beanley,_ does it?"

"I would say so." giggled Fred. "Though hopefully no one _actually_ has that name."

Alice blushed pink. "Matthew is not my boyfriend!"

"Aha!" said Fred, pointing his finger at her. "So you admit it! Harry, owl The Daily Prophet, we have a love story brewing on our hands!"

"You don't?" asked Branin, who wasn't listening to Fred or Harry, nor noticing Zachary's apprehensive face. "Would you like one?"

"Yes, i suppose i would _eventually_." said Alice. Branin put his arm around her shoulders as if that was his cue to do so. Alice blushed beet red. "But not right _now_."

She picked up Branin's hand and took it away from her shoulders. "I appreciate your offer, but no thank you."

"Not even if i told you i had special abilities?" said Branin excitedly.

"We're _wizards_." said Harry. "Basically everything we do is a special ability if you think about it." Branin paid no attention to him.

"I'm a Weerwolf, you know." said Branin. Fred and Harry's laughter stopped suddenly. Zachary looked at him with shocked expression on his face. Alice looked at him like she had never seen his properly before.

"Well," said Branin. "I'm not _full_ Werewolf, i was attacked when it wasn't a full moon, so..."

Alice looked at him through narrowed eyes. "What do you think you're playing at?"

"Playing at?" repeated Branin, confused. 'What do you mean?"

"You know what i'm talking about." snapped Alice dangerously. "You think you'll look so cool saying you're a Werewolf. Well it's not funny!"

"I'm not playing." said Branin, grinning from ear to ear. "I never lie, my dear."

He had a hungry look in his blue eyes, which Alice did not like one bit. Fred took notice to it.

"Listen, she said she's not interested." said Fred, pushing himself up. "Just leave her alone."

"I don't believe you were given the okay to _talk_." said Branin, trying to put his arm around Alice's shoulder's once again. She kept pushing his away.

"Get out of here." said Harry as he got up. He didn't look happy. "You're making this worst on yourself."

Branin made an offense hand gesture towards them without taking his eyes off of Alice. Fred's face burned red. His hand went to his wand, which was in his pocket. "Get the hell out of here before i _kick_ you out."

Branin gave a short laugh. "I'd like to see you try."

Harry and Fred raised their wands in unison, pointing them towards Branin. Surprisingly, so did Zachary.

Alice, on the other-hand, took the matter in to her own hands. She scrunched up her face and with all her might, pushed Branin away from her and off the sofa and on to the hard, stone floor.

Branin looked up at her with angered confusion. "What was that for?" he growled.

"Leave me _alone_, or i'm going to make you regret the day you were born." snapped Alice, pointing her own wand at him.

Branin had an odd gold tinge in his eyes. "I already regret the day i was born, silly girl." said Branin in a low tone. He pushed himself up, and without a backwards glance to any of them, he stormed out of the Common Room.

"What a nasty git." said Fred as the stone wall slid shut behind him. "Al, make sure that he doesn't kill Matthew before ya' marry him."

Alice turned to him, her face even redder than it was a few moments ago. "We - are - not - _DATING_!"

"Ah," whispered Harry as Zachary and him left the Slytherin Common Room. Alice was raging at Fred. "At least she's back to being angry at someone she genuinely likes."

"Just like good old times." said Zachary as they turned the corner.

* * *

><p><strong>Branin is not an original character of ours. An anon on Tumblr requested that we add their character to this, and as we don't have any other "love" interest for Alice, we thought "Why not?" <strong>

**WE'RE BACK IN BUSINESS. **


	28. Halloween

"Is he _always_ like that?" asked Harry, referring to the mishap from a only a short while ago. They had been walking for a few minutes and some of the other third years were arriving back from Hogsmeade. Harry and Zachary were heading back to their different House common rooms to get ready for the Halloween feast that night. In a usual circumstance, they wouldn't have been in such a hurry, but they didn't want to linger with a very angry Alice going off on Fred back at their own common room.

"Always like what?" said Zachary, looking over his shoulder to make sure Branin wasn't following them.

"Goes around telling people he's a Werewolf." said Harry. Even though he never very little of what the wizarding community thought of them, he always saw his cousin watching those type of horror movies, and the response to being a creature of the night never went well. Alice's reaction was the most contained one he's seen.

"Of course not, that's not something you want to go around divulging to people you've just met." said Zachary thoughtfully. "And if it's true, well..."

They turned a corner, passing a rather ugly statue of a warty witch and continued down the corridor. "Does the wizard definition of a 'Werewolf' fit the muggle one?" asked Harry.

Zachary raised an eyebrow. "Like how?"

"You know, like they change at the full moon, hunt innocent victims down for fun or for food. My cousin loves watching movies like that." said Harry.

"That's not too far off actually." said Zachary. "Of course, in most of those stories the werewolf is usually the victim and the one who inflicts them with the Lycanthropy dies soon afterwards. That's not the case in our world."

They stepped onto a staircase before it turned left. "If i have my facts straight, a silver bullet is said to kill them," continued Zachary. "But that would kill anyone really. No, there are werewolves in our community, both the victims and the inflicters. They're extremely persecuted for it too. They even passed a legislation this year that has quite simply forced most inflicted with Lycanthropy to not find a suitable source of income, so most are forced into poverty. "

"Blimey, they have to deal with turning into a bloody beast every full moon _AND_ they can't even enjoy the few weeks that their normal again without the thought of were they're going to eat and sleep lingering over their heads? That's awful." said Harry, shaking his head.

"I know it is." said Zachary as they stepped off the stairs and made their way down to the opening of the Ravenclaw Tower. "It's like the prejudice some have for Muggle-borns. It's completely biased to say the least, not like what blood you have is _nearly_ as serious as what they go through. I think most people are just raised to hate them, it's not like every single Werewolf is bent of ruin our society though, they never asked for it..."

"Yeah, but imagine having a Werewolf for a professor or something." said Harry. "They could tell us first hand what they go through, maybe then it would show everyone that they aren't all bad."

"That would be fascinating." said Zachary enthusiastically. "The only other time i see a Werewolf is at St. Mungos when my father has to treat them, but they're usually in human form and i'm never allowed to go too close to them. A Werewolf for a teacher. Imagine it!"

* * *

><p>Rose snapped off the head of a Skeletal Sweet and threw it at Fred. It hit his squarely in the forehead.<p>

"What was that for?" asked Fred, rubbing his forehead and picking up the flat, snapped off candy skull that hit him.

Rose shrugged. "Dunno, i just wanted to."

"Well throw it at someone who actually _deserves_ it." said Fred, flicking it towards Draco Malfoy, who was a few seats down from them. It hit him on the nose. Draco turned to see who threw it, but Fred turned his head as to not show Draco his giggling face.

The Great Hall was decorated in its usual Halloween decorations, including its swarm of live bats and floating carved pumpkins. Fred heard a stiffened giggle and before they knew it, a voluminous curly mop of blond hair slithered his way in-between Rose and Ina.

"Hello Wright." said Ina in a dulled tone.

Evan Wright pouted his bottom lip, making his square chin protrude more than usual. "Honestly, how long have we known each other? Three years? When will you ever just call me by my first name?"

Ina shrugged. "I'm not tied down by the conformist rules of our society."

"Uh huh." said Evan with a confused expression on his freckled face. He didn't look like he quite registered what she just said. His eyes glanced over at the staff table. "Fred, where's your dad?"

They turned towards the staff table. Their father's brooding presence was definitely noticeable when it wasn't there.

"He's - uh - visiting our mum..." said Fred, his pale cheeks going pink.

"Oh, _is_ he?" giggled Evan, obviously getting the message through Fred's embarrassed face. "Well, well. Go for him, i'll get top marks on my Potions essay now."

"Oh ha ha." said Fred in an unamused tone.

"Hey now, don't laugh too hard. Just think of it this way, maybe you'll get a little brother now!" said Evan happily, reaching across the table to pat Fred on the shoulder.

"Shut up." snapped Fred, his face turning a shade of red as he shook of Evan's hand. Evan giggled even louder, receiving some very annoyed glances from a few other Slytherins near then, including a very bored looking Charisse Wargrave.

"Uck, who invited the _Hufflepuff_?" she snapped with her finger pointing to him. Her pointy nose was scrunched up as if Evan was some disgusting piece of fungus.

"I _find_ that to be very rude." said Evan, keeping his head up proudly.

"And i don't _find_ your House's inside joke to be very clever." sneered Charisse.

"Hey, that's strictly Hufflepuff territory, don't be stealing our thing." said Evan matter-of-factly.

"Plus I'm _adorable_." added Evan when Charisse's face went red with annoyance. He put his arm around Ina's shoulders. "Plus, i have Ina here to be clever for me, don't i?"

"If i say 'yes' will you let go of me?" Ina asked, her dark complexion turning slightly red.

"Why? Am i-" Evan loosened his grip and lowered his hands until they were a few inches from Ina's sides. "_Distracting_ you?"

Evan started tickling Ina, which made her give out her little known girly laughter, which made him smile. Charisse rolled her eyes and turned her head back to her friends to continue their conversation.

At the Ravenclaw table, Branin was looking at Alice with narrowed eyes. "Try to be honest with a girl, she yells at you. Ask her out, she pushes you away. She's definitely got her father's moodiness."

"Well," said Zachary, poking his steak and kidney pie. "You were being a bit...uh..." He trailed off.

"What?" demanded Branin angrily. "_Pushy_? You can be honest with me, Zach."

"Yeah, well, i don't find it easy to be so out-there with people." snapped Zachary. His blue eyes caught sight of Rose at the Slytherin table. He particularly liked how the glow of the floating candles made her red hair look like fire.

"_Bloody hell,_ just ask her out already." said Branin, rolling his eyes at Zachary.

Zachary's cheeks went pink. "Ask who out?"

"Don't act dumb with me." said Branin, picking up his goblet and taking a sip of Pumpkin juice before continuing. "Everyone with a half a brain knows you've fallen hard for the Potion Master's little princess."

"I have not!" said Zachary, his face still blushing. He felt extremely childish trying to hide his oh-so obvious crush from someone who has been his classmate and House member for the past three years.

"Really? Because i don't remember any other dark-haired Ravenclaws making a certain bright red heart-shaped card for a certain Slytherin redhead the day before Valentine's Day last year." snorted Branin. "Didn't you make it with your bedsheets over your head and with the aid of a _Lumos_-lit wand?"

"I hate you." said Zachary, his gaze still focused on Rose's laughing form.

"No you don't." said Branin with a satisfied smile. He loved pushing Zachary's buttons like that.

* * *

><p>Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked up the staircases leading back to the Gryffindor Tower. Matthew Greenley was trailing beside Harry, trying to stop Ron and Hermione's bickering.<p>

"That cat's out for Scabbers, i just know it!" said Ron angrily.

Hermione's face was turning red. "He's a cat, it's in his nature to hunt rats!"

"It's true, you know." said Matthew weakly. Ron huffed. "Don't go agreeing with her-"

"What? I can't have someone on my side for once?" retorted Hermione, her bushy hair looking like it was crackling with electricity.

As they went on, Matthew looked at Harry with a sheepish expression. "I know they always act like this, but now it's just getting ridiculous..."

"I know." whispered Harry back. Without keeping a proper look in front of them, he and Matthew bumped into a packed crowd of Gryffindors.

"Why are we standing for?" asked Hermione, obviously snapping out of her and Ron's heated argument and trying to look above the students' heads, which was to no use as she was so short. "Is the Fat Lady not letting us through?"

"Maybe someone insulted her singing." snorted Harry.

"Or Neville's forgotten the password again." said Ron.

"Hey!" said an aspirated voice behind them. They turned to see Neville Longbottom looking at them from the lower step, looking insulted.

"Oh..." said Ron, slightly embarrassed. "You're here..."

"Out of the way, move it!" said Percy Weasley's pompus voice over the crowd. "Let me through, i'm Head Boy!"

"Thanks for reminding us for the hundredth time!" said Fred Weasley's voice from a few steps behind them. Percy ignored him. "Make way, make way."

Percy pushed his way through the crowd until he was out view. After a few moments, he pushed himself up to stand above the crowd. "Someone get the Headmaster!" he shouted, his horn-rimmed glasses and prefect badge glittering in the candle light.

After a few minutes, Filch and Professor Dumbledore showed up, looking concerned. Or at least Dumbledore did, Filch just looked annoyed.

They made their way through the crowd, with Harry and the others trailing behind them to see what was the cause of their delay. Finally, they saw what had happened.

The Fat Lady's portrait, which usually had her plump form sitting in front with her pink dress, trying her best to sing an very off-key opera tune to break a crystal goblet, had vanished from her frame. Instead they saw a ripped apart canvas, the underside of the painting's mat poking out through the shredded off canvas. Dumbledore took a piece of the canvas off the ground and explained it. "Argus," he said. "Tell the others to check all the paintings, we have to find the Fat Lady..."

"No need, Professor-Head." said a oily voice.

They looked up to see Peeves bobbing happily above them, his wicked face crackled into a smile.

"And why is that?" asked Dumbledore politely. Peeves's face lost it smile. Even he couldn't insult Dumbledore, no matter how hate he tried.

"She's still in the castle." said Peeves, doing a somersault in the air. "She's been running through every other painting for help. Poor thing." said Peeves in a obviously fake sympathetic voice. He looked at them through his legs while upside-down in the air. "She's wouldn't let him through. Good thing too. He's got a nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."

* * *

><p>The Slytherins were walking back to their common room, happily unaware of what was currently going on at the Gryffindor Tower.<p>

"I think we should _actually _start celebrating Halloween here." said Fred knowingly.

"Why? Is having a whole feast centered around candy not good enough for you?" asked Rose, who was walking besides him.

"The experience would be better if we were all wearing costumes." said Fred. "Imagine everyone in their dumb attempts of Muggle costumes, it'd be hilarious!"

Before they could reach the wall separating them from the Slytherin dorms, a voice boomed behind them. "Everyone! We have to get to the Great Hall immediately!"

"What?" said most of the Slytherins, obviously bewildered. "Why?" asked Fred, his voice carrying over the crowd.

"Never you mind." said the burly Slytherin prefect. "Dumbledore's orders. Come on you lot, i don't have all night."

With confused looks, they followed the Prefect back towards the Great Hall. When they arrived there, the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were looking around with the same confused expressions. The Gryffindors looked anxious.

"The teachers and I need to conduct a through search of the castle." said Dumbledore has the students settled into the hall. The doors closed with a loud _snap_ before he continued. "I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will all have to spend the night here. I want the prefects to stand guard over the entrances of the hall and i'm leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge for the time being. Any disturbances should be reported to me immediately."

He turned to Percy. "Send word to one of the ghosts." Looking extremely proud of himself, Percy nodded silently to him.

Before he left the hall, Dumbledore turned back to the students. "Oh, and i suppose you'll be needing these as well..."

With a casual flick of his wand, the four House tables few to the walls, and with another wave, the ground was littered with hundreds of squishy purple sleeping bags.

"Sleep well." said Dumbledore as he exited the hall. When the doors snapped shut behind him, the hall erupted into excited talk, as the Gryffindors went out of their way to explain what had happened.

"He's _in_ the castle?" asked Alice in a very squeaky voice. They had made their way through the crowd towards Harry. "_How_?"

"Oh you know, he left a note on how he did it on the ripped up portrait hole. Didn't you read it?" said Fred sarcastically. Alice punched him in the arm irritably.

"EVERYONE BE QUIET!" shouted Percy over the crowd. "Into your sleeping bags now! Lights out in ten minutes!"

"How are we supposed to have our extended Hogwarts slumber party now?" asked Fred. Evan shook his head in mock disappointment.

Percy raised an eyebrow to him as he walked towards them. "Stop fooling around or Dumbledore will get word of your _shenanigans_."

"_Ooh_," said Fred in false terror. "I'm so _scared_ of Mister Head Boy Percy, how will i ever survive against him, i shall never know!"

Percy huffed and stalked away. The Weasley Twins giggled a small distance away from him. "We've taught him so well, Freddie."

"You can say that again, George."

"Come on! Into your sleeping bags now or you'll get detention!" shouted Percy. With annoyed sighs, the students grabbed the sleeping bags.

"Do you think Black is still in the castle?" asked Sam anxiously as Percy started walking around the hall, stopping fights to where students wanted to sleep for the night. With her small frame, she barely took up half of the sleeping bag's capacity.

"Dumbledore obviously thinks he is." said Ron, looking up at the ceiling, which reflected the starry sky outside.

"It's lucky he picked tonight to this, isn't it?" asked Matthew, who was propped up on his shoulders. "He could have got any of us if it was any other night."

"He probably lost track of time, being on the run and all." added Fred, who was staring at Sam's deep blue hair. "If he knew it was Halloween, he would have just bursted into here instead, rather than going to an empty tower..."

Ina and Hermione both shuddered.

"How do you reckon he got in anyway?" asked Harry.

"He obviously disguised himself and walked in." said Evan, resting his head on his crossed arms behind his head.

"Or Apparated." added Matthew. "You know, appearing out of thin air-"

"Oh _honestly_," snapped Hermione. "Are Ina and i the only ones who bothered to actually read "Hogwarts, A History"?"

"It wouldn't be surprising if that was true." said Rose, who had taken the empty spot besides Zachary, who was blushing deeply. "Why do you ask?"

"Because this castle is protected more by just walls, you know." said Hermione. "There are all sorts of enchantments to stop people from entering on stealth. No one can just apparate whenever they please, there are spells to stop it, and i'd like to see a disguise that could fool the dementors, they're at every entrance of the school. Plus, Filch knows all the secrets passages to the school, there's no way he'd just sneak his way in..."

"I wouldn't count on that, Hermione." mumbled Fred. She didn't hear him.

"The lights are going out now!" shouted Percy. "I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more _talking_!"

"I wish he'd take his own advice." mumbled Rose. Harry stiffened a laugh as Percy shot an angry look at their direction before extinguishing all the light in the hall. The hall was left in darkness, the only light coming from the silvery ghosts as they filtered in and out of the hall, and the starry sky ceiling above them.

About every hour, a professor would walk into the hall to make sure everything was quiet. At about three in the morning, when most had fallen asleep, Dumbledore returned back to the hall. Percy, who was patrolling in between the rows of sleeping bags, telling people off for talking, was only a few feet away from Harry and the others. He pretended to be asleep as Dumbledore's steps drew nearer.

"Any sign of him, Professor?" asked Percy in a whisper.

"No. All well here?"

"More or less." said Percy, who had just stopped Fred and George from talking only a few minutes earlier.

"Very well. There's no point in moving them all know. We've got a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole. You'll be able to move them back in tomorrow."

"And the Fat Lady?"

"She was found on the second floor in the map of Argyllshire. She wouldn't let him through without the password, and he attacked. She's still very distressed, but once she calms down, i'll have Filch will restore her."

The doors creaked open once again and there were more footsteps. "Headmaster?" It was Snape. He sounded slightly annoyed from some reason.

Pushing himself up only slightly to free his other ear, Harry listened intently.

"The whole third floor has been searched. He's not there, nor is he in the dungeons."

"What about the Owlery? The Astronomy Tower? Professor Trelawney's room?"

"All searched."

"Very well, Severus. I really didn't expect Black to linger." said Dumbledore.

Harry opened his eyes the tiniest amount he could muster. He saw that Dumbledore had his back to him. Snape looked slightly ruffled, while Percy was trying his hardest to still be included in the conversation, which wasn't going nearly as well as he would hope.

"I'm sorry to have disrupted you," Dumbledore added. "I know it must be hard be away from your wife for such long periods at a time, it's quite an unfortunate circumstance that this had to happen tonight."

"Don't worry yourself about it, sir." said Snape. "Lily understands, she's agreed to come back again next week anyhow."

Someone gave a snort of laughter, following by a very loud "_Ow_!" They turned to see Evan rubbing his now reddened ear, his face wincing from stinging pain. For some odd reason, Fred had his face hidden in his sleeping bag. They turned back away from them. Percy's ears were turning red. Apparently he didn't imagine that Professor Snape actually had a personal life outside of the classroom. "Have you any theory as to how he could have gotten in?" asked Snape.

"Many, Severus. Each one more unlikely than as the next."

"It seems almost impossible that he could have gotten in so easily though..." said Snape, trailing off.

"Maybe he had help!" pipped in Percy. The two professors shot him surprised glances. "Possible an accomplice?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "Very unlikely. I do not believe that a single person in this castle would ever help Black enter it." His voice had a hint of warning in it. Percy went silent.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," said Dumbledore in a slightly aggravated voice. "I must go down to the dementors and inform them that our search is complete."

"But they want to help, sir?" asked Percy quietly, obviously forgetting to be quiet.

"Oh yes," said Dumbledore coldly. "But i'm afraid that no dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while i'm still headmaster."

With a turn of his heel, he left the hall. Looking slightly confused, Percy turned to check once again on the sleeping students. After watching Dumbleodre leave the hall, Snape, too, left.

When the door snapped shut behind him, Fred gave out an angry huff. "Evan, i'm going to hit you so hard when everyone gets up."

"I'd like to see you try." said Evan in a giggling whisper, still holding onto his ear.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I love Hufflepuffs so much, it's really kinda ridiculous. Also, implied sexy-times, always good. <strong>


	29. Werewolves

Rose awoke the next morning before most of the other students even attempted to open their eyes. Brushing her fringe out of her eyes, she noticed, possibly while they were both sound asleep, that Zachary had laid his hand on her own and had interlinked their fingers together. She smiled at his sleeping form. "You are too nice to me, Zach."

Maybe he had heard her, because when she looked out the hall's large glided windows at the rising sun, his pale face cracked into a small smile.

Slithering her hand out of his grasp and getting out of her sleeping bag, she took it upon herself to wake her brother up.

"Fred." she said, nudging him in the shoulder with her foot. "Wake up."

"-Five more minutes..." mumbled Fred, covering his head from the bright slivers of sunshine that was coming through the windows.

Rose nudged him in the arm roughly. "I said get up, we have class today."

Fred moaned in annoyance and his eyes fluttered open. He shifted his head out of the opening of the sleeping bag while he rubbed his eyes. He noticed that Evan was sleeping with his back to him. With a quick flick of his arm, he slapped Evan on the side of the head and went right back to rubbing his eyes, almost as if he didn't do it. Evan knew better than that.

"Oi-!" muttered Evan angrily, waking up abruptly and turning to look at Fred, rubbing his head. "What was that for?"

"I just remembered you laughing last night and i said i'd hit you when i got up. And i just got up." said Fred sleepily. Rose rolled her eyes and left to wake up some of the others.

"Urgh," mumbled Evan, rubbing the side of his head. "The one time you actually bother to not lie..."

"_I must not tell lies._" snorted Harry, his eyes closed but still obviously listening in on their conversation. "Isn't that right, Freddie?"

"You betcha." said Fred happily, stretching his arms.

* * *

><p>Whoever decided to let Sir Cadogan be the new guard of the Gryffindor Tower must have lost their marbles. Then again, none of the other paintings were up to the task, so with the limited choices, his portrait was put up by the time the Gryffindors got back to the tower once they got up.<p>

"Let us _through_." Matthew asked again, crossing his arms in annoyance. Cadogan has been changing the password to the Tower almost every hour, much to their displeasure. The other Gryffindors were getting restless, their classes wouldn't wait just for them, even if an over-energetic painting wasn't let them through to get their schoolbags and books.

"Ye' didn't say the password, ya' scurvy dog!" said the kooky knight, waving his over-long sword wildly.

George Weasley shook his head. "Now we'll miss Potions because of this."

"How will we _ever_ survive?" said Fred Weasley dramatically.

"Dunno, maybe we could go plant some Dungbombs on the Fifth Floor Corridor for Filch to find." shrugged George.

"A honorable substitution." said his twin happily.

* * *

><p>With barely enough time before the late bell rang to their fifth period lesson, the Gryffindors slipped into their Defence class.<p>

"Did we miss anything?" whispered Harry as he slipped into the empty seat between Ron and Hermione, who arrived to the class only a few minutes before himself.

"Lupin isn't even here yet." Ron whispered back. "I hope we don't go against that nasty Kappa of his again, it though i was a talking pumpkin."

"The joys of being a ginger." said Rose behind them. Ron nodded his head. "It's true."

The classroom door snapped open, but instead of Lupin walking in with his kind smile, Snape walked in, his face impassive and his robes billowing behind him as he walked towards the front of the room.

"Oh _dear_," whispered Sam. "Did you fail your Potions exam? He must obviously punishing you."

"That's impossible. He'd never fail her." whispered Ron under his breath.

"Sam, i'm going to _kill_ you." Rose mumbled. "You too, Ron."

"Fred won't like that at _all_." added Ina in an undertone. Rose stiffened a giggle as Sam's round face blushed pink.

Snape stood in front of the silent class with a slightly bored expression. "Who anyone like to tell me what's on the syllabus? Your professor has not left any proper outline for me-"

Harry raised his hand. "Yes Potter?"

"Sir, where's Professor Lupin?" Harry asked, trying his best to not to look disappointed that Lupin wasn't there.

"He is currently incapacitated at the moment. He'll be back in no time at all, i assure you." said Snape tonelessly. "Now, i'll ask again-"

Hermione's hand shot into the air.

"Yes Miss Granger?" said Snape, turning his attention to her.

"We're studding werewolves this lesson." said Hermione, staring determinably ahead.

Snape raised an eyebrow to her. "Are you? That seems a bit - _advanced_ for your class's level. But if you insist, open your books to page three-hundred and ninety four and read the introductory paragraph..."

The class gave confused glances to each other. Even they knew that wasn't actually the next lesson, seeing as the section dedicated to werewolves was near the very back of their books. But why would a professor ever doubt the top student of the year?

"Hermione, what are you-" asked Ron. He was cut off from an irritable wave of Hermione's hand.

"Now," said Snape after a few minutes of flipping through the textbook's pages. "Can anyone tell me the difference between an Animagus and a Werewolf...?"

* * *

><p>"Hermione, why did you say that?"<p>

"Say what?"

Harry looked at her in the eye as they walked down the corridor to down to their . "You know we weren't studying werewolves, why did you say we were?"

Hermione huffed. "Well, you told me about that _boy_ who was bugging Alice, and he said he was a '_werewolf_', right? I thought with someone who obviously had some knowledge in it might help us get some light on it. And we learned a lot about them didn't we?"

Yes, they did learn a lot about them, like how to spot the different between their snouts and that an Animagus was a wizard who could change their form into an animal at their own choice, while a werewolf could not. But that's wasn't the point. Even Hermione didn't just _lie_ to a professor on purpose.

"He said he wasn't a full one, though..." shrugged Harry.

"Full one or not, he claims to have Lycanthropy, and that's not something to take _lightly_." said Hermione matter-of-factly.

"Who has Lycanthropy?"

Fred Snape popped up behind them, squeezing between both of them and putting his long arms around their shoulders. "Do i need to divulge this _juicy_ gossip session to my father or what?"

"We're talking about that Haskell kid." said Harry.

"_Oh_," said Fred, a slightly hint of annoyance in his voice. "You mean that slimy git from Ravenclaw who wants to get with Alice?"

"The very same."

"I see." said Fred. "Don't go and say anything 'bout him around Al, though. Trust me."

"Why?" asked Hermione.

"She's been in a real foul mood about it." explained Fred. "He didn't rub her the right way and it's really irking her."

"You know," said Harry as they turned a corner. "For such a small girl, she really can get a bit _angry_ sometimes, doesn't she?"

"Eh, she gets it from our mum." shrugged Fred. "She can get really _snappy_."

"But she nevers get mad around Matthew though." added Hermione.

"Of course she doesn't," said Fred as if it was silliest thing that Hermione would ever say. "Why would she get mad at the guy that she's gonna marry?"

"Since when did they start going steady?" asked Harry, mildly interested.

"They're not _yet_." said Fred simply. "But i'm under the impression that if they _do_ get married that all the groomsmen will be wearing kilts."

"Because Matthew is Scottish?" asked Hermione with a tiny laugh. Fred nodded his head.

"_Ooh_, i hope i get a red one." said Harry happily.

Fred giggled. "Yeah, that colour would _lovely_ with your eyes."

* * *

><p>The last thing Harry remembered was falling off his broom with rain pounding onto his skull. Oliver would definitely not be happy with that, considering that the Golden Snitch was right in front of his face before a swarm of Dementors came too close. His head was full of the woman's screaming as someone with a cruel and high-pitched voice laughed at her attempts. But something clicked in his head before he blacked out, he knew who was hearing after all this time.<p>

It was his mum.

It must have been the night she died. Begging with Voldemort before he killed her, putting her life in front of Harry all those years ago. A raging sense of sadness filled him to the core.

Someone poked him in the face. "Wake up."

"Fred, honestly. Stop it."

"I'm just _trying_ to help. What are you doing besides looking like he's on his deathbed?"

Harry gave out a low moan and his eyes fluttered open. A group of assorted students hovered above him, either drenched in rain or mud (Which was the case for the Gryffindor Quidditch team.) He was on one of the hospital wing beds, sore all over.

"He lives!" said Fred Weasley as he patted Rose's brother on the back. "You've got a gift, Acid-Green."

Hermione rolled her eyes and bent down towards Harry. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah." said Harry, trying to push himself on the customs. George Wealsey pushed him back down with his muddy hand. "I wouldn't do that, mate."

"Yeah, you took one nasty fall." said his twin, equally as muddy looking. "How long was it again?"

"About a hundred feet at least." said Fred, wiping his dripping wet fringe out of his eyes. "Rose nearly fainted herself."

"I was _worried_." said Rose, her drenched face turning red from embarrassment.

"W-what happened after i blacked out?" asked Harry, shaking slightly. "All i rememebr was seeing the Dementors and falling... "

"Uh -" started Ron, who was standing next to Hermione. "You fell, -"

"Well _obviously_." said Fred Weasley sarcastically. Ron ignored him.

"But Dumbledore was there, because he made this giant mattress appear before you slammed into the ground." continued Hermione. "He's furious though. The Dementors weren't supposed to cross into the grounds and..."

"Did we win at least?" asked Harry. The Weasley Twins glanced at each other from the corners of their eyes. Fred shook his head mournfully.

Ron sighed. "You know that big one from Hufflepuff? Diggory?"

"Yeah."

"He caught the Snitch about a five seconds after you fell," he said quickly, as if it would hurt any less to hear if he sped it up. "But he didn't know what happened, so he begged for a re-match once he landed, but that was that and they technically won fairly..."

Harry flopped back onto his pillows with a groan. "How's Oliver taking it?"

"Badly." said George Weasley.

"_Really_ badly." said his twin.

"Sam says she saw Gabrielle running after him." added Fred. "Apparently she was trying to stop him from drowning himself in the showers."

Harry sighed. "Did anyone get my broom at least?"

They all gave each other tense looks. "Well?"

"Well, uh, after you fell, the wind kinda _caught_ your broom..." said Rose a bit awkwardly, looking down almost as if she was interested in the floor tiles.

"And?"

"And it sorta - flew into the Whomping Willow..." continued Ron. He turned his head towards the bed next to him, where what looked like a pile of broken wood sat wrapped roughly into a tartan blanket. Harry felt his stomach drop.

"Flitwick saved most of it, at least..." said George Weasley bracingly, though it wasn't too convincing to make Harry feel any better.

* * *

><p>Harry lingered after their last Defence class ended. He walked up to a very tired and warn-out looking Lupin's desk, who was grading what looked like a Second year's essay on Giant Spiders.<p>

Lupin looked up. "Yes Harry?"

"Sir, i was wondering..." said Harry, shifting his weight on his feet. "On the train here, you made some sort of _light_ appear that chased the Dementors away..."

"I did." said Lupin kindly, putting down his quill and giving his full attention to Harry.

"Well, i was thinking that maybe you could -uh - teach me - it." mumbled Harry. "Just in case the Dementors come back to see another Quidditch match, i mean."

Lupin considered him for a minute. "That could be arranged."

Harry mouth twisted into a grateful smile.

"But i'll warn you now, Harry." said Lupin seriously. "What i did on the train was very _advanced_ magic, you would most likely learn in it your Sixth year. Are you sure you want to learn it just now?"

"I want to protect myself." said Harry simply, trying to convey in voice that he really did desire the help that Lupin could give him.

Lupin gave a sad little smile. "Alright. We'll start lessons as soon as the Christmas holidays end."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "But, why after-?"

"It's my illness." said Lupin a little too quickly. "It pops up from time to time, unfortunately. But after some much needed rest, we'll start work on it, i promise."

"Thank you, professor." said Harry.

"Don't start thanking me before we accomplished anything, Harry." said Lupin kindly. Harry left the room feeling better than he had in weeks.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay, i relaize that this was a very heavy-Harry chapter, but i really will focus more on a different character besides him for the next chapter. (Probably Fred or something.)<strong>

**Anyway, the last bit of this reminds me of some Harry/Lupin fics i stumble upon and that wasn't my attention AT ALL.**

**Also, i totally thought up of some great bits for the _Goblet of Fire_ year. Oh it's gonna be _good_. **


	30. The Marauder's Map

Even the upcoming Christmas holidays didn't make Harry feel better.

He could barely practice Quidditch, seeing as his broom was in a million little pieces, his 'death' was being predicted almost every other day, and Lupin wouldn't be able to teach him his special Defence until the New Years came around. Not to mention he'd be the only Third Year left at school seeing as they had anotehr Hogsmeade trip the week before the holidays.

"We'll get you loads of just, promise." said Ron earnestly as he pulled his obscenely red woolen hat over his head that clashed with his hair.

"Uh huh."

"Honestly Harry, you're a _Gryffindor_ for goodness sakes, just forge the name." said Fred with a wave of his hand as if it was some trivial task that he did often, which wouldn't be that surprising considering that it was _him_ suggesting it in the first place. They were waiting next to the opening out to walk to Hogsmeade as the other students with permission came marching out of the castle through the thick snow.

Hermione looked offended at the considering look on Harry's face. "Don't do that!"

"What? Or have Rose sign it for you. Her writing looks like our dad's anyway." added Fred, readjusting his Slytherin-coloured scarf.

"Oh yes, because that would make _perfect_ sense, wouldn't it?" said Rose sarcastically, her hair poking out from under her brightly-coloured _Chullo_. _"Oh Mr. Potter,"_ she said in an off-scottish accent that made her sound like a girly version of Matthew_. "I see Professor Snape has signed your permission slip after the three months you didn't have it signed. Since when did he decide to adopt you? I always remembered him saying that Frederick always wanted a brother."_

"Don't call me _Frederick, _Rose, _that's_ my grandfather." said Fred seriously as Rose rolled her eyes and muttered, _'We're related, you berk.' _under her breath.

"Also, not only did you just insult McGonagall with your _dreadful_ imitation of her voice, you also just said that you'd be against having sweet little Harry here as our adopted brother. And that, Rose, offends me greatly." said Fred in mock concern, crossing his arms over his chest.

Rose narrowed her eyes. "Are you stupid?"

"I resent that." said Fred, pointing to Rose. He bent his head towards Harry and said, "I'd let you share my room."

"I appreciate the offer." said Harry, trying to stiffened his grin from Rose. "But i think for the time being i'll stick it out with dear ol' Dairy."

Ron giggled. "You call your cousin '_Dairy_'?"

"Darius, Dairy. It's the same thing." shrugged Harry. His eyes lingered over at some of the groups of students who were making their way through the snow down the pathway to the village. "You better get going, everyone will be back by the time you get there at this rate."

Hermione frowned slightly. "We'll stay here if you want, we really don't need to go." The others nodded in agreement.

"No, really, i'll be fine." said Harry. "I'll get some of my staggering amount of homework done or something."

"Oh, that's a good idea.," said Ina under her thick scarf, which made her voice sound muffled. "You're _way_ behind."

"Thank you for reminding me." said Harry sarcastically.

After their goodbyes, they left for Hogsmeade, leaving Harry standing there with the Snape twins at his sides.

Fred patted Harry on the back as the last bit of Sam's scarf disappeared from view. "Nice cover there, Harry. 'Doing homework'," He giggled. "As if."

Alice raised her eyebrows. "You're _not_ going to do your assignments?"

"Oh _honestly_, it's Christmas, no one does _homework_." said Fred as if that was the silliest thing he ever heard.

"Well you two _lack_ behind then," said Alice, bringing herself to her full height, which wasn't that impressive as she barely made it past Harry's shoulders. "_I'm_ going to the library."

"Why? So you can be ready for your Seventh year by the time the rest of us finished figuring out how to maintain Mandrakes?" snorted Fred.

"No," said Alice, her voice annoyed. "I'm studying with Matthew."

"Ooh, really?" giggled Fred. "You realise that he's in his at least two years above you in his studies, right? Or are you two practising snogging spells?"

"For your _information_," snapped Alice as her face blushed dark pink. "He's helping me with Transfiguration."

"Yeah," laughed Harry. "You're having troubles with your transfigured heart, aren't you?"

"Frederick, you have _way_ too much influence on Harry." snapped Alice with bored eyes. With a quick turn on her heel, she stalked back to the castle, her black hair catching the falling snowflakes.

Harry sighed as Alice disappeared back into the castle, looking at the pathway towards Hogsmeade with a longing expression on his face. Fred frowned slightly until an _genius_ idea popped into his head.

"Oh Harry," he said happily. "I know just what will cheer you up."

Harry turned to him. "Do you?"

"Trust me, you'll _love_ it." said Fred. "Come on, i'll show you." He lead their away from the path, and, for some reason, walked towards the Owlery, causing Harry to be slightly suspicious as to what he'd show him.

"Why can't you just showed me it back there?" he asked as he stomped though the snow.

"Because it's not meant for unworthy eyes." said Fred dramatically.

They walked into the opening of Owlery, which was covered in discarded feathers.

"So...?" asked Harry, slightly anxious as they walked into the slightly darkened tower.

Fred looked over his shoulders, as to make sure no one else was there. He then put his hand into his pocket and shuffled it around for a few short moments before pulling out what looked like an old piece of folded up parchment. "Happy Christmas." he said, holding it out to Harry.

Harry grabbed it, confused, and with raised eyebrows. "You got me a spare piece of parchment?"

"'_A spare piece of parchment'_ he says." repeated Fred, shaking his head and sounding offended. "Harry, i'm shocked, really."

"Well, it _is_ a spare piece of parchment." said Harry as if it he was pointing out the obvious.

"Open it." said Fred, waving his hand towards it. Harry obliged. Upon opening, he still saw nothing particularly special about it. "Nothing."

"Yeah, for now." said Fred. He took out his wand. "Now, watch _this_."

He tapped his wand on the piece of parchment and said, full and clear, _"I solemnly swear i'm up to no good!" _

Almost as if his wand was dispensing ink, the parchment filled with images and letters, causing Harry's eyes to widened.

"_Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present.." _read Harry aloud, looking at the bold letters that crossed the top of the parchment.

_"The Marauder's Map!" _said Fred happily, throwing his arms out for effect. "Four great men, if do say so myself. Look around."

Harry's eyes flowed around the map, looking for god knows what. To his surprise, there were many tiny dots labeled with names of the students and professors moving about.

'Wait..." said Harry as he watched one dot labled "Ginny Weasley" walking around the library. "Is this showing...?"

"Everyone." said Fred with a smile. "Every minute of every _single_ day."

"_Brilliant_." breathed Harry, astonished, "How you get this?" he blurted out.

"Good question." said Fred with a tinge of pride in his voice. "Good ol' Fred and George sent it to me back in _your_ First year for Christmas."

"Did they?" said Harry with a slight laugh in his voice. "And how they pull that off with your mother around?"

"Oh, i wasn't easy." said Fred, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "I got one nasty telling off from my mum when she figured that i'd be their little project-"

"Like you'd ever _not_ take up the chance to be their heir to all things mischief, right?" said Harry.

"A fool wouldn't take up that opportunity. Anyway, she wasn't happy at _all_." said Fred happily. "But she didn't know that i sent up a system that the owls they sent _only_ came to my bedroom window with any new letters from them."

"So simple, yet so brilliant." said Harry with a smile. "Why are you giving this to me though? Don't you still need it?"

Fred shrugged. "I've been studying it for nearly the past three years, i know every corner of this castle by now, besides Filch and Fred and George. You, on the other hand, do not. This is where the map comes in."

Fred pointed a thin finger to one corner of the map. "Look here, where does it lead?"

He pointed to a corridor labeled 'One-Eyed Witch Passage", which had a line running off the parchment. Harry shook his head, indicating that he didn't know.

"That tunnel," explained Fred. "Leads you to directly into Honeydukes cellar."

"Wait, as in _Hogsmeades'_ Honeydukes?" asked Harry. "You're joking..."

"Like i would _ever_ joke about something as amazing as that!" said Fred in fake shock.

"Blimey," said Harry. 'Thank you so much."

"Don't mention it." said Fred. "But just do one thing for me."

"Anything." said Harry.

"When you get to Hogsmeade, flick Evan in the ear for me." said Fred, putting his hands into his pockets. "You have that invisibility cloak, right? Just sneak up on him and jab him for me."

"Are you _still_ mad that he laughed at your dad's - uh - _insinuation_?" giggled Harry.

"Hey, they could have been working on _finally_ getting me a little brother, i do not take that lightly." said Fred seriously.

"Tell me this, why do you want a little brother so much anyway?" asked Harry, folding the map and putting it in his pocket.

Fred shrugged. "I have two _lovely_ sisters who i can't exactly just hang out with, it would be neat to have a little Alexander Snape running around."

Harry raised his eyebrow. "You _already_ name him?"

"You didn't really think i'd let Rose or Alice name my possible little brother, did you?" said Fred. "They'd name him something stupid like Finley or Callum."

"_Aw_," said Harry in fake disappointment. "'Finley Snape' had _such_ a nice ring to it too."

"Shut up." said Fred with a suppressed laugh.

Harry thanked Fred again and left towards the castle.

"And remember!" shouted Fred as Harry dashed towards the corner. "Make sure to say '_Mischief Managed'_ when you're done, or anyone could read it!"

* * *

><p>"What should we get 'em?" asked Sam, her eyes darting through the set of lollies that were deep red in colour.<p>

"Urgh, not _Blood Pops_." said Rose with a scrunched up nose. "Those are for vampires."

"No then." said Sam, darting her eyes up at the sign that hanged over them reading "Unusual Tastes." Honeydukes was as crowded as ever, packed with students getting sweets before they were all gone.

"I think we're in the wrong section for this." muttered Ron, looking at a set of blocks that looked like they were made of different types of fertilizer.

"Maybe you should find something that's actually edible." said a very familiar voice behind them.

They jumped and spun around to see a beaming Harry at them. "What? I'm not a fan of O-type."

Ron mouth hung open. "How'd you-?'

Harry waved his hand. "I'll tell you later."

Just as he said that, Evan and Ina came squeezing through the crowd. Evan was holding his ear with his face slightly pink.

"Someone slapped me in the ear!" he said angrily. "I didn't see 'em though, but i think i have some curse going against me right now and i just know it's Fred's fault, the lovable little bastard."

He noticed that Harry was standing next to Ron, who still looked slightly bewildered. "Hey Harry, when did you get here?"

"About the same time your ear got hit." said Harry quickly. "Anything i should get while i'm here?" he said, trying to keep Evan from connecting two and two together.

"Uh, there's some Jelly Slugs here that i really like, and Fizzing Whizzbees, and Pepper Imps..." said Evan, still rubbing his stinging ear. "Hell, just buy everything, i'd definitely eat everything here if i could."

"He likes candy." said Ina, her brown eyes calculating Harry.

"Will do." said Harry happily. "Care to give me the grand tour then?"

"Most certainly." said Evan, stepping next to him. "Come on, Ron, you know this place just as well as i do."

* * *

><p>"So how'd you get here?" asked Rose.<p>

Harry turned around, a long Jelly Slug hanging out of his mouth and the December snow falling gently around them as they walked through the village. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh come on," said Rose with her hands on her hips. "No less than two hours ago we were promising to bring you back gifts, and now you're _here_. Did you sneak out?"

"You could say that." said Harry with a grin.

"Did you use your Invisibility cloak?" asked Sam.

"Sorta."

"How'd you sneak past the dementors though?" asked Hermione. "They're guarding every entrance..."

"I have my ways." said Harry.

"That sounds like something Fred would say." said Rose, tighting her scarf. Harry just smiled.

Realisation dawned over Rose. "He gave you that secret map, _didn't_ he?"

"Secret map?" asked Hermione, looking at Rose and back to Harry. "What secret map?"

Rose huffed. "_Frederick_ has - i mean _had_ - some map from the Ron's wonderful brothers that shows you the whole castle and everyone in it."

"Wait," said Ron. "They have a magic map and gave it to _Fred_? Why didn't they give it to me? I'm their _brother_!"

"Don't be silly, Ron." said Hermione seriously. "Harry's turning it in as soon as he gets back to the castle, right?"

"Are you mental?" said Harry in shock. "No way!"

"But that's breaking a whole handful of school rules!" said Ina. "Is it really worth sneaking out when you could just be safe at Hogwarts?"

"Plus, you still have Black out for you, you're putting yourself in danger." said Hermione, her voice getting slightly higher.

"Honestly, you act like i'm purposely searching for him." said Harry with a shake of his head. "I'm not that dumb."

"You _aren't_ dumb, you're just _impulsive_." said Rose, her face turning a pale red from the cold.

"Would any of you care to buy me a drink?" said Harry, trying to change the subject as the reached the Three Broomsticks.

"_Fine_, i'll pay." said Ina briskly. "But don't go ordering the most expensive thing on the menu, my parents will _kill_ me."

"_Aw_," said Ron, pouting. "I wanted to gold-encrusted goblet to go with my Butterbeer."


	31. Godfather

With his feet propped up and hanging over the sides of the dark leather sofa, Fred noticed Rose and her fiends slipping back into the Slytherin common room and walking towards the fireplace.

"Ah," he said happily, lowering his Charms book to look at them. "Did you have a nice day?"

"Oh yes, it was _lovely_." said Rose with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "It was even lovelier when Harry magically popped out of nowhere."

"Did he really?" asked Fred, adjusting himself so he was sitting straight up. "How did he manage to pull that one off?"

In unison, the three girls cocked one of their eyebrows at him. Sam even shook her head at him.

Fred stiffened his laughter, "Okay _fine_, you caught me red-handed." he said, fighting back a grin and putting his hands up in fake surrender. "But you have to admit, it was _my_ map and i'll give it to whoever i want. What are you gonna do now? Send me Azkaban?"

"Oh no, of course not." said Rose, walking up to him and bringing herself to her full height, which, like Alice, wasn't nearly as impressive as she would hope seeing as Fred was almost a full head taller than her already. "You, however, get to live with the guilt of what Harry just happened to _overhear_ today."

Fred's smile flattened. "What do you mean?"

Rose sighed, rubbing her eye in annoyance. "If i tell you, will you promise not to blab about it to everyone?"

"I promise on our mother's grave." said Fred seriously.

"Don't say that around dad." retorted Rose. "Now sit down, we'll tell you."

Showing one of the few instances that he'd actually follow Rose's requests, Fred sat down on one of the leather sofas. Sam went and sat next to him as Rose and Ina sat across from them from the other sofa.

"So?" asked Fred after a very silent moment. "What happened?"

Rose sighed. "Where do you think we should start?"

"Go from after Evan left to go back to the castle," said Ina. "Somehow, he got a nice jab to the ear and he doesn't know how." Fred smirked despite himself.

"Right," said Rose, noticing the triumphant look on Fred's face and rolling her eyes. "Well, as you must have guessed, we were very surprised to find Harry in our company, seeing as he never _did_ turn in his permission slip. So, you can imagine that since Alice has told me about your little map awhile ago that we put two and two together."

"How very clever of you," said Fred a monotone voice. "You should have been in Ravenclaw with your brains."

"Don't get sarcastic with me. Anyway, we decided to take Harry to the Three Broomsticks after we showed him around the village for a bit, and we were having a good time until McGonagall, Flitwick, and Hagrid decided to show up."

"I see nothing wrong in that." said Fred tonelessly.

"Well, it doesn't exactly look good to be caught by your Head of House when you weren't supposed to be in the first place!" snapped Rose, her face tinged with a pale red colour.

"Fine, you have a point there," said Fred grudgingly. "Go on."

"Yeah well, they also happened to be with the _Minister of Magic_," said Rose seriously, putting emphasis on "Minister of Magic", causing Fred's dark brows to go upwards. "And for some good reason, they decided to sit at the table next to ours."

"You should have bought them drinks, then they'd too of their rockers to realise that Harry was there." shrugged Fred.

"That's not the point, it's what they started _talking_ about is what got him." whipsered Ina in a serious tone.

"Then what was it?" asked Fred in a mocking whisper. "And why are we whispering?"

"Stop trying to change the subject, Frederick!" snapped Rose dangerously. "We had to hide Harry under the table under they left, and well..." her words drifted off.

"They started talking about Sirius Black..." said Sam uncertainly. Fred looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "So?"

"_So_," said Ina. "They started talking about his years at Hogwarts."

"Oh so maybe he was good at Herbology, who cares?" said Fred.

"Harry would care," said Rose with contracted brows. "Black was best friends with his dad."

There was a moment of silence following Rose's words. Fred's face, which was usually some sort of mocking or amused expression, changed to a shocked one mixed with a slight hint of fear. "W-what?"

"You heard me," said Rose. "They were best friends. We should have guessed, after seeing how shocked mum and dad were when the muggle newsreader showed his wanted picture on the telly..."

"Wait," interrupted Fred. "Isn't there more to this? Why would Black break out of Azkaban just because he was friends with his dad?"

"We were getting to that," said Ina. "Rose, continue please."

"Thank you," said Rose politely to Ina, bowing slightly. Fred rolled his eyes at their silly girl customs. "As i was saying, they stared chatting about how Black got arrested in the first place. Apparently, he sold Harry's parents out to You-Know-Who."

Fred's eyes widened. "You're joking."

"I wish i was," said Rose mournfully. 'What's even worst is that Black was such good friends with them that they named his Godfather."

Fred's thin shoulders slumped slightly. "Blimey..."

"And just to add fuel to the fire," continued Rose. "He killed one of their other friends too."

"Not to mention about twelve muggles." added Sam.

"Which friend?" asked Fred.

"Some tag-along friend they had, i think his name was Peter-"

"Pettigrew." added Ina. "I remembered the name."

"That's it," said Rose. "Anyway, they said he was crying when he found out what happened and Black sorta-" Rose made expanding move with her hand. "Made the whole street they were on explode."

"All they found was a finger," said Sam quietly. "They covered up the story by saying it was a gas leak or something."

Almost out of instinct to protect her, Fred grabbed Sam's hand, which upon realising what he had done he quickly let go and mumbled, "Sorry."

Rose smirked slightly at Fred's blushing face. "How - uh - did Harry react to this?" asked Fred, trying to get his face to get back to his normal pale shade.

"He reacted like anyone else would if they found out some lunatic who helped kill their parents was out on the hunt for them," said Ina quickly. "He vowed to avenge them."

"Meaning?"

"He's going to kill Black." said Rose simply. "And good riddance. If anyone needs to have their revenge, it's Harry."

"You can say that again." said Fred with a shake of his head.

* * *

><p>Hatred boiled in Harry's chest.<p>

Had he known that Sirius Black was after him, he would have been more careful. But now after what he had learned, why bother? He wanted to be caught, so he could finally be faced-to-face with him and take away what Black what he took from his parents and their friends: Life.

Harry turned onto his side on his four-poster bed, lifting himself up and going to the trunk at the end of it and shuffling through the contents quietly as to not wake the other sleeping Gryffindors in his dorm. Finally, he found what he had been looking for: An old photo album that Rose had given to him during their last week of First year.

Harry situated himself back on his bed and with a quick "_Lumos_", his wand tip was alit and he started flipping through the album's pages.

He turned to one page in particular. It was his parents, beaming up at him from the picture frame in their wedding attire, arm and arm with each other and never looking happier. Even the alit wand couldn't properly show the vividness of his mother's fire-like hair or the dark green eyes he had inherited from her. Then he saw him.

Harry hadn't noticed Sirius in the picture before, but now he could perfectly see that this was the man who was out to kill him. Of course, he looked much better in this old picture than the wanted posters portrayed him. In the picture, his face was filled out and handsome, his grey eyes still sparkling with life and his hair wasn't the wild, tangled mess than it was now. Like his parents, he was smiling up at him.

_Had he been working for Voldemort at this time?_ Harry thought to himself. Did he know that he had sealed the smiling couple's fate that were standing next to him, treating him like a friend when he was selling them out, leading to their eventually deaths? The picture itself was such had a powerful effect on Harry by itself, seeing as he would never know the parents that he had lost so long ago, but seeing that this man, this _traitor_, standing next to them. pretending they were _friends_, filled him with new-found rage, one he never knew that his body could ever harness.

"I'll kill him." whispered Harry in the dark. "No one can stop me."

Ron gave a loud snore in his sleep. Harry took that as Ron's own subconscious sound of encouragement.

* * *

><p>"You're not going to do anything rash, are you?" asked Rose in a quiet voice. She had her trunk and Athena's owl cage next to her as she got ready to go home on the Hogwarts Express. Fred and Alice waited at the end of the corridor for her.<p>

"Of course not," snapped Harry, leaning against on of the school's stone walls. "Why would i?"

"Because i care about you, and i don't think you notice that you're a bit _impulsive,_" said Rose. "I just don't want you to get yourself into more trouble than you can handle."

Harry stared at her in the eye. "I promise that i'll try to control myself."

"Thank you." Rose breathed. She hugged him and when they separated she said, "Try to stay safe, okay?"

Harry smiled slightly. "Honestly Rose, why would i go looking for someone who's trying to kill me?"

The ends of Rose's mouth twitched and she spun around and grabbed her luggage, walking quickly towards her younger siblings.

"Did you give him a goodbye kiss?" giggled Fred as she walked to them.

"No," snapped Rose, her face blushing red. "I was justing asking him to be safe."

"Rose," said Alice seriously. "He's a full-bred _Gryffindor_, do you really think he'll just give up just like that?"

Rose frowned slightly. "No, but it was worth a try at least."

"That's the spirit." said Fred happily. With a smile on his face, Almost out of thin air, he pulled out the bright red fez that the Weasley Twins had given him that previous summer and put it on his head.

Rose's eye bulged slightly. "How'd you find that?"

"Who wants to know?" asked Fred. "Did you hide it?"

"_Maybe_." said Rose with her eyelids lowering halfway down her eyes.

"Ah, well," said Fred, adjusting the fez on top of his black hair. "I think my inner Hufflepuff is coming out."

"And how is that?" asked Alice, looking up at her twin.

"Because i _found_ it despite Rose's futile efforts to hide it!" said Fred giggling. "Ain't it grand?"

"You know," said Rose with a bored expression on her face. "Sometimes i wonder how we're related to each other."

"Well," said Fred, clapping his hands together. "When a mummy and a daddy really love each other-"

"_Okay_," said Alice quickly, pushing herself up on her toes and slapping her hand over Fred's mouth. "_Your'e_ done talking."

"Worfph if." said Fred behind her hand.

* * *

><p>Maybe life just hates Harry.<p>

First, he learns that Sirius Black is his Godfather and is out to kill him, then he learns that Hagrid is almost certainly going to lose his Hippogriff Buckbeak's case against the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. The one bright light was that some anonymous gift-giver had given harry a Firebolt, the fastest broom known to witch or wizard, for Christmas. Of course, even he couldn't enjoy that for long as Hermione reported it to McGonagall, saying that it "might be jinxed by Back", and now his best gift he had ever received was gone.

At least he got a drawing from Rose.

Harry was always a fan for Rose's artwork, seeing as she was one of the few artists that Hogwarts possessed, and she was up there with the best of them, if not the best one. Of course, that was just Harry's opinion.

The one she had left for him was one he particularly liked. It was of him and Ron doing what Rose interpreted as their magical car ride to Hogwarts from the previous year, which included a very annoyed looking Hedwig in the backseat of the flying car and Harry dangling out of the passenger's seat as they sped over the Hogwarts Express. How she was able to produce with such accuracy was astounding. Ron, on the other hand, got a joke picture. It was based off the picture that appeared in Daily Prophet after they won their thousand galleons prize money. This picture included Mr. and Mrs. Weasley in the foreground, smiling and the imaginary camera as their children fooled around in the background, which had Percy being chased by a deranged-looking mummy and the Weasley Twins laughing at him from the doorway of an open tomb. Rose's artistic interpretations Ginny and Ron were chasing Ron's pet rat across the sand as their older brothers, Bill and Charlie (he could not tell which was which, seeing as he had never met them before) were trying to stop the mummy from chasing their younger brother, especially since twins were just laughing their heads off at his expense.

"Oh, she made me look so handsome." said Fred Weasley happily, looking at the picture held in Ron's hands.

"But she made _me_ look better." said George Weasley matter-of-factly.

Fred looked down at Harry. "Any news on the Firebolt yet?"

"No." said Harry mournfully.

"Damn," said George, slapping his hand against the back of the chair that Ron sat on. "Oliver will lose it when he finds out."

"Not unless he loses it over the holidays." said his twin.

"What do you mean?" asked George, raising an eyebrow to his twin.

"Oliver is spending the holidays at Gabrielle's." said Fred with a surpressed giggle.

"_Ooh_," said George with a snigger. "He's meeting the parents!"

"Oh _honestly_," said Hermione from the chair nearest the fire, looking at the large Potions book and elaborate drawing of Crookshanks that Rose had left for her. "You act like they're going to get married by the end of the year."

"Hermione, you're killing our _dreams_." said George in fake sadness.

"We must leave before she kills our dreams even more." said his twin dramatically. They threw one arm around each other's shoulders and stalked out of the common room and out to the corridor beyond.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: The Weasley picture is based off an idea that Boomy really needs to draw. <strong>


	32. Back at Home

Severus glanced around his office with half-lidded eyes. He must take Lily's advice, it was much too dark in there, maybe a few more candles here and there for some added light. He shrugged his shoulders and turned on his heel, facing the large ornate fireplace on one of the stone walls. He pulled out a tiny stringed bag from the inside pocket of his robes and pulled out a small handful of ordinary looking powder. With a casual flick of his wrist, he threw the powder into the fireplace and it bursted into bright green flames.

* * *

><p>Lily heard someone coughing from the sitting room. She pulled her shawl tightly around her shoulders and carefully tip-toed to look past the doorway to see Severus coughing and brushing Floo powder of his dark robes.<p>

"Sev!" said Lily happily, striding across the floor and towards Severus. She put her arms around his chest as she got close enough. "What are you doing here?"

Severus brushed his shoulder, flicking the last of the powder off himself. "What? I can't just randomly drop off at my own home for no apparent reason?"

Lily cocked an eyebrow at him. "_Fine_," said Severus, acting as though she had begged him to spill important information. "I was missing you."

She smiled. "You were?"

"Of course i was," said Severus in a prideful voice. "I always miss you. If i didn't have to support you four, i'd be here all day just to be with you."

"And you would rather teach your best subject in school than be anything less." said Lily matter-of-factly.

"Yes, that too."

"Funny you say that," said Lily, arching her back so she was looking up at him more directly. "If all goes according to plan, we can have more time to be together by next year."

"Are you still thinking about being the new Muggles Studies professor then?" asked Severus with a tiny smile on his face. 'You're more than qualified..."

"You think so?" laughed Lily. "You should see what i'd have to teach them then."

"Would you care to share?" asked Severus, twirling one of his long fingers around one of her curls.

"You really want to see?" asked Lily with a slight smile. Severus nodded.

"Oh, sit down and i'll go get it!" said Lily happily. She let go of him and walked out of the room. Severus watched her graceful form as it left and as soon as she was gone, her put his hands in his pockets and sat down on the sofa.

Lily bounced back into the room a few minutes later, carrying what looked like scrapbook, which included what Severus assumed was actual photographs torn out of magazines.

She gingerly sat down next to him and delicately placed the book on Severus's lap. With Severus's eyes darting around the decorated "Muggle Studies!" title on the front cover, Lily said, "Well, have a look!"

Following Lily's instructions, Severus put a finger under the thick cover and pushed it opened and flipped through the pages.

Severus had to admit, she must have put an awful lot of thought into this, seeing as every possible lesson was outlined, dotted, and accompanied by pictures of what the students would be learning.

"'_Life as a Muggle'_, _'The uses of Oil and Electricity in their world_',..." read Severus aloud. "Oh, is this a muggle entertainment section?"

"I thought it would be something fun for them to study at the end of the year." shrugged Lily. "You know, one year it would start out with Muggle literature, then the next one would be Muggle music, Television the next year, and Movies to wrap it up for their last year."

"Very interesting." said Severus, nodding. "Though if you ever do teach a certain muggle _television_ _series_ in your Sixth year classes, Frederick would absolutely _have_ to be in your class."

"Because he wouldn't be in it anyway?" giggled Lily.

"Oh most certainly." smiled Severus. "But if that _show_ was involved, you can guarantee that he'd hop on the chance to get an easy 'Outstanding' grade, don't you think?"

"True." agreed Lily. "Speaking of Frederick, he isn't getting into any more trouble, is he?"

"No more than usual." said Severus nonchalantly, flipping to the next page that was plastered with pictures of fashion models. "Is this for the female students or will you just be entertaining the boys with these?"

"Oh ha ha, very funny." said Lily, shutting the book and taking it from Severus's grasp, putting it on the small table on the end of the sofa. "The girls are just fine, i expect?"

"But of course," said Severus with a wave of his hand, readjusting himself so he was laying on the sofa, his head resting on the armrest. "They've always had a better sense of what's right and wrong than Frederick has."

Lily made a tiny humming sound in her throat in agreement and scooted her way back towards Severus. She adjusted herself so she was on top of him and out her arms around his neck. "Are you happy?"

"Of course i am, why wouldn't i?" asked Severus, slightly bemused at her question.

Lily put her forehead on Severus's. "So if you had the choice, you wouldn't change a single thing?"

Severus looked at her straight in the eye. He saw that he was reflected back in their green depths and the ends of his mouth twitched. It was times like this he fought back the urge to pinch himself, seeing as he almost thought it was some wild dream that this woman was with him, the mother of his - no, _their_- children. Out of all the boys who chased after her in the past, she chose _him_. This was his wife. His mouth twisted into a wide smile. "I wouldn't chance a single thing, except maybe the drapes in the washroom."

Lily smiled and placed a kiss on his nose. "You're too good to me, Sev." She placed another one on his cheek. "And for your information, i like those drapes."

"I know," said Severus. "You picked them."

Lily giggled, placing one more light kiss on his lips and putting her face on Severus's chest. They stayed like that for a few calm moments.

"So, what should we do with our extra free time?" asked Severus finally, brushing his fingers through Lily's vivid hair.

"Read me a story." said Lily, rubbing her hand on his chest.

Severus looked down. "Any preference?"

"Mmm, pick one from the pile." hummed Lily, pointing her finger at the stack of books that rested on the end table near Severus' head. He took his right arm and picked up the one on the top.

"So," said Severus, reading the title of the book. "Are you ready to hear a story about how an eight-year old girl not only killed two witches with not just her house but a bucket of water? She also finds out that the one of two other powerful magic rulers in the story is actually a fraud and the other travels in a bubble."

"_Oooh_, '_The Wizard of Oz?'_" asked Lily, looking up at him. "I think that will be the first book we study..."

"Well, you have my full support for it." said Severus, flipping open the book. He flipped to one page that showed a picture of a very angry looking, skinny witch with a long nose and a pointy black hat. Despite its black and white tone, Severus knew that going by the movie's colouring that she was supposed to be green. "You know, i don't get why they dislike her so much. If anyone actually bothered to get to know her, they'd probably realise that she's just misunderstood, it can't be easy being _green_..."

"If that's true," said Lily, her eyes closed and her head resting against Severus' chest as it slowly rose and fell with each breath. "Then she'd remind me of you."

"You think so?" asked Severus, flipping back to the starting page of the story.

"Oh yes," said Lily. "Everyone thinks she's some awful person because she's intimidating and wears black all the time and that she's more powerful than everyone else, even the Wizard. If what you say is true, than she's like you, misunderstood for foolish reasons. There's a whole past that we don't know about her. For all we know she was abused as child for her skin colour."

"Then maybe there was someone who actually saw the goodness in her, beyond the labels and her skin," said Severus, brushing his hand against Lily's cheek.

Lily smiled. "Yeah, maybe like the Scarecrow."

"The _Scarecrow_?" asked Severus, laughing slightly. "Where'd you get that from?"

"Hey, just because he didn't have brain doesn't mean he didn't have a heart." said Lily. "It would be very sweet."

"And tragic, if you think about it." added Severus. "She did _die_ after all..."

"Not necessarily." said Lily.

Severus raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

Lily shrugged. "They never looked for her body. For all we know she slipped down a trapdoor in the floor and hid until they left."

"That would be too easy." said Severus.

"Yes, but it would be a very good twist ending." grinned Lily.

"I love the way you think." said Severus, placing a kiss on her forehead.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: A little purely Snily chapter because we needed a break from the kids for a bit. Also the "Oz" references are linked to one of my favorite fanfics at the moment: http : /www. fanfiction .net /s /7335488 /1/ Defying_Gravity (Remove the links! Boomy you get way too many fanfics written for you!)**


	33. Patronus

It didn't seem like something Rose should find cute, but Harry explaining his lessons with Lupin made him look like an excited child who was in deep rambling about difference between Captain Britain and Captain America.

_'Wait,'_ thought Rose._ 'Why am i thinking about that? Note to self: Stop reading Fred's comics when you have nothing else to do.'_

"-It's amazing though!" said Harry in an exuberant voice in one of the early weeks of February. "All you do is think of something really brillant and then-" He waved his hand almost looking like he was forming an invisible rainbow in front of him.

"Well isn't there an incantation to go with it?" asked Rose. She didn't reckon that Harry would somehow be able to do non-verbal spells before he even knew how to properly turn a mouse invisible.

"Of course," said Harry. "It's _'Expecto Patronum'_. But that's not what i found interesting. Lupin says that once you get the hang of it, it actually takes the shape of something!"

"Like what? A weapon?" asked Rose. She got the oddest mental image of Harry facing a Dementor with a ghostly white cricket bat, trying to whack it away.

"No, nothing like that." said Harry as they turned down the Charms corridor. "Lupin said it'd turn into a certain animal, depending on our personality. Until then it's just a kind of...blob, i guess."

Rose thought for a moment. "You know, i think i saw my dad's patronus once."

"Did you really?" said Harry, putting his hands into the pockets of his robe. "Do you remember what it looked like?"

"I think it was a bird." said Rose, her brow furrowed in concentration. "I might have to confirm this with Alice, but if i remember correctly he'd make it fly around the room when we were younger to entertain us. Of course, we didn't know it was any sort of patronus then, we were only six or something at the time. When are you supposed to be able to make a Patronus anyway?" she added.

"Well, Lupin said that it's N.E.W.T. level magic," said Harry uncertainly. "But he has the full confidence in me, so i'm thankful at least."

As they walked, they saw Hermione stalking past them, her hair looking more bushy than usual and looking very tired. She was clinging onto a massive stack of books and was muttering slightly under her breath, not even noticing the two of them.

"She needs to lighten up her class load." said Harry, watching her quickly turn the corner. "I don't know how she gets from one class to another, especially since about four of them are at the same time..."

"What do you mean 'At the same time?'" asked Rose, her eyebrow raised.

"Well, either her schedule is _way_ off or she's somehow taking Charms and Ancient Runes simultaneously." shrugged Harry. "Weird, isn't it?"

"Very." said Rose.

* * *

><p>"-It's actually pretty amazing, he's by far more advanced than any thirteen year-old should be!" said Lupin happily. He and Severus were in the teacher's lounge talking. Severus leaned against one wall fiddling with his sleeve as Lupin discussed his lessons with Harry.<p>

"Has it taken any form yet?" asked Severus politely, trying to pull her sleeve over the top of his hand.

"No, not yet." said Lupin. "It's still incorporeal. But he's showing progress, i can tell you that."

"Excellent." muttered Severus. Lupin frowned as Severus pulled against his sleeve again. 'What are you doing?"

"_Lily_," said Severus pointedly, still pulling on his sleeve. "Got the great idea to tattoo me while i was sleeping, and i'm trying to cover it up."

Lupin raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you were a heavy sleeper..."

"I didn't either until i woke up with her masterpiece on me." said Severus.

Lupin smiled slightly. "What'd she draw on you?"

"Oh nothing." mumbled Severus. "She _wrote_ on me."

"Did she now?" laughed Lupin. With almost wolf-like reflexes, he grabbed Severus's sleeve and yanked it away from his hand. He giggled at what Lily wrote in her curvy writing on Severus's left hand. "'_The Wicked love the Brainless'?_ What does that mean?" asked Lupin, pointing to the black-inked heart on Severus's hand.

Severus pouted, obviously annoyed at Lupin's quick reflexes and yanked his sleeve back down. "We were talking about_ the Wizard of Oz_, and she thought about how misunderstood the Witch was and that someone _must_ have liked her, somehow she got the Scarecrow from that."

Lupin shrugged. "It's not unlikely i suppose, you aren't exactly born wicked, are you? She must have had at least a few good qualities."

"Since when did you watch Muggle movies?" asked Severus, trying not to smirk.

"Sometimes i get bored and i need to entertain myself when my Godfather duties aren't needed." said Lupin, his hands on his hips in a feminine way, which made Severus suppress a giggle.

"Anyway, you can't _tell_ if you like someone unless you get to really _know_ them, right?" said Lupin, rolling his eyes as he took his hands off his hips.

Severus stayed quiet as Lupin said, "It's almost like you and James, if you think about it."

Severus cocked an eyebrow at him. Lupin shook his head. "Even after all this time, you still reckon that you two still ended as enemies?"

"I don't think we _ended_ like that," said Severus smartly. "I just think we weren't as chummy as you think."

Lupin sighed. "_Honestly_, is this you Slytherin stubborness coming out again?"

"Mostly."

Lupin sighed. "You both spent the last two years at Hogwarts in each other's company, you both attended each other's _weddings_, you were both waiting for each other when you had your _kids_. Hell, you even _babysat_ for each other when you went out with your wives! Do you really think they're isn't some sort of friendship behind that?"

The ends of Severus's mouth twitched at the memories that he thought of when Lupin said that. "I suppose so... But some, uh, _bad_ memories came back a few years ago..."

"How so?" asked Lupin.

"Well, it probably wasn't my best intentions, but i was a bit, how do i say this, _harsh_ to Harry back in his first year..." said Severus uncertainly. "He looks so much like him you know, and it had been so long since i'd seen either of them, it came mostly as shock, it brought make some uncomfortable memories, and i was too mean to him, even by my standards..."

"Understandable." said Lupin bracingly after a few silent moments. "I can get that, really." he said, looking at Severus's puzzled face. "You went through so much of our taunting that after years of suppressing them, the initial shock of seeing and being in the presence of someone who reminds you of what happened must have been a bit hard."

"But after actually being around him for the short time i was," muttered Severus. "James wasn't really _all_ that bad, i was just being foolish, i suppose. I never meant to single his son out like i did though..."

Lupin placed a reassuring shoulder on Severus's shoulder. "I just want you to know, even though James and Peter are gone, we'll always be truly sorry for what we did. Honest. Harry's a good kid, he'd understand. Though, i doubt it looks too "cool" to be chummy with a professor, now is it?"

Severus smiled slightly as Lupin took his hand off his shoulder. "Rose helped convince me to be nicer to him as well you know, them being friends and all..." he said.

"Well thank goodness for her." said Lupin. "She has her mother's heart, that's for sure."

They were silent for a few minutes.

"What do think they went, Mary and James?" asked Severus quietly.

"What do you mean?" asked Lupin, his voice bemused.

"I mean after their deaths, you think they're watching us right now, making sure we don't say anything bad about them?"

Lupin gave a small smile. "I wouldn't be surprised if James was. He always wanted to make sure anyone he generally enjoyed thought of him equally-"

"If not better." added Severus. Lupin have a short laugh. "Yes, i suppose so."

Lupin smirked slightly as a very funny memory came into his mind. "Remember that one time he kissed you at the Christmas party back in '79?"

"Hey, he was drunk and i just _happened_ to be standing under the mistletoe," said Severus quickly, flushing a pale shade of pink. "I wasn't _asking_ for it."

"Didn't he think you were Sirius or something?" asked Lupin, holding back laughter.

"Oh _yes_," said Severus, looking almost annoyed. "He asked, "Oh Padfoot, what happened to your nose?" Then he hugged me and almost blacked out on me."

"It was a good party at least." said Lupin, giggling.

* * *

><p>Matthew sat on one of the cushy chairs near the Gryffindor fireplace, trying to write his Potions essay but he couldn't focus. Not like he'd get a good grade on it anyway, he was rubbish at Potions. The Weasley Twins were talking about something on the sofa opposite of him, probably talking about some new prank they were going to teach Fred later that week, but he didn't pay attention to that either.<p>

A lingering feeling stayed in the pit of his stomach, making him confused. Maybe he had the stomach flu.

No, he had _that_ feeling before, remembering the one time his older brother, Michael, had put live worms into his soup one day when he was 11. This was _different_.

The feeling started only a few weeks ago, just before Christmas holidays when Alice asked him for some help with Transfiguration.

"I'm dead awful at it." she said, looking up at him. Considering both his slightly taller-than-average height and what Fred called her _"midget-gene"_, he had to bend his neck down to see her while she craned her slender neck upwards. "So, can you help?"

"Like tutor you?" smiled Matthew. "Sure, why not. When should we start?"

Alice bit her lip. 'Well, i know i want to get at least a little practice in before we have to go home, because i know with _Frederick_ around that i'd never get the proper silence to focus properly..."

"So, get one practice session done and start up again once the new term starts?" asked Matthew, his gloved hands in the pockets of his Gryffindor robes.

"Yeah. Let's do that." said Alice, nodding in agreement.

"How about we meet in the Library then?" shrugged Matthew. "It's quiet enough for what you need, unless someone sets a bomb off in the place."

Alice giggled. "I like it. Can we met up on Tuesday? Most of the others will be at Hogsmeade anyway, it'll be all quiet in there, prefect conditions for, uh, _tutoring_."

"I'll be looking forward to it." smiled Matthew, his greenish-blue eyes twinkling.

"It's a date then." said Alice nonchalantly.

Matthew blushed pink as Alice thanked him in advance and walked away, her dark curls bouncing behind her with her Slytherin scarf blowing along with it.

Their tutoring lessons didn't help at all.

"Transfiguration is like Charms," whispered Matthew. Madam Pince was in a bad mood, seeing as a few older Hufflepuffs thought it would _actually_ be funny to set off a small, hand-made bomb near the Magical Defence section. Trying to stay off her bad side, Matthew and Alice moved to the Invisibility section and tried to be as quiet as possible.

"The main gist of Transfiguration is concentration, the right wand movements, and the proper pronunciation of an incantation." continued Matthew. "Though it's a hell of a lot tougher than Charms is, unfortunately."

Alice frowned slightly. "I get a Potions Master for father and a Charms expert for a mother, where can Transfiguration play into that?"

Matthew shrugged. "Dunno, but it's pretty useful."

He sighed, another maddening thought ebbing away at him again. "Not to get off topic here, but do you reckon what our parents do determines what we do?"

Alice lowered her wand, which she was using to trying to turn a small twig into a quill. "No, i don't think so. Why?"

"Well, my dad is a Quidditch _legend_ and here i am, not even on my own House Team and i can barely pass Potions as it is." huffed Matthew.

Alice raised an eyebrow at him. "Your dad is a Quidditch legend? Since when?"

Matthew pouted. "You don't keep up with sports, do you?"

"I can't say that i can, that's more of Fred's thing. " shrugged Alice. "Elaborate."

"He's the ex-Captain of the Montrose Magpies," explained Matthew. "He retired after i was born because he wanted to spend more time with his family, and the bludgers to the head were getting a bit tedious..."

"Anyway, when i first got here i kept getting requests to join the Gryffindor Quidditch team even before they actually saw me fly on a broom." said Matthew. "It would have been a great story too. The youngest son of a Quidditch star, following his father's footsteps, being in his house and being a renowned Quidditch hero like him..."

"Well, why didn't you?" asked Alice. Harry was made Seeker when he was only 11, it didn't sound impossible.

"My mum wants me to focus more on my schoolwork than sports," said Matthew, sounding disappointed. "And i can't even try out or my mum will be on my tail. Out of all the people my dad's been against and he can't go against his own wife. I reckon she wants me to be more like my brother, he's a Curse-Breaker."

"Oh," said Alice. "Sorry."

"It's no big deal." said Matthew, twirling his wand in-between his fingers. "I struck a deal with her a while ago though. If i pass my O.W.L.S next year i can _finally_ try out for the team."

"Really?" Alice smiled. "You'd make a great addition."

"You think so?" sniggered Matthew. "Even though you've never seen me fly before either?"

"_Please_, i can tell if someone's good or not," said Alice pridefully. "And by the looks of you, you're as graceful as a gazelle on a broom."

"Oh thank you." said Matthew, giggling. "I always imgined myself more as a sort of dog, but if you insist, Matthew the Gazelle it is!"

Alice tried to keep a straight face but bursted into feverish giggles. Seeing her laugh made Matthew follow her example and he joined in, completely forgetting to keep quiet.

There was loud _WHACK_! and they stopped abruptly, looking up to see a very mad looking Madam Pince staring at them.

"Will you two keep quiet _please_?" she snapped. She looked at Alice with narrowed eyes. "Your _brother_ is looking for you."

"What for?" asked Alice, blushing red from being caught.

"Something about making sure you packed to return home." said Pince irritably. "I suggest you go find him again, he looks bored."

Knowing that Frederick being bored meant he'd start pulling outlandish pranks, Alice gave a sidelong glance to Matthew and said, "Oh, right."

She got up and collected her things quickly. Seeing that she was going to leave, Pince stalked away from them, still looking like the over-large, angry vulture that she was.

While wrapping her scarf over her neck she whispered, "First day back from the hols for the next lesson, okay?"

Matthew, looking disappointed, nodded. "Okay."

"Thanks again for trying to help." said Alice. She bent down and quickly pecked him on the cheek. "Unless we don't see each other before we leave, Happy Christmas Matt."

She turned and half-ran out of the Invisibility section, leaving Matthew sitting on the ground, his face looking dumbstruck and his hand lingering on the warm spot that was left right where Alice kissed him on his cheek.

His heart gave a flip in his ribcage. A warm feeling filled his entire being from head to toe.

Did Professor Snape read minds? If he did, Matthew better learn how to hide his thoughts from him from now on, because he was certain that the Head of Slytherin wouldn't be too happy with what he would find in Matthew's head now.

The same thoughts flittered through Matthew's mind since that day.

_'Does she like me?'_

_'What if i asked her out, would i have to ask her father beforehand or risk getting my head snapped off?'_

_'Can Snape snap heads off?'_

_'He probably could.'_

'_What if he said okay, but she doesn't?'_

No, that's silly, Professor Snape would rather tango with Dumbledore while in the woman's clothes than let an oblivious, Potions-menace Gryffindor like him go with _his_ daughter, why would he?

_'What am i doing?'_ Matthew asked himself over and over again. He didn't stand a chance with her, especially not with such an overprotective father like her's teaching at the bloody school they went to!

_"Your cat has it out for Scabbers!"_

Matthew snapped out of thought to see Hermione and Ron arguing, both faces very red. Harry stood by the portrait hole, looking embarrassed.

"He's a cat, it's in his nature!" retorted Hermione, her hair frizzing with electricity.

"Not _again_." moaned George Weasley. "Can they ever go one day without fighting?"

"I don't think they'd be able to sleep without doing that, Georgie." said Fred Weasley, craning his neck to look at them. As he faced them, Ron and Hermione both huffed angrily, turned on their heels from each other and climbed the two separate stairs up to their dormitories, not caring that the whole common room was watching them all the while. The slams of the wooden doors ringed in the other Gryffindors' ears after a few awkward moments.

"10 galleons says they're getting married someday." snickered George.

"Oh, you're on." his twin smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: It's been too long since i've updated this.<strong>

**Anyway, obviously the whole Severus talking nice about James is out-of-character for him in CANON, but seeing as in this story that he obviously gets the happiness he _deserves_ that there wouldn't be the whole bitterness towards James and that they at least got to know each other and they'd at least be _nicer_ to each other. Plus, as much as i don't really _enjoy_ James, i really hate seeing Snily fics where they make James out to be some serial lunatic. I just want Severus and James as bros, okay?**

**Also, i'm not sure where the whole "Drunk!James kissing Severus" thing came from but it made me giggle like mad. **


	34. Flying Mud

**AN: I'm summarising the whole OH SIRIUS BLACK SNUCK IN AGAIN and the whole Gryffindor winning the Quidditch Cup because i'm lazy and tired and you know how it is.**

* * *

><p><em>Dear Mum, <em>

_As i'm sure you've heard from Dad or read from Alice (i'm would include Frederick in this but i'm sure that he's spending his time making up new fireworks with his friends than write any sort of letter), Hogwarts is under some major stress right now. Where do i start to explain?_

_Oh i know, that idiot painting Cadogan let Sirius Black (who somehow got into Hogwarts again and somehow got away again) in the Gryffindor Tower and almost slashed Ron Weasley to death (You remember him, right? The Weasley's youngest son? Hates spiders? That's him.) Anyway, turns out that Neville, who you haven't met but i can say now is probably the shyest kid i've ever met just happens to have an awful memory and he sorta, well, wrote Cadogan's ever-changing passwords down on a sheet of paper for safe-keeping. He didn't keep it safe obviously, seeing as Cadogan being the "wonderful" guard he is let a deranged murderer with Neville's lost passwords in a Tower full of kids! They did a whole other search on the school and didn't find him anywhere (Frederick reckons that he can turn into a bug and sneak in whenever he wants! Silly, isn't it? Then again, this is Fred we're talking about.) At least they got the Fat Lady back, they seem way happier about it, by what i can tell. _

_Anyway, what else is there? Oh! They had another Quidditch match and some gits (or as some like to call them, Malfoy and his cronies) dressed up as Dementors and tried to scare Harry off his broom! Dad was furious, as you can probably guess. They don't have a very good streak with him if you couldn't tell by now. I swear, sometimes i wonder how i'm in the same house with them. Frederick keeps complaining about how Gryffindor gets all the excitement though. Honestly, after that whole Chamber of Secrets fiasco from last year, i doubt our House needs anymore more negative attention._

_I think that's it for now. Give some whisker kisses to Eoywn for me! Love you._

_- Rose._

_(P.S., Apparently Alice is getting rather close to a certain Gryffindor. Dad isn't very pleased about it. I don't see why though, it reminds me of you and him actually!)_

Rose looked over her letter and after determining it suitable for her mother, sealed it and walked into the Owlery. She looked up from the dried droppings on the ground to see Athena snoozing up near the rafters.

"Oh Athena!" said Rose in an almost sing-song voice. "I have a delivery for you!"

Athena opened her gem-like green eyes and looked down at Rose. She craned her neck slightly in what looked like she was cracking her neck and spread her wings and flew down towards Rose. She landed near her neatly on one window ledge, adjusting herself to look presentable.

"Did you have a good nap?" asked Rose happily, stepping over to the owl. Athena clicked her beak in response and Rose smiled. "Try not to get side-tracked again, okay?"

Athena snapped the letter out of her hands and batted her heavy brow at Rose. "Don't give me that look," said Rose, putting her hands on her hips. "Did you really think i wouldn't notice the toucan feathers that just happened to be in yours?"

Athena huffed at her. "Yes i know," said Rose. "Even birds get lonely sometimes. At least _i_ actually give you something to do, look at poor Sarah, she doesn't do a thing!"

Rose waved her hand towards Fred tiny owl on the opposite side of the Owlery. Given Fred's apparent lack of the desire to write to their mum and how tiny Sarah was, it was no surprise that most of her time was spent hoping to do something to no avail. Athena clicked her beak again and Rose said, "Well, you know it's true."

With one last glance at Rose, Athena flapped her wings and flew out the Owlery window with Rose's letter clutched in her sharp beak. Once she was no more than a tiny brown spot in the sky, Rose turned around and walked towards Sarah. "Fred's a right git, isn't he? Not giving you anything to do."

Rose rubbed Sarah's feathery head and she tweeted in response. "At-least you don't have to be _related_ to him. If he didn't look just like Dad i'd think they got the wrong baby back at the hospital."

Rose pondered for a moment, still rubbing Sarah's head with her finger. "I wonder is there are Ultra-sounds in the Wizarding World, would they move? I bet mum would have one if they did, i can guess that Alice and Frederick were probably fighting in the womb."

"Oh _damnit_!" said Rose suddenly, snapping her hand down onto her thigh, which made Sarah jump slightly. "I should have asked that in my letter!"

* * *

><p>Harry crunched the small shards of fallen leaves under his feet, the muddy ground staining his shoes. Given Scabbers mysteriously disappearing, any chance of Ron and Hermione reconciling were next to non-existent. Scratch that, they <em>were<em> non-existent. Another Hogsmeade trip rolled around and Hermione refused to go with Harry, seeing as he wouldn't just drop Ron for her and she refused to be in his company when he kept on accusing her cat of eating his rat. She was off with Ina in the village, probably getting some new Quills for the Final exams in three months as Harry went to look for Ron. He was going to see whatever the "Shrieking Shack" was, which Ron said was the "scariest place in all of Britain." Harry doubted it, seeing as he already faced Voldemort twice and his ancestor's giant snake within the last two years, but he was still interested in seeing it nonetheless.

Harry walked near the edge of the forest surrounding Hogsmeade, which by what Harry could tell was Ron waiting for him and looking towards a raggedy looking dump of a building just outside where he was, Harry guessed that must have been the Shack in question. Harry quickened his speed before a cold bit of laughter made him stop.

Harry turned to see Draco and his numskull goons walking over towards where Ron was, evil grins plastered on their faces. Harry quickly took out his Invisibility Cloak and ducked behind a tall tree, watching.

"Well look who it is!" said Draco happily, his dark coat flapping slightly in the mid-April wind.

Ron turned to look to see who spoke and sneered upon seeing that it was _him_. "What do you want Malfoy?"

"Oh _nothing_," said Draco. "I'm just wondering what _you're_ doing here. Looking at the Shack, eh? Is it gonna be you and Granger's new dream home?"

Ron's ears blushed red. "N-no."

"Where is she anyway?" asked Draco, smirking at Ron's apparent embarrassment. "I heard you two are having a row. So unfortunate. Without her help, you'll surely be kicked out of Hogwarts for your _awful_ marks. Good thing she's got the brains, isn't it? It's not like that Mudblood has anything else going for her-"

Ron's face clenched up in fury as he whipped out his wand and pointed it towards Malfoy. Crabbe and Goyle brought themselves to their full heights and flexed their muscles threatening as Draco smirked again with Ron's wand pointing at his face. "What are you gonna do, Weaselbee? Fling mud at me?"

That's precisely what happened. Or at least that's what Harry did.

Hidden under his Cloak, Harry grabbed a handful of muddy ground and threw it directly at Malfoy, hitting him squarely in the side of his pale face. Draco staggered as Crabbe and Goyle looked around for the source of the flying mud. Ron started laughing like mad when Harry grabbed even more handfuls of mud and threw them at all three of the Slytherins.

Harry briefly felt his head poke out of the Cloak before he pushed it back over himself. He threw more at more mud at them before Crabbe and Goyle started staggering out of the area. Draco pushed himself up as one last mud pile to the face. Ron was holding a stitch in his side form laughing so hard as Draco sneered at him. For a wild moment, Harry thought Draco looked at him directly through his Cloak, almost as if he knew he was there and smiled slightly before departing after his friends.

"Harry, that was brilliant!" said Ron, fighting back his laughter as Harry took his Cloak off.

"I try my best." smiled Harry.

* * *

><p>Snape walked down a corridor, humming slightly to himself as he was lost in a memory of Lily in her wedding dress when Draco skidded around the corner in front of him, snapping him out of thought.<p>

Snape crinkled his nose at the blond Slytherin who was covered in mud walked towards him quickly, his face angry. "Good lord, i sent you to help Filch _clean_ up the castle, not get yourself dirty."

Draco patted his hair covered in dried mud down in frustration. "Potter was in Hogsmeade, sir! He was hideen or something and starting throwing mud at us!"

Draco went on and on as Snape impassively stared him. Draco finished sometime later and waited for his Head of House's response to the foolishness.

"Pray tell, Mafloy," said Snape finally, crossing his arms and looking down his hooked nose at him. "I understand that your intentions are up to the most _honourable_ circumstances, but if i remember correctly, you _and_ your friends not supposed to be at Hogsmeade either, am i right?"

Draco's expectant smile to his accustomed favouritism flattered. "But sir, i can explain-"

"By all means, do explain," said Snape coldly. "Because i can see how Potter being at Hogsmeade could be a problem, seeing as he has no permission to be there as it is, but i don't see how you somehow got out of your punishment. Can you explain that?"

Draco stammered, obviously dumbstruck as an anger group of tiny Second-year girls turned the corner. "Professor Snape!"

"Oh jolly," said Snape sarcastically as the girls walked over towards him. The one leading the pack, a Hufflepuff girl with shoulder-length, light blond hair stopped in front of the black-caped professor.

"What the hell are you do-" whispered Draco from the side of his mouth. The small girl put her finger up to silence Draco.

"Yes Miss Whitney?" asked Snape, looking down at her.

"We have to complain about _your_ student," she said, pointing towards an offended looking Draco. "He tricked us!"

Snape raised an eyebrow and looked at Draco. "Did he?"

"Yes, he did." she snapped, her face red. "He promised us gifts from Hogsmeade if we distracted Filch for him but he never told us why he wanted us to in teh first place!"

"Filch was mad." said one of the girls, this one with dark hair.

"We kept on throwing stuff around and he was chasing us with a broom." said one girl in pigtails.

"It wasn't worth it." said another. "So we came to complain to you."

"And he just happened to be here, so why not?" said the pigtails girl.

"Why are you covered in mud?" asked one with olive skin, looking at Draco with mid-disgust.

"That's hardly the point," said Snape. "Thank you for tell me about this, i'll talk to Filch to make sure none of you are punished for Malfoy's tricks."

The girls smiled at that and thanked him. With a mocking expressions at Draco, they left.

"Oh dear," said Snape as the group of girls left. "What to do with you now? Another week of detention perhaps?"

Draco frowned. "Do whatever you want, professor, but i will have my father hear about this and he won't be pleased-"

"Yes, because just _that_ intimidated by your father, Malfoy." said Snape dully. "Don't kid yourself here. Just take your punishment like any other student would. Just remember now that you caused this for yourself."

Snape turned on his heel from a stunned looking Draco. "Also," said Snape as he walked away. "Despite whatever fashion magazines your mother reads, mud does not work for your complexion, please clean yourself off."

* * *

><p>"Does it feel nice?"<p>

"It sure does."

"Really nice?"

"More than anything."

"Will you tell your kids about it?"

"Positively."

Harry looked at the Quidditch Cup lovingly, an engraved GRYFFINDOR shinning off it. Of course Gryffindor would win after Oliver's maniac leadership through the whole year. That and the snogging session he got from Gabrielle in front of the whole packed Gryffindor common room must have been a nice "Congrats on Winning!" for Oliver.

Fred looked at the cup pouting slightly. "Slytherin never wins."

"Not even," said Harry, taking his eyes off the cup finally. "You guys had a seven-year streak!"

"Yeah, before _you_ got here," said Fred. "You're their lucky charm."

"Ooh, i like that title." smiled Harry. Ron and Hermione walked by near them, Hermione looking at the more off than normal. After a teary letter of Hagrid that Buckbeak was going to be executed, it seemed that Scabbers being gone was something silly to end a friendship over. They reconciled almost overnight.

"Is she okay?" asked Fred, turning to look at they passed. Even from a distance they could see heavy bags under her brown eyes.

"Not really," said Harry. "I think her load of classes is getting to her."

"Ross told me that she punched Malfoy," said Fred, smiling. "Is it true?"

"Yeah, it is," said Harry. "But who's Ross?"

"That's my nickname for Rose." shrugged Fred.

"Your nickname for her is a boy's name?" asked Harry, stifling a giggle.

"Oh yeah," said Fred, looking proud of himself. "Everyone i know has a reverse gender nickname. Like you're Harriet,-"

"Oh thank you." said Harry, smiling.

"And Ron is Romilda,"

"Nice."

"Hermione is Herman,"

"I don't think she'll like that one."

"I don't think so either," said Fred. "But i have more, the only one i can't do is Sam."

"And why's that?" asked Harry.

"Unisex name." said Fred. "It's not nearly as funny as it could be."

"What a shame." said Harry, shaking his head.

"I know!" said Fred. "It's taking the few joys of my life away!"

"I thought everything makes you happy." said Harry.

"Oh right." said Fred, grinning at him. After a few moments, he asked, "How's the map holding up?"

Harry frowned. "Uh..."

He gulped. "It got taken away."

"What?" said Fred, his eyes wide. "Who took it?"

"Lupin." mumbled Harry. "Malfoy saw me at Hogsmeade and he told your dad and then he told Lupin and... Well you know."

"Damn," said Fred. "The one time you get caught, will he ever give it back to you?"

"I don't think so," said Harry, sounding disappointed. "I reckon the map is broken."

"Broken?" asked Fred, astonished. "The map can't break."

"Yeah it can." said Harry. "The charms are wearing off."

"No way_,_" said Fred, waving his hand as if that information was an irksome fly. "That's impossible."

"Then how did it show before i had it taken away from Lupin that "Peter Pettigrew" was in the castle?"

"Peter Pettigrew? I think i've heard of hi before..." said Fred, his brown knotted in thought.

"Black killed himtwelve years ago," said Harry bitterly. "How in the hell could a dead man appear on the map?"

Fred frowned. He didn't know.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm going to finish this year tomorrow, i promise. <strong>


	35. Elvendork

**AN: I'm cutting out Dumbledore for half of the time he's in it because I'M LAZY. **

* * *

><p>"SCABBERS! GET BACK HERE!"<p>

"And Ronald though he was eaten! Honestly!" huffed Hermione. She chased after Ron as he raced after his once-again escaped rat, the June sun getting lower and lower into the sky. Why Scabbers was hiding in Hagrid's milk jug for so long they probably wouldn't know, but seeing as the Ministry of Magic executioner (whom was named Macnair), the Minister of Magic, and for some reason, Dumbledore, watched over Buckbeak's execution with Hagrid, Scabbers slinkled out of Ron's grasp and ran away from him, hence the situation now.

Ron slammed onto the ground, only yards away from the Whomping Willow. "Ah ha!" he said triumphantly. "Gotcha!"

Scabbers squirmed in Ron's hands. "Scabbers, come on, stop fighting me-" said Ron, trying to control his rat. Hermione and Harry finally reached him, a little windblown due to all the run away Ron. As they tried to catch their breath, something gave out a low growl.

Harry turned to see what made the noise and his heart skipped a beat. "H-Hermione..."

"What Harry?" she said, turning around. She stopped mid-sentence as she saw what Harry was looking at. A large, shaggy, black dog stared at them, its eyes bright and yellow and his teeth bared. Oddly, Crookshanks was right next to him, sitting like a statue.

"Oh really Harry," said Hermione impatiently, seeing Harry's frightened expression. "You don't really think that's a Grim, do you? Trelawney is a fraud and you know it!"

"Yes i know," snapped Harry. "We all saw you stomp out of the classroom last month."

"Well why are you all worked up about?"

Harry was going to say that earlier that day during his Divination exam that Trelawney went all glassy-eyed and made what Harry assumed was a full-fledge, legitimate prediction about Voldemort's most loyal servant returning to him tonight and that he would return, but he never got to say it as the dog suddenly jumped over them. Hermione screamed, pulling her and Harry down to the ground. Harry tasted grass and dirt in his mouth as he heard Ron scream from behind them.

He pushed himself up to see the giant dog dragged Ron by the leg towards the Whomping Willow. "HELP!" yelled Ron, still gripping Scabbers and his face scrunched up in pain. They pushed themselves up and started running as him as he dragged away, but before they knew it, the dog was actually dragging him under the tree.

"What the-?" said Hermione, astonished as the dog and Ron disappeared from sight. She tried to get closer but one of the tree's many large branches whooshed in front of her, making her jump backwards and Harry holding her arms to keep her from falling.

"We have to get him." said Harry in a stressed voice, keeping Hermione in balance.

"Yes, i know." said Hermione. "But how do we get in? This tree won't let us through!"

Surprisingly, Crookshanks slinked under her legs and walked towards the tree. "Crookshanks! Don't-!" said Hermione, loosening herself from Harry's grasp and trying to reach for her cat. Another tree branch snapped her back as the bow-legged cat walked towards it. He reached the base of the tree and put his ginger paw on a knot in the tree.

The violent tree, almost as if put under a Stunning spell, seized up and was frozen like any other tree.

"How did he-?" asked Hermione, looked impressed at what her cat did.

"Who cares," said Harry, grabbing Hermione's sleeve. "Come on!"

* * *

><p>"Severus, are you there?"<p>

Snape turned around as Lupin walked towards him, his lined face worried. "What is it?"

"Peter isn't dead." said Lupin suddenly, his voice hinted with a mixture of fear and suppressed anger.

Snape's eyebrows contacted in surprise. "Remus, i know he was your friend back at school but he's been dead for _years_-"

"He's - not - _dead_." said Lupin slowly and seriously. "Look."

Lupin took out an unfolded piece of parchment, which oddly looked like a map full of black dots. "Merlin's beard Remus, what the hell is this?" asked Snape, looking annoyed.

"It's the Marauder's Map," said Lupin, "We got it taken away in Fifth year, if you must ask," he added quickly, noticing Snape's questioning expression. "But i saw that Harry had this and i know that i helped make this thing and i saw Peter on it! Harry said he did as well"

"But that's impossible," said Snape, "Everyone knows Black killed him all those years ago-"

"I know, but did they ever find a body?" asked Lupin.

Snape frowned. "You know they didn't, all they found was finger..."

"Exactly." said Lupin.

"So?" said Snape, getting annoyed that Lupin wasn't properly explaining what he was trying to say.

"_So_," explained Lupin. "I don't see how we didn't notice before! Don't you remember what he turned into when he was in his Animagus form?"

"A rat," said Snape, a small memory of James turning into a Stag some twelve years ago for both Rose and Harry's entrainment on one of Lily and Mary's many arranged play dates playing in his head. "But i don't see how that has anything to do-"

"And where did that explosion happen when Voldemort was defended?" said Lupin, cutting Snape off.

Snape said, "A sewer."

"And what lives in sewers?"

Snape's dark eyes stared at him blankly. "Rats do."

"And you don't think that in the midst of their "fight" that our dear ol' Peter might have, oh i don't know, _faked_ his death?" said Lupin, his face full of rage.

"But that's crazy, why would he do that?" asked Snape, not really believing what he was hearing. "He was on our side, wasn't he?"

"I doubt that now," said Lupin bitterly. "Remember how odd he was acting before James' and Mary's deaths? He was all on edge and no one knew _why_, and only a few of us actually knew where they were hiding, unless_..._"

Lupin looked at him with wide eyes. "Unless Black wasn't their Secret-Keeper!"

"Now really Remus," said Snape, looking all the more bewildered at their conversation. "Black was James's best friend, of course he'd go to grave for them-"

"I know, but what if it was too obvious that Black would be the Secret-Keeper, so they went with the least likely one out of all of us?" said Remus, trying to put two and two together.

"But that would mean Peter would have..." Snape trailed off. 'You don't think he'd sell them off to _Him_, do you?"

"It was dark times, we didn't know whether we'd wake up the next day or not," said Lupin. "I wouldn't be surprised if Peter happily gave them away!"

"Well i don't know how we can prove any of this," said Snape sharply. "We don't have any idea where he is. He could be long gone by now."

"I wouldn't say that," said Lupin, a slightly satisfied smile on his face. He pointed at the map. "He's on the grounds, Sirius is too."

Snape huffed. "So you're suggesting that we go find our supposedly not-dead friend who, by what i'm assuming, made another friend spend twelve years in Azkaban under false charges?" said Snape, impressed by Lupin's sudden burst of action.

"The very same. Plus, we could get the actual details, couldn't we?" said Lupin. "If what i think what happened is true, Sirius is innocent, we could help get his name cleared!"

"I'm impressed by your courageousness, Remus." said Snape.

"Come on," said Lupin. "We need to have a bit of a class reunion..."

* * *

><p>Harry followed Hermione's lit wand. Why was there a tunnel under the Whomping Willow for?<p>

"This place is disgusting." whispered Hermione as they reached a shadowy hallway, picking strands of broken twigs off her hair. Crawling under a tree wasn't as fun as one would like to think.

"Let's go, they must be in there..." said Harry. Hermione gulped and she lead them down. They reached a door which was hanging off its hinges. Hermione pushed open the door and they walked in.

"Ron!" she said, seeing Ron crouched in one corner, Scabbers in one hand and his other clutched to his leg. His face was red from pain. Harry followed, his wand held in case the dog showed up again.

"Ron, are you alright?" said Hermione anxiously, walking over to Ron and crouching down to his level.

"You have to _go_." said Ron through clenched teeth.

"What?" said Hermione, her brows contracted in bewilderment. "We came to get you. Come on-"

"No," said Ron in a strained whisper, trying to push Hermione's hand off his shoulder. "_Go_, the dog is still here, but it's not a dog! It's Black, he's an Animagus-!"

"Now really Ron," said Hermione. "Why Sirius Black be here-?"

The loose door snapped shut, sending an terrified shiver down their backs. Harry started to turn, his wand at the ready and hoping what he thought was behind wasn't really there. He turned completely and his stomach boiled with rage.

He'd seen his WANTED posters enough to tell that the tall, skeletal man with a grizzled beard and a wild mass of dark hair was _him_. The man who led his parents to their deaths. _His_ loyal servant.

"I've been dying to meet you." said Sirius Black, his voice hoarse from twelve years of not using it properly.

"_You_," said Harry angrily, his wand shaking in his hand. "You-"

"Me." said Sirius happily. He grinned his yellowing teeth at him. Some of his former handsome looks shined through his gaunt face, though not very much.

"You killed them!" yelled Harry. Hermione and Ron screamed, "NO!" as Harry pounced at Black, who didn't out up any sort of fight, and pushed him to the ground. Harry hovered on top of him, his wand pointing directly at him, right between eyes.

"Are you going to kill me Harry?" said Sirius, his voice tinted with a mocking tone.

Harry's eyes widened. What was he doing? He was a scrawny, glasses-wearing thirteen year old who nearly faints whenever a Dementor got near him. How in the world would he literally _kill_ a full grown wizard?

Then again, he didn't care.

"You'll pay for what you did." said Harry, his eyes full of hatred, making his wand hand steady.

For the first time, Sirius looked terrified, looking up at Harry. "Please, hear me out, don't be rash-" he pleaded, his hollowed out eyes worried.

"Don't beg with me!" snapped Harry. "You kill them. My parents are dead because of you!"

Sirius's mouth flattered downwards. "I know, i _know_..."

"They're gone," said Harry slowly, looking at him with great loathing. "And you're getting what you deserve!" said Harry angrily. He started to move his lips when a familar voice yelled, "_EXPELLIARMUS_!"

Harry's wand flew out his hand and bounced against the wall behind him. He turned towards the door to see Lupin standing there, his wand pointing at him. Oddly enough, Snape was right behind him, looking over his shoulder with an impassive expression on his face.

"Get off him, Harry. We'll take care of this." said Lupin. He shooed Harry off of Sirius, his wand still held tightly in his hand.

"Bloody hell..." mumbled Ron under his breath. He and Hermione were crouched in the corner, watching the scene.

Harry got off of Black, looking at the two professors in confusion as they hovered over Black. Lupin pocketed his wand and held his hand out to Sirius. He grabbed it and Lupin hoisted him up. When Sirius brushed the ground's dust off his ragged clothes, he and Lupin grinned at each other in what looked like understanding and embraced like long-lost brothers. Harry felt his mouth drop. What in the world was going on?

They let go of each other and Sirius looked at Snape. "Ah, screw it." he said. He hugged Snape, who did exactly returned it and looked a bit embassed by it and slowly patted Sirius on the back and mumbled, "Okay, you can le go of me now..."

"I can't believe this!" said Hermione suddenly, causing all of them to look at her. "You're helping, aren't you?"

She looked at Harry. "Don't trust whatever he says, Harry. They're accomplices!" She shot daggers at Lupin. "And _he's_ a werewolf!"

"What?" said Ron, looking at her with wide eyes. "That's crazy-"

Lupin looked at Hermione with narrowed eyes. "How'd you know-?"

"Hold _on_," piped up Ron, his voice weak."You mean she's right? _You're_ a werewolf?"

"Of course he is," snapped Hermione. "That's why he missed classes all the time. And remember his Boggart? It wasn't a crystal ball, it was the full moon!"

"Brilliant deduction, Hermione. I'm truly impressed." said Lupin politely. Snape and Sirius gave each other sidelong glances before looking back at a raging Hermione. "Though i must ask, you seem to be very educated on it, how'd you get that information to put the pieces together?"

"Well, back when _you_ were absent the first time," explained Hermione, obviously happy to finally be divulging this information out into the open. "Snape was covering for you and i - well - i might have told him to teach us about werewolves..."

"I thought that was only because that Branin kid _said_ he was part-werewolf." muttered Ron, his freckled face pale.

"Mr. Salvatore?" said Snape, finally speaking up. "That's insane."

"_Well_," shrugged Lupin. "At least that sorta explains why he's been trailing after Alice all year, doesn't it? A boy with wolf instincts-"

"Oh," said Sirius happily, his gaunt face smiling. "Little Al has a boyfriend? That's adorable-"

"Shut it, Black." snapped Snape.

"Absolutely fantasic reserach, Hermione," said Lupin, looking from Snape and Sirius and back to an angered Hermione. "You really are the brightest witch of your age. Yes, i'm werewolf, but neither me or Severus was helping Black, i can assure you that-"

"But you are now!" said Harry angrily. "How'd you find us anyway? Did you use your supernatural senses to sniff us out?"

"Hardly." said Lupin. "I used the Marauder's Map."

Harry's eyes bulged. "But, no one can use that unless they _know_ how to-"

"Honestly, i helped write the thing, i think i know how to use it." said Lupin sarcastically.

"Wait-" said Harry, puzzled. "You helped write it? But it says _Moony and Wormtail-_"

"Moony is me." said Lupin quickly. "Made it back in our school days. Sirius," he waved towards him, "Is Padfoot and James was Prongs."

"What about Wormtail?" asked Harry. "He must have helped too..."

"Trust me, he's why we're here in the first place." said Lupin bitterly. "Apparently he's been dead for over a decade yet we both see him on the map?"

"Yeah, but i was just seeing things, hoenst-" said Harry uncertainly.

"No, the map never lies." said Lupin.

"Come on Peter, come out to play!" said Sirius, his arms stretched out and walking around the shack, his ragged clothes falling off his malnourished frame.

"And how's that?" asked Hermione, her arms crossed over her chest.

"He's known as Peter Pettigrew to _us_," said Snape coolly. "Though at the present moment, we're positive that you only know him as that little rat held in Mr. Weasley's hand."

Harry and Hermione turned at looked at the rat clutched in his hands. Ron looked at them in shock. "No way, he's mental!"

"I wish he was," said Sirius suddenly. "Give us the rat, boy. We'll make this quick-"

"No way, you're not hurting Scabbers!" said Ron defiantly. He tried to get up to his full height but staggered downwards, his teeth clenched in pain.

"I wouldn't do that if i was you," said Sirius. "Best not to put any weight on your leg, it must be broken. Sorry 'bout that, by the way, i might of - uh - overrated."

"A tiny bit, yes." said Snape.

"Very funny, Blackbird." said Sirius.

"No way, Pettigrew was killed by him!" said Harry, pointing towards Sirius.

"I would never dream of killing my friends!" yelled Sirius, a maniac glint his eyes. "Of course, given what _he_ did, i think i'll rethink that!"

"I'm telling you, he's mental!" said Ron.

"Sirius, really," said Lupin, walking over to Sirius and put his hand gently on his shoulder. "We have to tell them the full story, it's for the better."

"Oh, you go on with it then." said Sirius. "He won't listen to me."

"Fine," said Lupin, taking his hand off of Sirius's shoulder. Sirius stood next to Snape as Lupin thought. "Where do i start? Hmm..."

Lupin cleared his throat and said, "I will try to make this as much of a lucid storytelling of our time at Hogwarts, but please make due with me it it's not. As Hermione as already stated, i'm indeed a werewolf. I was bitten as a small child and my parents worried about both mine and the other students' safety if i ever did come to Hogwarts. Dumbledore, being the kind man he is, took all sorts of precautions to make sure i didn't cause any a harm to my fellow students when i first got here, hence this Shack and the Whomping Willow itself. It was planted purely for my monthly transformations. Of course, why it's called "The Shrieking Shack" is all my fault as well. All the screams the villagers once heard was me, not being able to attack any humans, so i took it out on _myself_."

"As you can probably guess," said Lupin. "My friends eventually started to wonder where i went every month. I knew i couldn't hide my Lycanthropy from them for much longer, and when they found out, they didn't leave me, amazingly-"

"Of course we didn't, said Sirius. Lupin turned at looked at him over his shoulder. "We'd never desert you."

Lupin smiled at him appreciatively and continued. "Anyway, around our Fifth year, after years of them studying to do so, they actually learned how to become animals, or Animagi, as most wizards call them. James and Sirius were a Stag and Black dog, respectfully, to keep me under control during my transformations. Peter turned into a rat so he could paralyze the tree from the knot on its base-"

"So that's what Crookshanks was doing!" said Hermione.

"Precisely." said Lupin. "Smart cat you've got there. Anyway, as much as we'd rather bury this into the ground, we kinda played a nasty trick on Severus here some years ago because of my, uh, "_furry problem_", as James liked to put it..."

"I still can't say how sorry how i am about it, Blackbird." said Sirius, looking at Snape. He waved him off. "Don't mention it."

"What happened?" asked Harry, looking from Sirius back to Snape.

"Well," said Lupin, looking a tad embarassed. "I was having my monthly transformations and Sirius sorta-"

"I almost got Severus eaten by a werewolf Remus." said Sirius quickly, looking guilty. "I still feel bad about it..."

"We weren't as chummy as we are now, if you must know." said Lupin. "James pulled him out before anything horrible happened..."

"And here i thought you hated him!" said Harry, cutting Lupin and looking at Snape in surprise.

"I don't hate him." said Snape, looking slightly annoyed.

"Remus, you can tell Harry about that Christmas party in '79-" said Sirius, smirking slightly.

"Later." said Lupin, waving him off. "Ah yes," he said, getting back into his flow of his story. "As i'm sure you've heard by now, your mother and father made Sirius your Godfather, but what you don't know is that he was never really their Secret-Keeper all those years ago-"

"Who was then?" asked Hermione.

"Pettigrew." said Sirius angrily. "I was the one who suggested it too. It'd be too obvious if it was me, i said, no one would go after Peter, i said. It was horrible decision on my part, i know it."

Sirius looked at the dusty gorund. "They're dead now and i helped!"

"Don't speak like that, Sirius, it wasn't your fault, not in the slightest." said Lupin reassuringly. Sirius still looked downwards, almost as if he didn't hear what Lupin said.

Lupin turned back to Harry. "I'm sure you've seen by now that Sirius wasn't actually the one who sold your parents out to Voldemort?"

"I see that." said Harry, He felt incredibly guilty for almost attempting to kill him earlier. Sirius smiled at him slightly.

"But what about Pettigrew?" asked Hermione, sitting up straighter. "You're sure saying he sold Harry's parents out, but he's been dead for years! We heard the Minister talk about it-"

"If you would just let us have _his_ rat," stressed Sirius, looking at Ron. "Then we'd show you!"

"I must ask, Sirius, how do you actually know that rat is Peter anyway?" asked Lupin, looking at him. "Not that i don't believe you fully, i mean."

Sirius huffed. "I was in my _cell_," He emphasised the last word out of bitterness. "And i got hold of a _Daily Prophet_, he," He waved towards Ron. "Was in that picture and i knew Peter's Animagus form anywhere. Plus, that rat is missing a toe-"

"And they just happened to find just one finger when Peter "died". How weird, isn't it?" sneered Sirius, looking at the rat with great loathing. "I confronted him after what i saw what happened to James and Mary and there you are, Peter, killing twelve muggles and blowing up a damn street and putting all the blame on me! We should never trusted you, you dirty, lying rat!"

Out of anger, Sirius stomped over to Ron and yanked Scabbers out of Ron's grasp. "What the hell are you doing? Don't hurt my rat!" said Ron, trying to reach for his rat as Sirius staggered over to Lupin.

"We told you already!" snapped Sirius. "He - isn't - a - _rat_ - !" He looked at Lupin. "Do it."

Lupin nodded and pulled his wand back out. He waved his wand over the rat's head as it squeaked and squirmed. A small flash of white and Sirius dropped the rat onto the ground as it withered it apparent pain.

"Make him stop!" yelled Ron as Hermione and Harry looked on it shock. Ron stopped abruptly as the rat started growing larger and paler in colour, losing its body hair and replaced with old, battered clothes. Scabbers' head prolonged until it was round with a grey, thinning rain with a noticeable large bald patch. Harry felt his stomach clench up as the spot where Scabbers once laid was now occupied by a snivelling, squeaking fat man.

"Nice seeing you again, Peter." sneered Sirius, lifting the man up from the ground. The man squeaked as Sirius faced him. "S-Sirius! It's been to long!" He spoke in an awfully high-pitched voice.

"Yes, i've been meaning to send you a postcard from _prison_," said Sirius in a dangerous tone. "Of course, i though you were dead, strange how that works out, isn't it?"

Pettigrew squeaked again. "P-please, you don't know what power _He_ has! He was going to kill me if i didn't. You would have done the same-!"

"So you sold out your friends for your own _good_?" snapped Sirius. 'I'd rather die than betray my friends like that!"

"P-please!" Pettigrew squeaked. He turned and looked at Ron, who looked disgusted. "P-please help! I'm your pet rat, i've been nothing but loyal to you-!"

Ron grimaced. "I shared a bed with you, you dirty freak!" Pettigrew squeaked again.

"I must admit, Peter, I have difficulty in understanding why an innocent man would want to spend twelve years as a rat." said Lupin seriously.

"Let's kill him now," said Sirius savagely, eyeing Pettigrew with a hungry look in his grey eyes. "But make it quick, Remus. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for... C'mon Severus, you can help us."

"_Don't_." said Harry suddenly. The four men looked at him in surprise.

"But _Harry_," said Sirius earnestly, a pleading look in his eye. "He sold your parents out-"

"Well i don't think my parents, especially my dad," said Harry, looking Sirius straight in the eye. "Would like his friends turning into murderers, now would he?"

"T-thank you!" said Pettigrew, beaming at Harry with his rat-like face. "James would have said that, he would!"

"Don't you ever talk about James, you little-" said Sirius. Harry cleared his throat and continued. Harry narrowed his eyes at Pettigrew. "We'll have the Dementors have him, alright? We'll clear your name as well, Sirius."

Sirius frowned slightly. "If you insist..."

* * *

><p>Fred hummed as Rose looked over the burn on his hand. "What were you doing with fireworks again?"<p>

"We wanted to make a flying pig," said Fred happily, looking at the bright pink burn on his hand. "Of course, we went a little to heavy on the firepowder so..."

Rose rolled her eyes and lead her brother into the hospital wing. Fred walked towards Madam Pomfrey's office when Rose stopped. "What the-?"

She probably should have been used to the sight of Harry being passed out in the hospital wing by now, but given that he looked battered and bruised more than usual, and that Hermione was stirring on the bed next to his and Ron laid knocked-out with a bandaged leg in the bed opposite Harry's, it made her stop.

Seeing as Hermione was the one actually bothering to get awake, Rose walked over to her bed. "Hermione? Hello?" she whispered.

Hermione's eyes opened slightly. "R-Rose? is that you?"

"No, it's teh Queen of England. Yes it's me." said Rose. Hermione gave out a soft laugh. Her split-second happy expression flattered on her face as she came back into full consciousness. "Oh god, is your dad okay?"

"What? Of course he is, why?" asked Rose, looking worried. '_What happened now?_' she thought.

"Oh god," said Hermione putting her hands on her face. "He and Lupin, they found us," Rose knew that Hermione meant herself and the now knocked out boys. "We found Scabbers - but he wasn't _really_ Scabbers - he was Peter Pettigrew, and we found Sirius Black. He wasn't bad at all, he's a friend and he was framed by Pettigrew and we were going to take him to the Dementors and free Black but Lupin turned into a werewolf at the full moon! He didn't take his potion that your dad has been making for him and he tried to attack us! But your dad was in the way and held us back and Black and Lupin started fighting and Ron was knocked out and we lost Pettigrew and then me and Harry got free and started running after Black but Dementors started to swarm on us and-"

"Okay, okay," said Rose, putting her hand on Hermione's shoulders and pushing her gently back against the pillows. "Take it easy. What do you mean 'Black wasn't bad?'"

"He was framed by Pettigrew." repeated Hermione.

"But, he's _dead_, isn't he?" asked Rose uncertainly.

"You wish. He was Ron's rat." said Hermione. She noticed Rose's confused face and said, "He's an Animagus."

"Wow..." said Rose, not exactly sure how to take all this information at once. Fred was right, everything exciting always _did_ happen to the Gryffindors. "So where's my dad now? and Black?"

Hermione opened her mouth to answer that she didn't know when the hospital wing doors open to see the Minister of Magic and Rose's father trailing after him, trying to keep his attention.

"He's innocent i tell you-" said Snape, a note of pleading in his voice. Fudge waved him off. "Hogswash, Severus, he killed all those muggles years ago, don't you remember?"

"But he didn't do that, it was Pettigrew!" he said in an annoyed tone, as if he had been repeating himself over and over again. Seeing that Fudge was barely paying attention to him, it wouldn't have been surprising if he was repeating himself over and over again.

"Nonsense, he's dead, as i'm sure you know as well." said Fudge. Rose's eyes darted back to Hermione. Her eyes were shut. Was she trying to be asleep?

"Ah, look what Black has done to them!" said Fudge, waving his hand at the kids laying on the beds. "Look at that Severus, your daughter is making sure her friends are okay, surely you can see how Black is truly guilty after all?"

Snape frowned at him. Rose caught her father's eye. His eyes got a slight twinkle, which Rose knew was when he had a a trick up his sleeve, and winked at her and said, "You know sir, _you_ have a point. I must admit, i don't know what i was thinking. Black, innocent? Completely ludicrous."

"As i suspected, Severus. He must have put you and these poor children under an Imperius cruse, i dare say. Luckily your colleague Flitwick has him locked up in the West Tower, eh? He'll be getting that Dementor's Kiss in no time, i assure you."

Snape put on a fake smile and said, "I must ask sir, how do you plan to tell the public about this _great_ action? I'm sure you'll get much support in your endeavours after the word gets out..."

Fudge smiled cheekily. "Oh, i have some ideas."

Fudge rambled on about speeches and interviews as Snape led them out of teh hospital wing. Before turning left he mouthed, 'He's innocent.' before disappearing from view.

"What was that about?" asked Fred, walking over to Rose with his hand bandaged.

Harry stirred and his eyes popped open. He propped himself up in his bed. "Hermione, are you awake?" not bothering to acknowledge that Rose and Fred were there.

"Yes." Hermione responded, opening her eyes again.

Harry glanced over at a knocked out Ron and turned to her. "We have to go."

"Did you hear all of that?" asked Rose, looking at Harry.

"Oh, i wasn't _actually_ asleep," explained Harry, finally noticing that Rose was there. "Just pretending for a bit there, but that doesn't matter now. We need a plan to get out of here-"

"Oh goodie, really?" asked Fred happily, clapping his hands together. "When do we leave?"

"What?" asked Harry, looking at Fred in puzzlement. "No, only me and Hermione can go, we have to find Sirius and - Wait, you have no idea what we're talking about, do you?"

"_Please_," said Fred, putting his hands on his hips pretending he was his mother when she got snarky. "Hermione told Rose everything. And I, with my amazing hearing, got every word of it. And Hermione kinda talks loud so..."

Harry glanced at Rose. "Really?" Rose nodded. "So you know that Sirius was, i mean, still kinda is, friends with your parents?"

"Oh my god, _really_?" asked Fred, his eyes alight. "That's brilliant!"

"You're the only person i know who'd be excited that their parents were friends with a murderer." said Rose, her eyebrow cocked upwards.

"Well, he's technically not a murderer if that Pettigrew prat set him up, now is he?" Fred pointed out. Rose said, "Point taken."

"Enough chit-chat," Hermione snapped suddenly. Her put her hand into the collar of her shirt and pulled a think chained necklace out.

"Hermione, now isn't exactly the time to be showing us jewellery-" said Harry weakly. Hermione gave him a '_Really_?' look and got out of the bed. She turned the chain until what looked like the pendant of the necklace hanged in front of her. It was a hour-glass.

"Oh, pretty. Where can i get one?" asked Fred sarcastically. Hermione rolled her eyes and grabbed her wand from the side table. She tapped her wand against the chain and it lengthened significantly.

"Hermione, what is that?" asked Harry, pushing himself out of bed.

"It's a Time-Turner." said Hermione simply, making sure the hour-glass at the end wasn't cracked.

Harry gave her a puzzled look and she said, "It takes me back in time, if you must know."

Rose snapped her fingers. "Is that how you've been getting to all those classes this year?"

"Well how else could i?" asked Hermione, putting her hands on her hips. "I can't just disappear out of thing air without a little help!"

"Hold the hell up," said Fred seriously, which made the three of them turn to him. "You mean to tell me there is a form of time-travel that no one has told me about before?"

"It only lets me go back in time actually." Hermione pointed out.

"Still time-travel though." said Fred, grinning.

"Why is everything freaking Doctor Who to you?" asked Rose, annoyed.

"Because it just _is_." said Fred. He looked at Harry. "_So_, what's the plain?"

"Uh-" said Harry. He didn't actually have one.

"We use this, of course." said Hermione, holding up her Time-Turner. She grabbed Harry by the sleeve and put the chain around his neck. "Rose, are you coming?"

Rose's eyes widened slightly. "Really? I mean, yeah, why not?" Harry smiled slightly as Hermione put the chain over Rose's head when she walked over.

"Oh hold _on_," snapped Fred, looking at them as Hermione made sure they were all under the chain. "Are you leaving me here?'

"Well, i don't know," said Hermione a bit awkwardly. "I know Rose usually likes going along with us so-"

"Uh huh, no." said Fred. "I'm going too, you guys always get to do all the fun stuff while i'm stuck in my common room while Alice writes 'A + M' on all her notes. I'm sick of being left behind in this situations. I want to do something fun for once. Now make some room under there."

Fred walked over as Rose looked at Hermione with a 'let's not argue with him' look and Harry lifted the chain over Fred's head. As soon as the chain was securely on the back of his neck, Fred put his chin on the top of Harry's head and said, "You guys are really short, you know that?"

"Thank you for noticing." said Hermione sarcastically. Fred smiled and put his hands on Harry's head for added cushion for his chin as Hermione and turned it three times.

The surroundings around them changed into a blur of darkness. Fred looked on in mild-interest as the scene settled down. The sun hadn't set and they were just outside of Hagrid's little garden, hidden in the dark trees.

"Why are we at Hagrid's for?" asked Rose as Hermione tapped the Time-Tuner's chain to shorten it and tucking it back into her shirt.

"Buckbeak was going to be killed, so we came to make him feel better," explained Hermione. A thought came to her a few moments later. "Wait, you don't think-?"

"We could save Buckbeak?" replied Harry. Fred walked around as if he was on a different planet. "Does this mean we're three hours in the past?"

"Uh, yes." said Hermione.

"Oh my god, this is so timey wimey." said Fred, waving his hands in front of him.

"What in the world does that even mean?" asked Rose. Harry giggled.

"You know, People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually—from a non-linear, non-subjective _viewpoint_—it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly...timey-wimey..._stuff_." said Fred, making an invisible ball with his hands.

"Do you ever hear how ridiculous you sound sometimes?" asked Rose.

"Hardly." said Fred happily. Hermione turned to see Buckbeak looking at them from Hagrid's garden. Hermione could hear her and Ron bickering about Scabbers inside the wooden hut. They stayed quiet for a few minutes as the past Hermione, Harry, and Ron snuck out of the hut as the Minister, Dumbledore, and the Executioner strolled into the hut, barely missing them.

"How do we get Buckbeak? He won't move!" whispered Harry, pointing to the resting Hippogriff. Fred walked past them and out into the garden. "Fred, you stupid idiot, get back here!" Rose whipsered angrily "We're supposed to hide!"

Fred waved them off and looked at Buckbeak in the eye and bowed to it, waving his hands a little bit for showmanship. The Hippogriff looked at him in surprise, and, after a moment bowed to him as well.

"How in the world-?" asked Rose, dumbfounded. "How'd he do that?"

"He knows how to please." sniggered Harry as he watched Fred pat the beast on its feathery head. Fred glanced over his shoulder and grabbed the dead string of weasels hanging near by and gave one to him. Fred whispered something to him and he got up.

The three of them watched in awe as Fred untied Buckbeak and slowly led him back to where they were hiding .

"How the hell did you do that?" asked Rose, looking astonished as Fred rubbed Buckbeak's head.

"Honestly, you act like i never read beforehand." said Fred. Rose raised an eyebrow to him. "Okay, it was mostly Sam talking about it with you but i did my research on it!"

"Well you'll definitely get a good grade for Care of Magical Creatures next year then." said Harry.

Fred grinned. "And Muggle Studies. Easy grades all around!"

"What do we do now?" asked Rose, rolling her eyes at Fred and looking at Hermione. She looked around and said, "We have to go find us, i mean me and Harry, when we get into the Whomping Willow-"

"Wait, how did you get _into_ the Whomping Willow?' asked Fred, his hand on Buckbeak's collar. "That thing has a mind of its own, there's no way you can get close to it."

"There's a knot that makes it paralysed when you touch it," muttered Hermione. "Now where were we at this time?" she asked Harry.

Harry's brows furrowed in concentration as a familiar voice yelled, "SCABBERS! GET BACK HERE!"

"Well there's your answer." said Harry. Hermione huffed and she led them through the tangle of trees.

"C'mon Buckbeak, let's go." said Fred cheerfully, bringing Buckbeak with them. "You know," he said after a moment. "I think i'm getting a Hippogriff when i move out."

"We're definitely not going to your house for Christmas then." said Rose, following Hermione. Harry poked his head around one tree, where he caught sight of the Whomping Willow, where Ron was now being dragged by a then Animagus - shaped Sirius. Harry fliched as he saw Ron's leg give a jolt and his freckled face turned red from pain. "Poor guy."

"You can say that again." said Fred, looking over Harry's shoulder as Ron's fiery hair fell into the tree. A moment later they watched Crookshanks walk up to the tree and paralyse it for them. "Oh, who's a good ginger furball? He is!" said Fred in a goofy voice.

"Fred, shut it!" snapped Rose.

Past Hermione and Harry looked at each other and made their way under, or into, the tree. When Past Harry's trainers disappeared from view, Harry looked over at Hermione. "What now?"

Hermione stared straight ahead. "We wait."

* * *

><p>"...In all seriousness though, Tom Baker is my favourite Doctor by far. It's not like i don't <em>like<em> the other ones, but the he makes the Fourth one the most enjoyable. And he has some unlimited supply of Jelly Babies."

"Can't blame him, those are delicious."

Rose and Hermione sat across from Fred and Harry, their back resting against a tree as they watched the two boys talk in-depth about Fred's favourite Doctors by rank of how much he likes him, which Harry was generally amused by. Rose and Hermione thought it made the two hours of waiting drag by at a snail's rate.

They jumped suddenly when they heard voices coming from the Whomping Willow. Hermione slowly got up to see Sirius trying to calm Lupin down. Hermione flinched slightly as she saw Lupin's back arch in the moonlight.

"So _that's_ what a werewolf transformation looks like." said Fred solemnly, looking over Hermione's bushy hair. Harry looked as well.

"Wait, you know Lupin's a werewolf?" asked harry, looking at Fred.

"Well, yeah, why wouldn't we?" said Fred, shrugging his shoulders.

"Mum tried to suger-coat it, though." added Rose from behind Harry.

"Said he had measles every month." said Fred, shaking his head. "We figured it out eventually."

"Yeah, because _you_ kept reading horror stories and watching the movies." said Rose, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Oh come _on_, just because i dressed up as a Banshee that one time doesn't mean you have to get mad at all scary stories!" said Fred, fighting back a giggle.

"I was seven and you snunk into my room at one in the morning during a lightning storm!" snapped Rose angrily, poking Fred in the back.

"Ooh, so that's _why_ you have the Boggart you have," said Harry understandingly. "I thought you just hated her singing."

"That's only one factor of it." mumbled Rose. Their attention went back to the past versions of Harry and Hermione started chasing after a black dog. Snape conjured up a gurney for a now knocked out Ron to lay on as he went off to find the now long-gone Harry and Hermione.

"Who knocked Ron out?" asked Fred, looking at Ron's red hair moving slightly in the breeze.

"Pettigrew did," said Hermione. "Lupin was holding him so we could give him to the Dementors but he didn't take his potion-"

"Not a smart move." said Rose.

"-And Lupin was transforming and Pettigrew got free and knocked him out." continued Hermione. "I expect he turned back into a rat and it hiding somewhere around here."

"Should have let your cat eaten him when he had the chance" said Fred.

"Well that's hardly the point now, " said Harry. "Come on."

Harry grabbed Hermione's wrist and led them out of the forest, Rose and Fred (with Buckbeak trailing with him) following right behind. Harry lead them into another area of thick trees.

"I saw the weirdest thing before the Dementors knocked us out," said Harry as they got closer to the Black Lake.

"What was it?" Hermione asked.

Harry's mouth twicthed. "It was my dad."

Hermione and Rose frowned at each other before Harry continued. "Well," said Harry in an afterthought. "I didn't see who _made_ it, but i know it was a Patronus, it looked like a stag, just like my dad's Animagus form."

"But Harry," said Hermione quietly. "He's _gone_..."

Harry's brows contracted. "I know."

Harry stopped them. He could see Sirius's fainting form from across the Lake. The Dementors were much too close to Kissing him.

Fred shivered. "Can we not watch this?"

Harry narrowed his eyes. The Patronus should have been there by now. Where was it?

"Harry," said Hermione in a high voice, shivering slightly. "He's not here." She glanced over at their fallen forms from across the now frozen lake. "And i don't know if you know this or not, but we're not supposed to let our past selves _die_!"

Rose put her hand on Harry's tense shoulder. "Harry, come on-"

Harry shook her off, feeling an odd rush on adrenaline fill his being. A wild thought came to his mind and he started running forward. "HARRY!" the three of them screamed after him. Fred tried to hold Harry back by holding him by the collar of his shirt, but Harry proved too quick for him.

"Well, it was nice knowing him." said Fred, trying to defuse the tension. It didn't help.

Harry was gaining speed and stop abruptly at the Lake's frozen edge, pointing his drawn wand and screamed, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

The three watching shielded their eyes as a brilliantly bright, white light appeared at the tip of Harry's wand. Buckbeak made a screech and clapped his hoof against the ground as a pearly white animal appeared out of Harry's wand and bellowed towards the Dementors across the Lake, driving them away from the fallen forms of Harry, Hermione, and Sirius.

As quickly as it happened, the Lake unfroze, going back its gentle current as the Dementors flew away and the Patronus made its way back towards Harry. As it got closer to him, he felt his heart skip a beat.

It was stag.

Harry put his hand out and patted the almost-ghostly stag on the head when it approached. "H-hey Prongs." he said quietly.

Cautiously, the other three (plus Buckbeak) approached Harry, who was still petting the, his, patronus.

Fred bent down and looked at the stag. It blinked at him. "I want one of these." he said.

"Why did i know you'd say that?" laughed Harry. He swished his wand and the patronus disappeared, only leaving a burnt image in their retinas, which slowly left after each blink.

Hermione glanced over the Lake. She could see Snape gathering their limp forms on their own set of gurneys and hovering them out of the area with his wand. it looked like he was looking around for the source of the patronus as well,

"You won't mind if i tell him that you did that, will you?" Fred asked, leaning towards Harry.

Harry smiled. "Not in the slightest."

Buckbeak squawked and they turned towards him. He blinked his large orange eyes at him. This time, a wild thought formed in Rose's head. "We shoudl ride him."

Fred looked her, looking impressed. "Who are youa nd what have you done with my sister?"

Rose snickered. "No, we could ride him to the West tower, couldn't we? Then Black, i mean _Sirius_, could fly off. Sure, the Ministry might be a _bit_ mad, but at least he wouldn't get the Dementor's Kiss."

Harry looked at Hermione. She nodded her head. "Let's do it then."

"I call shotgun." said Fred. Rose shot him a look. "What?" said Fred, looking at her questioning look. "What you like or whatever bits you have don't matter to me, i love everyone equally. Hugging Harry fro behind is just fine by me."

"You don't have to be such a big flirt, Fred." Harry said coyly.

Rose smirked at Fred. "At least you're being honest with yourself."

A few minutes later, Buckbeak watched curiously as they lifted themselves onto his back, with Harry in front. Hermione agreed to behind him, Fred, then with Rose bringing the rear. Harry patted Buckbeak's head and said, "Uh, to the West Tower!"

They held onto each other as Buckbeak went up on his hind legs and started galloping forward, eventually becoming airborne.

"Alice is going to be so jealous when we tell her!" Fred yelled over the wind, looking over his shoulder at Rose. Rose huffed Fred's black hair out of her face and looked down at the scenery below them. Even at that magnitude, it still looked beautiful. Rose wondered if Lupin was hiding down in the Forbidden Forest, now in his werewolf form, not having any idea who he was. It made her feel even worst for her Godfather.

Eventually, Buckbeak landed down on an incredibly tall tower, which had a barred window. They slipped off Buckbeak and Hermione shooed them back. She waved her wand over her head and the window burst open, showering the ground with dust and broken stone.

Fred poked his head in the broken wall, waving away some dust and said, "Hello? We're here for a jail break."

He moved back as a tall, gaunt looking man moved forward, waving away the dust and looking at all of them. He looked at Harry. "Harry, did you-?"

Harry shrugged. "I couldn't let my Godfather get hurt again, now could it?"

Sirius smiled at him, patting him on the shoulders. "You're a good kid, Harry. You're parents would be proud." He gave him a quick hug. "Though i don't think my offer to let you to live with me can still stand now, of course."

Harry frowned. He forgot about that. "I'll make due."

Sirius smiled sadly and looked over at the others. "Well, i think so introductions are needed, huh?"

He looked at Hermione. "Obviously you're the brightest witch of your age, as Lupin told me." Hermione beamed.

Sirius looked at Rose and he lifted his hands. "Look at you, Little Rosie is all grown up! Well, mostly."

He got closer to Rose for a better look at her. "My, my, you look just like Lily. Your dad must be happy about that one." Rose smiled at him. "It's great finally seeing you again, Red."

Fred giggled. "Red? _Really_? Good nickname."

Sirius turned and looked at Fred. Sirius's mouth cracked into a wide grin. "Elvendork_!"_

Despite themselves, the other three laughed. What kind of name was _that_?

Fred's mouth went thin. "'_Elvendork_'?"

"Ah well," Sirius shrugged. "Your dad said me and James could call you that when you were younger. Of course, _you_ were only seven months old at the time, so..."

Fred smiled slightly. "I can make it work now."

"Good man." said Sirius, patting him on his thin shoulder. Sirius glanced back at Harry. "If only James was here, he'd own my fifty galleons."

Rose raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"We made a bet," said Sirius, looking at her. "Well, _i_ made a bet, saying that these two," Sirius pointed at Fred and Harry. "Would look like just like their old man but with their mum's eyes, and i was right!"

Rose rolled her eyes. "I'm sure our dad will pay you back."

Sirius gave out a short, bark-like laugh. "_Please_, i'm guessing he's going to remember me and James tried to make you and Harry kiss when you were barely one and will flat out refuse."

Rose and Harry glanced at each other and blushed. Fred smiled. "Oh, that is _too_ good."

Hermione pulled out her Time-Turner and saw that sand in the hourglass was almost gone. Tine was almost back to normal. Sirius noticed as well. "I guess i should be off then, eh?"

Sirius looked at all of them with a sad look in his eyes. "Thank you, all of you. I'm more than positive that your parents," He looked at Harry. "Would have been proud of you right now." He went over to Buckbeak and patted him on the back. "Is he my ride out?"

Harry nodded. "I'm personally more of a motorbike fan myself," said Sirius, hoping onto Buckbeak's back. "But i'll make due."

* * *

><p>Snape watched as Lupin packed away the last of things. "Are you sure you have to go <em>now<em>?"

Lupin smiled at him sadly. "Unfortunately, yes, i do."

"But i don't get it," said Snape, looking around the blank office walls. "Noe of us told anyone about your condition-"

"It was none of you, actually." said Lupin, snapping another trunk shut. "By what i heard, it was actually a Second year."

"Really?" said Snape. "Which one?"

"Well," said Lupin. "It what i heard was true, it was some girl, very short, too-straight, dark hair, looks like a cat. She was looking for her lost cat and she saw me in transforming back in my human form near the edge of the forest. Any idea who?"

"Oh," said Snape, frowning. "I believe i have them in my House."

Lupin sighed. "It doesn't matter now, i'm sure they would have found out eventually anyway. Funny though, i heard Dean Thomas say he hoped the next teacher would be a vampire, silly thing, isn't it?"

"Now if you'll excuse me," said Lupin, a piece of folded parchment in his hand as he stack the last of his luggage together. "I have to return this to Harry."

"He never did say how he got that, did he?" Snape asked as Lupin placed his hand on the dropknob.

Lupin smiled. "Actually, I heard _your_ son gave this to him for a Christmas present."

"I feel like i should be surprised by that." said Snape with a smirk as Lupin gave a short laugh.

* * *

><p>Harry watched as Oliver and Gabrielle giggled some space away from where he stood, Oliver's back against the bright red Hogwarts Express as Gabrielle kissed his nose. It was going to be weird not seeing them everyday in the Gryffindor Common Room, as they were now officially graduated.<p>

"Disgusting." said a voice. Harry looked over to see Sam standing next to him, her nose crinkled and her hair now a fiery orange, making her look like an long-lost Weasley cousin. She glanced at him. "I'm guessing they're _really_ happy that they won the House Cup again, huh?"

Harry smiled. "Of course."

Sam rolled her eyes. "We never win, i swear."

She turned on her heel and jumped onto one of the nearby train doors and disappeared into the train itself. Harry stood watching the castle, trying to keep the image of Hogwarts in his head before heading by to his Aunt's for the summer. He heard heavy footsteeps and saw Fred walking over, looking mad.

"What's up?" Harry asked, looking at him as Fred stopped near him.

"Rose blew up my fez." Fred mumbled.

Harry fought back a laugh. "Since when did you get a fez?"

"Doens't matter now, does it?" said Fred, crossing his arms. "Fezzy's dead now. I hope she's happy, she _looked_ happy."

He pounded his fist to the center of his chest twice and raised it to the sky. "There will never be another fez like you, Fezzy!"

"Creative name." giggled Harry.

"Why must you laugh at my pain?" said Fred mournfully. Harry patted him on the back and said, "C'mon, i know exactly what will get that off your mind."

"Yeah, like what?" said Fred.

"You should see the letter Sirius just sent." said Harry.

They both walked on board as Harry handed him the letter for Fred to read.

"Permission to Hogsmeade _and_ he got you that Firebolt? Lucky." said Fred, reading over the letter again as they made their way down the pathway. "Maybe next year he'll get you a flying carpet just for the hell of it."

"That, and he got Ron an owl from him." said Harry. He pointed forwards to Ron, who was leaning in the doorway of one compartment and with his now fixed leg, holding a small, squeaky, grey owl in its cage, looking annoyed. Ginny was cooed over it, poking her finger into the cage of the zooming bird with a smile on her face.

"Ah," said Fred happily. "Sarah has a friend now!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Jesus christ. That took <em>forever<em>. **

**(P.S., the girl was supposed to be Charisse, in case you were wondering. (Which, seeing how vague i was, i'm sure you were.)**

**EDIT: Oh my god, i think i hinted that Fred is pansexual, didn't i? **

**Yeah, i think i did. **


	36. Scared to Death

**AN: I will start out by saying that this will first go off into the past, then into the present (story-wise).**

**(Also, there will be some slight religion talk, so please forgive me if i'm completely off.) **

* * *

><p>After finally divorcing her godforsaken husband, Eileen Snape (or if you went by her maiden name, Prince.) tried her very hardest to make it up to her only son after the years of hell they both went through with Tobias. Likewise, she even put that promise into being a better grandmother to her only grandkids as well a few years later when they were born.<p>

Back in '87, she travelled to Northern England to the small village of Little Hangleton after receiving a letter that her cousin, Russell, had recently passed away. She went to collect his possessions. She did not, however, expect to leave the village some days later with an odd, though all too obviously magic-involved, story.

"The villagers told me some strange things," she said a few months later, braiding her youngest granddaughter, Alice's, dark hair one stormy night while in the guest room of her son's home. Thank god Severus actually liked his mother enough to actually let her visit, isn't it?

"Like what?" asked a then six and a half year-old Fred, laying on his stomach on the cushy bed and looking at his grandmother in interest.

"_Well_," said Eileen, tying the end of Alice's braided hair with a pink ribbon. "Most of the stories varied from person to person, but they all followed the same basic idea..."

She went into a long-winded description of how the villagers, who by what she could tell only considered card tricks to the closest thing to magic, said that many years ago, an elderly couple and their grown son, named the Riddles, had been found dead in their dining room, still in their dinner things. The odd thing was, she said, was that there was no sign of any poison, wounds, or any kind harm at all to their bodies at all. In fact, the doctors looking over the autopsies said it was as if they were in perfect health, except for being dead, of course.

"The only thing they noticed," said Eileen in a low tone. "Was that they all had the same look of fear on their faces."

Rose pouted, her red hair braided as well. "But no one can be _scared_ to death, can they?"

"I wouldn't think so," said Eileen. "But you have to think, what if a wizard was there, one not too particularly fond of these Riddles, came and killed them, how would he ever do that without making it obvious?"

The three children gave each other sidelong glances. They knew what she was saying, but they didn't like to talk about it.

"But if you must know," Eileen added. "There's a man who makes sure the abandoned house keeps up mostly with appearances. I believe his name was Frank, i'm not sure, but by what i heard, apparently the whole lot of the village thought he killed the Riddles."

"That's not nice." said Alice quietly.

"I know, imagine just being the caretaker one day and then an accused felon the next!" said Eileen seriously, her dark eyes wide for effect.

"Oh honestly Mother, are you trying to scare them _again_?" said a voice fom behind her. Eileen turning and smiled as she saw a sleepy looking Severus standing in the doorway, rubbing his eyes.

"Just telling them a bedtime story." she said.

"Well please do wrap it up soon, they have school tomorrow." he said sleepily.

"Now _really_ Severus, it can't be that late..." said Eileen, smirking.

Severus raised an eyebrow at her. "It's three in the morning."

Eileen chuckled and said, "Look who's talking. Because if i don't remember correctly, i'd think a certain _someone_ spent their weekends reading into the wee hours of the sunrise, hmm?"

Fred giggled. "Ooh, Daddy got in trouble!"

"Making sure i knew my Transfiguration assignments were correct is much more important than ghosts stories." said Severus defensively. He rubbed his eyes again when he saw that his mother wasn't budging, he said, "Fine, but _they're_ not allowed to complain if they're tired when we have to wake them up in, oh," He pretended to be looking at a watch on his wrist. "_Four_ hours."

"Whatever you say, sweetie." said Eileen, smiling. Severus fought the urge to roll his eyes at the situation as he walked back to his and Lily's bedroom down the hall.

He could hear Fred yell from down the hall_ "Good night Sweetie!"_ before he closed the bedroom door behind him.

* * *

><p>"You know, i never really guessed you for a religious person, but i must admit, you decorate with it well."<p>

Sam rolled her eyes. Why did she just know that they would ask about her parents' house decorating? She guessed that's what she got for suggesting they came over for one weekend during the summer for a movie watching, stay-up-late, sleepover, isn't it? It was hard enough to get their parents to allow them to let the boys come along as well, much less explain the whole ton of Catholic pictures and statues that decorated the main hallway of the Balavan's home.

"It's my dad's stuff," said Sam, addressing the wall of religious images on the wall. "My _Abuela_ is crazy about it so of course he, being so dedicated to her, kinda brought all that into here." She waved vaguely around to imply the house in whole.

Fred and Evan looked on at a particularly bright picture of the Virgin Mary, which had her dressed in light blue fabric with gold threads and holding her infant son to her with halos behind each of their heads. A border of red roses and thorns surrounded it. As much as they would rather be at the Quidditch World Cup right now, they still made due with the situation.

"So tell me _this_," said Fred, his index finger on his chin. "How in hell did she give birth if she never, uh, well you know..."

"Mostly it was the Holy Spirit coming down and miraculously making her pregnant." said Evan Wright, shrugging his shoulders, which made his voluminous hair bounce when they touched. "Of course, in other religions it says God commanded it and so forth. It really depends on who you're asking though."

Fred cocked his eyebrow at the blond Hufflepuff. "How do you know that?"

"I'm Catholic." said Evan simply. Fred stared at him. "What?"

"I never knew." muttered Fred.

"I guess you don't know that Ina is Hindu too, huh?" asked Evan. Fred looked around him to the tall girl of dark colouring in interest on his right. "Really? What do they believe?"

Ina sighed. "Mostly daily morality and karma, dharma, and in most cases, reincarnation."

"That's the whole coming back as something else when you die, right?" asked Fred.

"Yes."

Fred thought for a moment. "I hope i come back as a dragon."

Rose huffed, her red hair bouncing slightly. "At the rate you're going, you're coming back as a Dung beetle."

Fred frowned. "But i don't want to."

"Well stop being a prat and you won't, easy as that." said Rose matter-of-factly.

"Takes one to know one." retorted Fred. Rose went to punch him in the back when they heard yelling from the upper level.

_"Vous avez mioche, cesser de voler mes affaires__!"_ said a voice. It sounded like Sam's older sister, Gabrielle, screaming in a foregin tongue.

_"Dejar de tener cosas divertidas para robar__ entonces!"_ said what the assumed was their younger brother, Louis's, voice. Fred raised an eyebrow and looked at Sam. "What are they saying?"

Sam rolled her eyes. "Gabby's packing to move in with _Oliver_, actually. And Louis is stealing her stuff from her boxes and when they get mad at each other they start yelling in different languages."

"You guys can speak _other_ languages?" asked Fred, both his eyebrows raised now.

"Well, yeah, we do." said Sam, almost as if it was some easy task. "Why do you ask?"

"Because Frederick can barely speak English, he's shocked that you speak two other ones as well." said Alice with a smirk. The others laughed as Fred's face turned pale pink, a muscle moving in his jaw from annoyance. "Ha ha. Very fun, Al."

There was loud footsteps and they turned to see Gabrielle stomping down the staircase, carrying the last of her things with her. Louis was trailing after her, a mischievous grin on his face.

_"Extraño a mi hermana mucho más ahora! ¿Cómo puedo vivir sin ella constantemente acaparando el cuarto de baño y fuertes ronquidos?_" he said. Gabrielle stare straight ahead and grabbed something from her box and threw it behind her, hitting Louis squarely in the face.

"Ow!" yelled Louis, losing his Spanish flare and rubbing his head and picking up the goofy looking toy that she had thrown at him off the ground. "Just because your boyfriend is on Puddlemere United doesn't mean you have to be rude to me now!"

Louis stopped for a moment. "Wait, you're never not rude to me!"

"I have more where that came from," said Gabrielle. She stepped next to Sam and bent down and whispered, "If any of you wanna give him a good hex for me, i'd be more than grateful."

"Will do." said Evan happily, bowing slightly to Gabrielle. She smiled and turned away, walking towards the door.

"Is your mother taking her leaving well?" said a quiet voice. They turned towards Zachary Leon, who was on the farthest right, who hadn't said anything the whole time, making them almost forget that he wasn't there at all. It took him the most time out of all of them to be allowed to spend his time with his friends there, as his father really did want him to stay with him at St. Mungos this summer for him to learn more about his future profession, but Zachary used his Ravenclaw persuasion skills to work to his advantage.

"Yeah," said Sam. "She's a Seer, so i guess she _saw_ it coming, right?"

"Ba dum tsss." said Fred quickly. Sam shot him a look at the corner of her eye. "Oh come on, you knew that was going to happen if i was involved." said Fred happily.

Sam smirked slightly. She did know that last year, during her first Divination lesson, that she had fallen asleep due to the heavy fumes and had a vision of her own like her mother would get involving _him_. Of course, instead of predicting colossal events or matters of the future, it showed her and Fred together, giggling and kissing. She didn't know whether or not this was some of her emotions getting the better of herself, but she did know that after that particular dream that she had been sneaking more side glances at him at meals or when they relaxed in the common room, wondering whether his lips were as soft as they were in her dream. Of course, she had no idea if he really felt the same way about her or if that vision was just another silly dream, or if Rose would kill him for dating her friend if they ever did get together. They would cross that bridge later.

"Ah, you like the paintings, boys?"

They turned and saw a tall, bony looking man with olive skin and a curly mop of black hair smiling at them. His thick moustache and goatee curled at the ends, brining their attention up to his blue eyes.

"Oh yes sir," said Evan in an uncharacteristically respectful tone. Ina fought the urge to roll her eyes at his silliness as he said, "Beautiful pictures, really. Are you Catholic as well?"

"Well, i dabble a little in Buddhism, but yes, i am." said Mr. Balavan with a chuckled. "You can blame _Abuela_ Carmen if you want to point fingers."

"Damien!" said a singsong voice. He turned and saw his wife, Eva, walking towards him. She had a wildly long mass of wavy auburn, almost brown hair cascading down her back, a bright yellow and black headband in her hair to represent her Hufflepuff colours. She dressed almost as if she was a travelling gypsy fortuneteller and she was _very_ curvy. It made the boys blush pink.

"Yes dear?" he said as she approached him.

"The Inner Eye showed me about some unfortunate events happening later tonight, you'll need your rest once you have to go in for work tomorrow to help solve the problem." she said, grasping his hand.

Damien worked at the Improper Use of Magic Office at the Ministry of Magic. "No hint as to what the problem was, huh?" he said.

"I'm afraid not." said Eva, frowning slightly. "The Eye works in mysterious ways."

Evan huffed. "Wait, how often to you get visions, Mrs. Balavan?"

Eva looked around her husband and at the blond boy. "Depends, it usually varies from a few to twenty a day."

"A _day_?" said Zachary, sounding surprised.

"Please," said Eva, waving her hand. "You should have seen me when i was younger, i'd get even more."

The front door opened again and Gabrielle stepped over the threshold, brushing her dark hair back.

"Aah," said Eva, her voice her high and sounding a little sad. "My little girl is finally leaving the nest."

"Oh mum, do we really have to go through the whole goodbye thing again?" said Gabrielle, sounding a little aspirated. "I'll visit as much as i can, i remember?"

"I know," said Eva with a sad smile, walking over to her eldest daughter and putting her hands on her face. They both had the same green eyes. "It's just i never had to see any of my children go until now.."

"Mum, really."

Sam poked Fred and the side and whispered, "Come on, i want to show you guys something."

They glanced at Mr. and Mrs. Balavan saying goodbye to their daughter and, feeling like they might be intruding on a emotional moment for them, followed Sam up the stairs and to the left on the upper level.

"You'll love this one, Evan," said Sam, leading them down the hall. The others glanced around as Sam led them along. The walls were covered in both wizard and muggle pictures, ones of her family or each individual child, or even past vacations and so forth. Sam stopped under a door on the ceiling. She jumped up and grabbed the string hanging off it and pulled the door open, allowing a wooden, folded ladder pop out and drop steadily onto the ground.

"You didn't bother to bring whatever you wanted to show us down to something a little less dusty?" asked Evan as they made their way up the ladder.

"Shut it." said Sam. Fred pulled Alice up last and brushed the small amount grey dust off her hair when she was lifted down on the attic ground. Evan grabbed a metal, small-linked chain and pulled it down. It clicked and the dark attic filled with light.

"Ah," said Sam happily, looking at the stack of various muggle items around the room. "Dad loves his muggle goodies."

"What's up here anyway?" asked Rose, looking around. Boxes of various things stacked against the walls, labelled for different holidays and old toys and, of course, some magical items that must have lost their charms. Zachary could have sworn he saw a bat hanging upside-down from the rafters.

"This." said Sam happily, grabbing a box from one of the closest stacks. She brought it over and they saw that the old box was striped but aged from time spend up there. "Mum usually goes up here and adds stuff to it, look."

Sam took the box top off to reveal a stack of various pictures and clippings filled the box, even a few small, aged books. Evan put his hand into the stack and gently removed one of the old photographs and looked at it.

He giggled. "Who's this little runt? That big guy looks like he'll eat her!"

Sam looked over at the picture in his hands. "That's my mum and her dad!"

"What?" said Fred. He turned his head and looked at the picture. Zachary bent his head as well to see.

The caption written under the picture read: "E, Age 5". Sam's mother looked positively happy in the photo, her hair blowing behind her and smiling at being chased by her father, who was very large and muscled and had brown hair. He looked very young.

"They were eighteen when they had her." said Sam, noticing the look on the boys' faces. They nodded in understanding and put the picture back into the box. Rose grabbed another picture. "Woah," she said, holding the picture back slightly. "What's going on with her here?"

Sam looked as Rose turned the picture to her. This one did not have a caption, but it was obviously that Sam's mother couldn't have been much older than she was in the previous picture, but even in the old photograph they could see that her eyes had an odd, glassy appearance to it. For such a young girl, it looked frightening.

'That's her having a vision." said Sam. "She's a Muggle-born, so of course granddad and grandmum had no idea what was going on until much later. Well, granddad never did learn what it was."

"Why?" asked Alice. Sam frowned and said, "He died when she was nine."

"Oh," said Alice quietly. "Sorry."

Sam shrugged. "Mum always reckons he's still looking out for her. But that's not what i wanted to show, look at this."

Sam grabbed one of the ragged books in the stack and handed it to Alice. "Go on," said Sam, waving her hand. when Alice just stared at it "Open a page and read. You'll like it."

Alice oblonged at opened to a random page. It was actually a journal, and judging by the handwriting, it was Eva's. The date read May 13th, 1972. She couldn't have been older than sixteen at the time.

_Oh my GOD! I'm so embarrassed!_

_I was walking down the corridor down to Charms and me being the klutz i am tripped over poor Damien! Poor thing, he puts up with me far too much. I bloody knocked him to the ground, spilling all his books EVERYWHERE and he just shoos it off, laughing! I can't believe it! Hopefully Sprout doesn't kill me, i already have too bad of a record to deal with as it is!_

_- E._

"Your mum was a trouble-maker?" asked Rose, looking over Alice's shoulder.

"One of the goofiest, i heard." smiled Sam.

"The best always are." said Fred, looking over Rose's head and at the journal. He pushed to one of the later sections and a picture was taped to it. "Oh, what's this?"

They looked closer and saw it was a much younger Eva and Damien, except instead of being embarassed like she wrote, they were giggling and kissing in teh old photo.

"Aww," said Alice and Rose in unison. "That's cute!" Alice looked around the page and saw that the picture's date was in 1973.

Fred moved and bent over the box and pulled out a long, hand-written list. "What's this?"

"Oh that?" said Sam, craning her neck to look at it. "That's my mum's love prediction list."

Fred's eyes hovered up and down the list. His eyes locked on the bullet-points under Sam's name. "Really? What are the categories?"

"Well," said Sam, a thoughtful look on her face. "I think it first goes by hair, then one trait that describe them, and an animal."

Fred read over the one under her name. It read: Dark, Sly, Raven. "What does a raven stand for?"

"Huh?" asked Sam, looking at him. "Oh, i read a book about this before, i think a raven stands for a trickster."

Fred smiled to himself, mentally making a note of list of it and putting the paper back into the box, not releasing at Rose completely noticed the triumphant look on his face.

* * *

><p>The Weasley Twins led them through the campsite just outside the stadium of the Quidditch World Cup. Mr. Weasley was back at the bigger-on-the-inside tent, playing with matches, as the kids went off by themselves.<p>

"Too bad Acid-Green couldn't come, huh?" said Fred Weasley mournfully. 'He would have loved this!"

"Nah," said his twin. "He told me which one he's supporting. Ireland all the way."

"No way," said Ron behind them. "Not with Krum against them, they don't stand a chance."

Fred and George rolled their eyes. "Ron, who many times must we tell you? Krum is one good player, Ireland has _seven_-"

"Whatever." said Ron, cutting them off.

Harry walked next to him. After a month stuck at his Aunt's house (and subtly hinting that he had an escaped murderer for a Godfather) she had allowed him to attend the Quidditch World Cup with the Weasleys (along with Hermione, of course. She was just as much as their extended family as Harry was.) Besides going with Mr. Weasley, Ron, Percy (a now eagerly annoying assistant to an Ministry of Magic Head of Department) and the Twins, Harry was introduced to the eldest Weasley sons, Bill and Charlie. Bill was tall and handsome and kept his long, red hair back in a ponytail, sowing off his fang earring. Charlie was stockier and largely-muscled with burnt arms due to his work with Dragons in Romania.

"Oi!" said George with a smile. "Hey Matthew!"

Matthew Greenley sat outside one average looking tent, picking at the fire in front of it with a stick. He waved as they approached him.

"When did you get here?" asked Fred, hovering over the now Fifth-year Gryffindor.

"No more than two days ago." said Matthew. He looked around him and saw the others. "Ireland supporters, i expect?"

"But of course." said Harry. Ron stayed quiet.

"_Matty_!" said a thick, scottish-accented voice from inside the tent. "Who ya' talkin' to?"

"Some friends from school, dad." Matthew replied, turning to face the opening of the tent.

"Well don't keep 'em out there, bring 'em in here!" said his father. Matthew threw the stick in the fire and got up and walked towards the tent opening. "Care to meet my father?"

"Just as long as he doesn't try to sign us to another Quidditch team." said Harry. He was only just pulled off a few minutes earlier by Oliver Wood and his family asking whether he'd try to get on Puddlemere United like he was. Hermione dragged him away saying, "Oh, i think i hear Ron's mother calling!". What they didn't know, however, was that Mrs. Weasley was actually back at home.

"Trust me, he isn't _that_ strange," said Matthew. He grabbed the flap of the tent and opened it. "Though, that doesn't mean he still isn't a little strange in his own way."

He held open the tent opening and let them enter. Like the one they were staying in, it was magically bigger on the inside.

"Ah!" said a loud voice which made them all jump. "Who have we got 'ere?"

Two men sat one the sofa while another, younger one, sat across from them, looking bored.

"Guys," said Matthew, walking up next to the biggest of the men. "This is my dad."

Ron almost looked like he was going to faint. The Weasley Twins looked at each other with excited, identical grins. Ginny just looked stunned.

"You never said your were Ethan Greenley's kid!" said Ron, sounding amazed. Matthew rolled his eyes as his father gave a hearty laugh.

His father was probably the largest man Harry had ever seen, or at least compared to Hagrid. His stomach had slightly gone to seed but he still had large, muscled arms, which by what he could tell must have made most men not want to get on his bad side in case a fight broke out. He has brown hair and shining grey eyes. His blunt face was battered and bruised, but it worked for him. It made him look more tough.

"I don't mean to be rude," said Hermione, poking around Ron to look at him. "But what exactly are you known for?"

Ethan laughed again. "Ah well, little missy. I don't mean to brag, but i was the Captain of the Montrose Magpies."

"Ex-Captain, Ethan." said the man sitting next to him cheerfully. Like Greenley, the man had the look of a powerful man losing his lustre. Except for him, it didn't exactly work for him. He looked like an over-grown schoolboy with large, round blue eyes and very curly blond hair. "Ludo Bagman." he said happily, waving to himself. What Harry expected to be his old Quidditch uniform, which was covered in horizontal yellow and black stripes, streched over his large stomach. "Nice to meet you." said Harry sheepishly.

"Right you are, Ludo." said Ethan. He looked at them. "So, which one is which?"

"Oh, uh," stammered Matthew. "Those are the Weasley Twins," He pointed towards them who waved slightly.

"The big Gryffindor trouble-makers, eh?" said Ethan. "Good show!"

Fred and George beamed as Matthew said, "And that's their brother, Ron, and their sister, Ginny." Ron's ears blushed red and Ginny smiled. "And this is Hermione and Harry."

"Harry, eh?" said Ethan, adjusting himself forward and resting his thick arms on his knees. "As in _'Harry Potter'_ Harry?"

"Y-yes." said Harry, a little embarrassed as Ethan and the man named Ludo's eyes darted up to his forehead.

"Ha!" said Ethan loudly. "I knew Matty couldn't hide you forever! Thought you could hide the Boy Who Lived from me, ah, you got your mum's determination, son."

"And her cheekbones." said the young man across from them. He looked like a scrawny version of Ethan, same hair and all. Except for a happy, certain all little enthusiastic attitude, he instead gave off the energy of not caring about what anyone thought of him.

"Now honestly Michael, don't be mean to little Matty," laughed Ethan, patting Matthew on the back a little too roughly. "Mikey has always been a little snarky with his little brother." Ethan whispered to them.

Harry had no idea idea why he was calling Matthew "little", he had much more defined muscles compared to his older brother.

"It's that Curse-Breaker job, i tell ya'," said Ethan, nodding. "It gives him an 'I'm-better-than-everyone' attitude."

"So it's like you but i don't get hit in the head with Bludgers." said Michael, half-smiling.

"Yea', but i don't get caught bein' chased my mummies!" Ethan laughed loudly again. Michael rolled his eyes and picked up a paperback off the small table next to the sofa he sat on and started reading, looking bored once again.

"Who you reckon is going to win, sir?" asked Fred Weasley, looking at Ethan.

"Good question," said Ethan. "As much as i wish to say Scotland, I reckon it's going to Ireland."

"Do you really?" said Ludo. "Because i heard Bulgaria has a mighty fine team this year, it might be hard to beat."

"You wanna bet on it then?" said Ethan.

"Only if you do!" said Ludo, winking. "What about you boys?"

Harry and Ron glanced at each other uncertainly. Fred and George, however, stepped forward, grabbing their money from their pockets.

"All on Ireland." said George, smiling.

"Bulgaria gets the Snitch but Ireland wins." said Fred, smiling like his twin.

Ludo smiled. "If you insist boys, if you insist." He took out a small piece of parchment and wrote down their names.

The Grandfather Cloak in the corner dinged loudly and Ludo looked and jumped up suddenly. "Oh deary me!" he said, pocketing the parchment and pen. "I must go, i still have to sound check before the game!"

"Try not to say "Badger" instead of "Beater" again, Bagman!" said Ethan loudly after him, laughing once again.

* * *

><p><em>"Luke, help me take this mask off."<em>

_"But you'll die."_

_"Nothing can stop that now. Just...for once, let me look on you with my own eyes."_

Rose sniffled as the fair-haired man on the telly screen slowly took Darth Vader's mask off to show the vulnerable man behind the mask. She felt tears start brimming in her eyes as Luke pleaded that he'd take the dying man with him but was too late. Zachary rubbed her back as she wiped tears away.

"Dear god Red, are you crying?" asked Fred, who looked away from the screen to his sister sitting on the ground. "He's the bad guy!"

"It's sad!" she said, sounding angry. "He finally redeemed himself and he dies!"

"Yeah, but he threw Palpatine into the reactor shaft, that was pretty cool." said Evan.

"Should we stop watching?" asked ina, looking at Rose's teary-eyed face.

"No, no, i'm fine." said Rose, her voice sounding stuffed up and waving them off. "Just keep going, we're almost done anyway."

"Why is it the last three movies?" asked Alice. "Where are the first three?"

"I reckon they'll make prequel ones soon enough." said Evan.

Sam yawned. It was about three in the morning and she and Fred had taken the sitting room's sofa all to themselves, leaving the others to relax on the carpeted ground. They had already watched '_Wizard of Oz', 'Alice in Wonderland', '__The Little Mermaid'_ (Which Fred joked that Rose was Ariel while Zachary was Eric, which made Zachary blushed pink as Rose shrugged it off), and '_Beauty and the Beast_'. Now almost done with the last _Star Wars_ film and stuffed with Mr. Balavan delicious home-cooking, Sam felt absolutely pooped out.

Sam poked Fred, who was laying with his legs across the sofa. Maybe it was her sleepy mind, but Fred looked very comfy.

Without saying anything, she bent down and crawled next him, putting her head on the shoulder of his streched out left arm, which rested against the back cushion of the sofa itself.

Fred's eyes widened as he noticed what she was doing. She sighed and closed her eyes. He had never been so close to her face before. "S-Sam, what are you-?"

"Sssh," said Sam, not opening her eyes and her hand on his chest. "I'm _sleepy_."

Fred smiled as Sam nuzzled her head in his shoulder. "I'll try not move too much then."

"Thank you." she said softly before drifting into sleep.

Fred looked to his right, making sure the others backs were to him and when he was sure they couldn't see anything, as they seemed more interested in these little furry creatures called Ewoks on the screen, he turned at looked at Sam, who was sound asleep and breathing softly against his chest. Fred bent his left arm gently and pushed some of her vividly bight blue hair away from her face. Trying to move as little as possible, he bent his neck and kissed her forehead as softly as he possibly could, just to feel how it would be like to be close to someone he cared about. He'd never admit it, of course, seeing as he _knew_ Rose would make fun of him for it, but he felt something much more than just friendship for the bright-haired girl who currently was sleeping next to him. Fred remembered his father saying that he met their mother when they were ten years old. He met Sam when he was eleven, how much could one year different make anyway? He didn't notice the small smile form on her face as he bent his head back so it could rest once again on the arm of the sofa and wrapped his other arm around her, feeling her warm body against his. Now that he thought about it, he felt tired too.

* * *

><p>"Oh, that was <em>good<em>." said Evan as the end credits started rolling. "We should tell Hagrid to get some Ewoks for Care of Magical Creatures," he said, looking at Zachary.

"Please, they should let us use lightsabers instead, wands are powerful, but not as much as a beam of pure _light_." said Zachary, streching his arms.

"What do you think, Frederick?" asked Rose, still mad that he made fun of her for crying earlier. She turned her head and, almost as if she had a arm spasm, hit Zachary in the arm.

"Ow!" said Zachary, rubbing his arm and looking confused. "What was that for-?"

"Look at Fred." said Rose in a whisper.

"What?"

"Look - at - _FRED_." repeated Rose.

They turned and Alice gave out an "Aww."

Fred and Sam laid on the sofa, his arms wrapped around her sleeping form, the blue of her hair mixing with his dark locks. Her face was nuzzled into his neck while Fred rested his head against hers, looking peaceful.

They didn't know how long they had been in that pose, but Rose and Alice gave each other sidelong glances and grinned at eachother.

"Oh my _god_," said Evan, pushing himself around fully to get the entire image of their sleeping bodies for himself to remember and mock Fred of later when he woke up. "This is so damn cute i might actually puke from how adorable it is."

Ina slowly turned to look at him and he said, "What?"

"_Puke_?" she repeated, cocking a dark eyebrow at him.

"Trust me, puking from cuteness is much better than puking from a bad treacle tart." said Evan seriously.

"Do you ever hear yourself speak?" asked Ina.

"Only about thirty percent of the time," said Evan. "Other than that it's just white noise."

"You're an idiot." said Ina with half-lidded eyes.

"Ah," said Evan cheekily. "But i look adorable doing it. Now if you'll excuse me, i have to go find a camera and document this and make super-sized copies of it and give it to all his classmates and family."

"I want three." said Rose happily, smiling at them.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I don't actually know if Return of the Jedi came out in time for this story, but i looked it up and a bunch of video releases came out of it between 1983 - 1995, so i'm guessing with Mr. Balavan's "tiny" muggle obsession, it wouldn't surprise me if he found a way to get a copy, along with the Disney ones as well.<strong>

**OH MY GOD I NEED TO HAVE LILY BE A TEACHER BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF SNILY LOVE IN THIS HUH? YES, I THINK I SO. **


	37. Tournaments

_TERROR AT QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP._

_BUBBLY BLOND REPORTER RITA SKEETER REPORTING._

_It was any other Championship celebration as Ireland overtook Bulgaria in the World Cup final yesterday night (Shockingly, Bulgaia seeker, the young bonbon Viktor Krum, caught the Snitch like it was nothing, yet Ireland won by only ten measly points!) but technical details aside, it didn't put a damper on the celebrations that followed the match's thrilling end!_

_At least under You-Know-Who's few, yet still loyal, followers crashed the party._

_That's correct, around 10 pm that night, flames sprouted all over the campsites surrounding the area, innocent muggles and wizards alike being hung upside-down in the air for the black-hood figures that laughed at their victims humiliation. It seemed like a blink of an eye that Ministry officials were called to scene, but do to their obvious lack of planning beforehand for a problem like this, all of the masked fiends disappeared from view. It was only a minute later that someone hidden in the near-by forest conjuered a Dark Mark into the sky._

_Now for you young readers who are too young to remember, back in He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's reign of terror, this glittering green skull in the sky was His signal for his evil doings. After years of not seeing it after The-Boy-Who-Lived's defeat of the Dark Wizard some fourteen years ago, i can assure you now that it was a nasty shock to any one who saw it first hand!_

_Sources say that Barty Crouch, a noted Ministry official with a nasty case of a wand stuck up where the sun doesn't shine was furious at the ruined campsite. Not only that, but sources also note that his House Elf, named Binky, was reasonable for the now lingering Mark. It was no surprise to anyone that she was found later that night, sobbing with a piece of her former master's clothes clenched in her nubby hands. _

_I ask you this, loyal readers, when will the Ministry take a stand against these dark wizards? When will they finally realise that what they've been doing has been wrong all along? And WHEN will they they realise that navy blue for their Law Enforcement robes are so last season? I, Rita Skeeter, intend to get to the bottom of it, one juicy detail at a time!_

* * *

><p>Fred awoke the next morning on the sofa, frowning when he realised that Sam wasn't still by his side. He pushed himself up, stretching his arms and neck before throwing his legs over the side and pushing himself up into a standing position. He brushed his hand through his dark hair as he walked out of the sitting room to see that the front door was open, letting a gentle breeze in the house. He could hear Evan talking.<p>

"-I assure you sir," said Evan as Fred walked over the threshold and onto the porch. "Whatever is going on at Hogwarts this year is perfectly safe with me, i promise."

Fred smirked when he noticed that his father was sitting on the porch, obviously waiting for him, while Evan was playing his overly brown-noser routine with him for squeeze some sort of information out of him. Fred knew one thing, when he and his sisters had returned home from Hogwarts in what only seemed like a few weeks ago, his parents seemed oddly happy over something they flat-out refused to tell them about, though they hint that "it would come up next year" when they went back to school. Though Fred had the suspicion that it didn't involve him getting his long-awaited little brother that he constantly begged for (emphasis on '_beg_'), he knew for a fact that Evan was definitely not going to loosen any sort of "news at Hogwarts" from his father when he (even Rose and Alice) couldn't even do it.

"At this rate, Wright," said Severus sounding bored at Evan's almost-begging tactic, his elbows resting against his propped up knees. "You're actually going to get less information than everyone else if you keep bugging me about it."

"Like you're going to purposely not know?" asked Evan, frowning.

"Of most certainly." said Severus. He only played this intimidating attitude when he wanted to scaring others into leaving him alone.

Evan pouted. "But-"

Severus rubbed an itch on his nose. "I assure both you," he said, glancing over at Fred from over his shoulder. "You'll know eveything soon enough. The Headmaster would never let, what's the word, '_juicy_' news like this stay hidden for much longer, especially after so many months of planning. Though one of the announcements will probably drive poor Fred here up a wall."

Evan looked at a slighlty-bemused looking Fred and grinned. "In what way, if i may ask?"

"Actually," said Severus, noticing the mischievous smile on Evan's freckled face. "I have the overwhelming feeling that it's how _you'll_ react to the news then what it actually is that will annoy him."

Fred giggled as the ends of Evan's mouth turned downwards again. "Am I _that_ annoying?"

"A little bit, yeah." giggled Fred. Severus smiled as Evan stuck his tongue out at him and turned away to find Zachary, if he hadn't gone home already, of course.

Fred sat next to his father and asked, "So, what is going on this year?"

Severus put a smug smile on his face and said, "I told you already, you'll find out soon enough."

Fred frowned as he heard laughing coming closer from around the house. He turned to his left and saw his mother and Mrs. Balavan talking about something while Lily held some odd, stringy looking yellow plants in her hands.

"Sev," she said happily as she walked over to her husband. "Look at this! Eva's been growing Silverweed!"

"Are you really? How so?" asked Severus as Lily handed a strand of the yellow plant for him to see closer. "I heard it was especially hard to do this time of year."

Eva shrugged her shoulders lazily. "Every so often the soil around here actually matures enough for these plants to grow." Severus turned the plant over and saw tiny, wavy lines of silver interwining with the yellow. "If you don't mind, could I have a few handfuls? I'm sure my N.E.W.T students would appreciate it."

"But of course." said Eva. "Ill go get you some now." Severus got up and put a quick kiss on Lily's cheek. He whispered something to her before following Mrs. Balavan around the house to the apparent garden in the back. When Severus turned the corner and disappeared from view, Fred looked up at his mum and asked, "Can _you_ tell me what's happening at Hogwarts now?" He put on his best begging face, pouting his lower lip and making his eyes big and all as if he was a puppy.

Lily just smiled and said, "Like i said, Freddie, you'll just have to wait to find out."

Someone once said that Patience is the key to joy. Fred thought that was a load of Niffler droppings.

* * *

><p>"Do i <em>have<em> to get these ones?"

"Now Freddie, don't say that, they look spiffy!"

"I don't _wanna_ look spiffy though."

Lily frowned and adjusted the collar on the dress robes she seriously considered buying for him, which were midnight black in colour, a slight hint of blue in them if the light hit them just right. The children didn't know _why_ Hogwarts required dress robes this year, but Rose and Alice didn't complain getting a fancy set of clothes for one reason or another. Fred found it irking, especially since his mother kept refusing him a set of bright green ones that looked like his eyes. Lily thought it looked like that awful shade of green Fred's hair went back when Rose first started Hogwarts.

"How do these look, mum?"

Lily turned as Rose walked out from behind a thick curtain wearing a light green, flowing robe with tiny gold detailing on the sleeves and hem. "Aah," said Lily in an excited voice. "That looks absolutely beautiful!"

"Oh so _she_ can get the green ones," said Fred sarcastically. "Fine, i get it." Fred thought the black robes just made it even harder to distinguish himself from his father. However, he didn't look _exactly_ like him. His features were much softer than due to his mother's genes and of course, he had her eyes, but there was no denying that he still had the same features (including that hooked nose of his) and his lanky frame. At least he wasn't border-lining on looking like a twelve-year old forever like Alice was.

Speaking of Alice, she too walked over, wearing a light pink robes with silver and white details. "Oh, look at my two girls, you look so grown up!" said Lily as Alice turned for her. "Are these the ones then?"

"Can i wear a bowtie with these?" Fred asked, looking at the squat little witch, Madam Malkin, as she walked by.

"I don't see why you couldn't, my dear." she said sweetly.

Fred looked at himself in the mirror on the other side of the room, seeing his sisters's happy expressions all the while. "Red would look good with these."

"You could also tie your hair back," suggested Madam Malkin, eyeing Fred's below-the-the ear lengthed hair.

"And look like a woman?" asked Fred, looking insulted. "I think not!"

"Yes, because spending two hours in the bathroom making sure you looked good with singing in your off-key tone doesn't mean _anything_." said Rose smugly before disappearing behind the thick curtain again to change.

"Honestly," said Fred. "How do you not have a boyfriend yet again?"

Without even looking, Rose poked her hand out from behind the curtain and threw a button at Fred's forehead, which bounced off.

"You son of-" he mumbled as Lily gave him a warning look. He could hear Rose and Alice giggling.

* * *

><p>The Weasley Twins walked down the Hogwarts Express, a spring in their step as they were very excited for the new year as Fred walked behind them, handing out flyers and slipping then under closed compartment doors as they walked.<p>

"Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes!" said Fred Weasley loudly to a few Fifth years girls standing in the doorway of their compartment. "Essential supplies to any trickster in the making! A flyer for your interests, ladies?"

The girls giggled as Fred handed them each a flyer of bright orange and purple advertising their mail-order enterprise. A Ginger-blond haired Hufflepuff winked at Fred before he blushed and turned to follow the Weasley Twins again.

"Oh _my_," said George happily as Fred caught up with them. "I think Acid-Green has an admirer!"

"I do not." he snapped. He didn't know why, but he had the lingering impression that any girl (or a few boys, for that matter, which made Fred blush an even darker shade of pink at the thought of it) only acted nicer to him more than usual either for some weird infatuation they possibly had for him, or that they could get a good word with his father so they could get a good grade on their Potions work without any hard work on their part through their apparent kindness towards his son.

"Ah, i wouldn't say that, Georgie," said his twin. "I think we all know who he _really_ likes."

"I know," said George. "I'm looking mighty fine this year. Thank you for your support, Acid-Green."

"Very funny." said Fred irritably as the Weasley Twins giggled. A gaggle of Third year girls stood talking in the open door of their compartment. Fred Weasley said his whole speech again as the other Fred gave them flyers.

"Hello Frederick!" said an oddly high voice.

He turned to see Charisse Wargrave standing behind him, very much the pale, dark haired and eyed girl she was. He wasn't particularly fond of her (especially since she was just fine only a couple of years ago that his friend, Ginny, was near to death when being dragged into the Chamber of Secrets.) and had successfully stayed out of her company almost all of last year. He noticed now that her sharp attuidite was uncharactiscally bubbly as she smiled unnaturally at him.

"Had a good summer?" she asked. Fred shared blankly, slighly confused and said, "Y-yeah, i guess."

"That's good." she said, not sounding interested at all. "_I_ went to the Quidditch World Cup, did you hear what happened?" she asked quickly, batting her curved-up eyelashes.

"Wasn't there a Dark Mark or something shot into the air after the match?" asked Fred uncomfortably. He knew the story already, everyone did. But he could hear The Weasley Twins biting back laughter behind him and in an usual circumstance he'd be laughing with them, but now he was just uncomfortable.

"Oh yes, thankfully Daddy got us safe and at home before any _serious_ damage happened." said Charisse in a sugary tone. Fred didn't expect that any of You-Know-Who's followers would hurt her family anyway, they were as Pure blood and proud about it as Draco Malfoy was.

"Well," she said happily. "See you at dinner then!" She waved as she bounced off in the opposite direction.

"I lied," said Fred Weasley as he un-bit his lip, still fighting back giggles at Fred's slightly pink face. "Freddie's doesn't have an admirer, he's got a girlfriend!"

"She should invest in a blue wig." said George in an undertone as his twin ruffled Fred's hair jokingly and said, _"They grow up so fast!"_

* * *

><p>Harry always had odd dreams, but never ones that involved Wormtail and the disembodied voice of Voldemort all while seeing it through a supposedly dead man's eyes, but he didn't want to tell them about it, he knew they'd fret over it more than he was. It <em>was<em> just a dream, wasn't it?

"-I'm telling you, the way he was treating Winky was horrendous!" said Hermione for the umpteenth time since the Quidditch World Cup. Harry knew from Dobby (a now freed House-elf who got him into a whole load of trouble back in his Second year) that House Elves weren't particularly well treated by the people they served. Before the match started, they found a tiny, large-earred House Elf, named Winky, saving a seat for her master. (Who it turns out was Barty Crouch, whom they met earlier that day and by what Harry could tell, he was about as fun as a box of over-stuffed Flobberworms, but Percy trailed after him. Not surprising, that was his boss, after all.)

Oddly enough, it was later that night when Winky (who was named 'Binky' in the news report that followed in _the Daily Prophet_ the very next day) that she had conjuring the Dark Mark in the sky, which Crouch lost his impassive facade and lost it on her, releasing her from the duties she so did not want to leave. Hermione was angered severely by it and told everyone who'd listen about this injustice, even with Harry and Ron found it a bit irking.

"I know it's awful, Hermione, but how do you expect to show that they want help?" asked Ina seriously. "Most of them seemed too brainwashed to ever _want_ anything else."

"That's exactly my point," said Hermione, her hair crackling with electricity. "People need to see what their treatment towards them as manipulared them beyond belief!"

"Hermione, please, just let it go-" said Ron in a stressed tone.

"I will most certainly not." snapped Hermione angrily.

You know," said Evan who was trying to stop Harry from putting things in his massive set of blond curls. "My common room is right next to the kitchens-"

"Lucky bastard." said Ron, who even after eating about four Cauldron Cakes was still hungry.

"Yeah well, i see House Elves coming in and out of it all the time and they seem just fine-" continued Evan.

"Wait," said Hermione, cutting Evan off. "There are House Elves _at_ Hogwarts? I've never seen any!"

"Well you're not exactly supposed to see them, are you?" asked Evan uncertainly. "I mean that's the mark of a good one, right? They clean and stuff but you never _see_ them..."

"That's awful!" said Hermione, her face going red. "We've been eating their slaved over food and taking advantage of their labour and for what? Not a single thank you to them whatsoever!"

"If it makes you feel better," mumbled Evan. "I'd never treat them like, i'm sure my dad would be way too happy to have a little help around the house if we had one."

"_Really_?" asked Ron, looking at him. "I always thought the mums wanted House Elves more."

Strangely, at the mention of "mums", Evan's eyes went downcast and he fell silent. The others stared at an awkward looking Ron (who was surely thing 'What did i say?') when the compartment door opened to show a platinum blond boy with an especially pointed chin grinning at them.

"Ah, lookie here boys!" said Draco Malfoy happily, looking at Evan's downturned head and letting Crabbe and Goyle look over his shoulders. "The Mopey Brigate is in full swing!"

"Shut your mouth, Malfoy." snapped Ina. The others stared at her in mild surprise. She was never one to snap out, or even defend Evan, as he pushed her buttons more times than she'd like to admit.

"Ooh, _okay_," said Draco in false fear. "I'll make sure not to poke fun at your boyfriend, Zelena."

Ina's face turned dark pink as Draco looked towards Harry. "So _Potter_, are you joining?"

"Joining what, Malfoy?" asked Harry dully.

Draco raised his eyebrows. "You don't _know_?" He turned towards Rose. "_Surely_ Future Mrs. Potter as already told you?"

Rose's face blushed furiously as she said, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You're kidding." said Draco with a smile. He turned to Ron. "What about you, Weasley?"

Ron's ears turned red as he said, "We have no clue what you're getting at, Malfoy."

"Oh, this is _too_ good!" said Draco triumphantly. "Here we have the bloody daughter of a bloody Hogwarts _professor_ and, what is it? Three kids of Ministry officals and they have _no idea_ what's going at Hogwarts this year? Too good! My father already told me when i came home!"

"Then tell us what's going to happen if you're so eager to say it then." snapped Evan, finally looking up.

"Aah, i don't think so." said Draco happily. "Though i will say this, there's a whole _ton_ of glory and _money_ is involved, so i won't be surprised if Weasley tried at least enter about fifteen times."

Draco turned away from them as he laughed at his cruel joke. Ron stood up and slammed the door shut with so much force that if broke the uppermost glass.

"Don't let him get to you, Ron." said Hermione bracingly as she waved her wand and repaired the glass.

Ron huffed. "He should have gone to Durmstrang. Then no one would know whether he pushed or just slipped on an iceberg!"

"Now Ron," said Rose seriously. "I know _a lot_ of Pure blood prats go there, but you don't have to insult them by lumping Malfoy in with them."

Ron smiled appreciatively. That made him feel a little bit better.

* * *

><p>Rose led the way as she and the twins walked towards the Slytherin table, not bothering to look at the staff table in front of the Great Hall as they took a seat on one of the stone benches. Ina and Sam joined them soon afterwards along with other students as the Hall quickly filled in. The magical ceiling flashed with lightning. It was raining very hard outside.<p>

Fred's stomach gave out a low growl. Alice glanced at him and said, "Didn't you eat anything on the train?"

"No," Fred mumbled. "I was too busy giving out flyers, remember?" He had the thought of how strange Charisse was acting still on his mind.

"Honestly," said Ina, looking up from her book and at Fred. "How many of the items on that thing have you help create?" He had happily took it upon himself to spill about twenty flyers until their compartment door as they made their way down the train.

"Well," said Fred cheekily, grinning. "Most of the fireworks were me, and a good portion of the toys and a few of the potions. I'm personally proud of one invention, it's a gun that punches you in the face-"

"What?" asked Rose, her eyes wide. "Why would you invent that for?"

"Because it's funny, _duh_." said Fred as if that was a silly question. "But there's a cream for the black eyes, so don't you worry about it."

"Oh yeah, that makes me feel _loads_ better." said Rose sarcastically. If she ever ended up on the hitting end of that thing, she'd personally make sure Fred had as black of an eye as she'd get.

A few minutes later, while being led by Professor McGonagall, a new little batch of First years trailing behind, looking terrified and twitchy. By this point, they were so used to the Hat's screaming of the students Houses that they barely paid attention at all, though they did look when Dennis Creevey, the younger brother of the exuberant Colin Creevey in Fred and Alice's year, was sorted into Gryffindor with him .

It was only a few moments later that the golden plates on the long House tables filled with food. Fred groaned in hunger as he grabbed for the food in front of him. The Hall buzzed with the normal chit-chat of what the friends did over the summer. It was almost an hour and a half later, once they had all probably had at least another helping of dessert that the plates cleared and Headmaster Dumbledore stood up from his high-backed seat from the staff table, dressed in forest green robes decorated in tiny, golden stars.

Fred glanced at the other other teachers before returning his attention back to Dumbledore. However, he did a double-take as he noticed someone sitting next to his father, who was making him smile like mad.

What the, no, he as seeing things obviously, why would his _mother_ be there?

"Welcome new comers!" said Dumbledore happily, stretching out his arms. "And do you all who are joining us again, Welcome back! I hope your meals were more than satisfactory."

"Rose," whispered Fred, leaning over the table towards her. She was grinning. "Am i losing it or is that mum up there?"

"No, that's her." she said as she grinned. "Though you are going crazy, there's no doubt about that."

"Obviously i must get to matters of staffing quickly for fear of losing my audience," said Dumbledore, his blue eyes glancing over in the Slytherin table's direction. "As i may, i'm eagerly pleased to announce that Mrs. Snape has agreed to take the teaching position of Muggle Studies this year, as our dear Charity Burbage has moved on to her own column at the Daily Prophet, as i'm sure most of you have heard by now."

Lily giggled as the students clapped respectfully. She turned to Severus and, while putting her hands on the side of his face, pulled their faces together and kissed. The students clapped _much_ louder now, obviously surprised and amused by Severus's blushing face at his wife's sudden action (who knew someone so impassive as a teacher could turn _that_ pink?), not to mention that a handful of them added loud whistles and "GO PROFESSOR!" all the while. Fred didn't even need to turn to towards the Hufflepuff or Gryffindor Tables to know that Evan and the Weasley Twins were being particularly loud while cheering.

"This is a cruel, very sick joke, isn't it?" mumbled Fred, putting his face in his hands.

"You're taking it well then." said Alice. She and Rose seemed much more happy about their mother teaching there than Fred was by a large margin.

"Well, now our dear Potions Master can't give you all detention for public displays of affection, so be happy about that," said Dumbledore, chuckling at Severus's very pleased face when they separated. Lily gave him a quick peck on the nose and went back to sitting in her seat properly. The Weasley Twins gave out one last wolf-whistle before Dumbledore continued, "But there are even _more _exciting matters than just our staffing this year-"

Dumbledore was cut off as a deafening rumble of thunder sounded all around them and the doors of the Great Hall banged open.

A man stood in the large doorway, leaning again his wooden staff and dripping from head to toe from the rain in his black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall turned to look at the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a flashed of lightning that flashed across the ceiling.

He lowered his hood from his scarred, weathered wood like face, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, and began to walk up toward the teachers' table.

They could hear dull _clunk_ echo through the Hall on his every other step. He reached the end of the top table, turned, and limped heavily toward Dumbledore, who didn't look nearly as surprised as everyone else in the hall. Another flash of lightning went off, illuminating the ceiling once again. Alice gave out an audible grasp.

As if his scarred face wasn't terrifying as it is, the lighting showed his face in full form, showing that a very large chunk of his nose was missing and that he was much more intimidating in the proper light. But his eyes, _those_ were something else entirely.

One of them was as normal as anyone else. It was small, beady, and dark, it was hardly impressive in the slightest. The other eye, however, was large and as round as a Sickle, and a vivid, electric blue as Sam's hair. The blue eye was moving to its own accord without even blinking, rolling up, down, and from side to side. At one point it actually _rolled_ right into his eye socket, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all they could see was white of the eyeball itself.

The man reached Dumbledore. He stretched out a hand, which was just as scarred as his face, and Dumbledore shook it, muttering words no one could hear. The stranger shook his head unsmilingly and replied back in an undertone. Dumbledore nodded and gestured the man to the empty seat on his left-hand side.

The stranger sat down, shaking the mane of dark grey hair out of his face. He pulled a plate of sausages toward him, raised it to what was left of his nose, and sniffed it. He took a small knife out of his pocket, speared a sausage on the end of it, and began to eat. His normal eye was fixed upon the sausages, but the blue eye was still darting around in its socket independently, taking in the Hall and the students' wide-eyed faces.

"May I introduce our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher?" said Dumbledore brightly into the stunned silence. "Professor Moody."

"So that's Moody, huh?" asked Rose. She remembered her mother saying something about her and their father knowing a famed Auror named Mad-Eye Moody and working along side him some time before and after she was born.

Though, unlike Lily, Moody was not greeted with applause, especially not any whistles. None of the staff or students clapped except Dumbledore, Hagrid, and Lily, who put their hands together and applauded, but the sound echoed dismally into the silence, and they stopped fairly quickly. Severus gave Lily an raised eyebrow look and she smiled smugly. Everyone else in the Hall seemed rather too transfixed by Moody's bizarre appearance to do anything more than stare at him.

Moody, being completely indifferent to his cold welcome, ignored the jug of pumpkin juice in front of him. He reached into his traveling cloak, pulled out a silver hip flask, and took a long swig from it. As he lifted his arm to drink, his cloak was pulled a few inches from the ground, showing below the table that several inches of carved wooden leg, ending in a clawed foot, was attached to him.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "As I was saying," he said, smiling at the students who were barely listening to him "Though it will mean the suspension of the Quidditch Cup until next year, we are to have the honour of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

A stunned silence followed his words until the Hall filled with even louder buzzing upon registering what he said. Sam looked around in confusion as Fred lifted his face away from his hands and gave Dumbledore his full attention. "You're _joking_!" he said much too loudly.

The tension in the room broke almost instantly. Nearly everyone laughed (they could see that Severus hid his mouth behind his hand, which was surely smiling) and Dumbledore chuckled. "I am not joking, Mr. Snape," he said, smiling at Fred's now excited face, "Though now that you mention it, i _did_ hear an rather excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar..."

Professor McGonagall, being the strict and no-nonsense witch she was, cleared her throat loudly.

"Ah — but maybe this is not the time..no..." said Dumbledore uncomfortably. "Where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament ... well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely."

"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities — until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued."

_"Death toll?_" said Ina in a whisper, looking mortified. Her obvious anxiety did not seem to be shared by the majority of students in the Hall; many of them were whispering excitedly to one another. What's a few measly deaths from hundreds of years ago matter anyway?

"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament," Dumbledore continued, "None of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger." Ina didn't look convinced at all.

"The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October," continued Dumbledore. "And the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money."

"I'm _so_ entering!" Fred whispered excitedly, his face bright from the prospect of such glory and riches that met this Tournament. He definitely wasn't the only one imagining themselves as the Hogwarts champion. At each House table, either every face was turned to Dumbledore, hoping for him to continue or rapidly talking to their fellow house members.

But once Dumbledore spoke again, and the Hall quieted once more.

"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," he said, "the Heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age — that is to say, _seventeen_ years or older — will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This," Dumbledore raised his voice as many people sounded their outrage at these words. Fred almost stood up until Alice dragged him make down again. "Is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion." His light blue eyes flickered around the hall at certain faces. "I therefore _beg_ you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen."

"The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!"

Dumbledore sat down again and turned to talk to Moody. There was was loud bang and scrapping of the benches as all the students got to their feet and swarmed their way toward the doors into the entrance hall.

"'_Seventeen or older',_" repeated Fred in a mocking tone as they followed the Slytherins down to the dungeons. "Like that'll stop me, i'm entering whether he tries to stop me or not."

"I doubt mum and dad will be pleased, Frederick." said Rose. Fred frowned. He was so absorbed into the prospect of the Tournament that he'd completely forgot that his mother was there as well, most likely adding another set of eyes to make sure he wasn't doing anything foolish. "Oh, right."

"_Well_," he said sounding determined. "What if the judge _lets_ me enter? You can't argue with him!"

"I doubt he'd like a little, skinny git like you enter, Fred." said Rose, crossing her arms.

Ina huffed. "Who says it's a '_he_'?"

"If it's a woman, you'd defitinitely know he'd wouldn't get in." said Alice.

Fred stiffened a giggle. "Oh, really mature!" she snapped at his laughing face.

"Oh come on," said Fred, grinning. "You walked right into that one!"

* * *

><p>Harry ate his toast while he watched as Alice transfigured a fork into a tiny lizard. Her tutoring sessions with Matthew last year must have been working.<p>

"Ah, see? I told you that you were improving a lot." said Matthew. Alice smiled appreciatively.

"Oh come on, _really_?" said Fred mournfully, dropping his spoon on his plate and looking towards the front of the Hall. His father and mother had their arms wrapped around each other, giggling over something Lily must have said while Severus placed little kiss on the tip of her straight nose. Fred was seriously regretting not picking Ancient Runes like he originally planned.

"I said we could have sat at the Gryffindor table," said Harry after swallowing his mouthful of toast. "At least then you'd wouldn't have to see that." The Slytherin table was much closer to the giggling couple than the table in red was, seeing as it was at the opposite end of the Hall.

"No, i'm fine." mumbled Fred. "I just don't get why they can't do that in _private_."

"Honestly," said Rose, who was sitting next to Harry. "Say you and, oh i don't know, Sam were snogging, would you like it if someone told you to stop and go do it somewhere else?"

Fred blushed pink as he noticed Sam enter the Hall, her hair now a shade of bright green. Rose giggled at his blushing pink face when Evan walked over. "Hey Freddie," he said happily, his gold-brown eyes twinkling.

"What is it now?" he asked irritably.

Evan smiled. "You know how last year that you told us that your mum would visit sometimes?"

"Yes."

"Well, she's techincally teaching here.."

"_And_?" said Fred, his brows lowered. He didn't think he'd like what Evan was going to say next.

"Oh _nothing_, i just wanted to say something to everyone-" said Evan. Suddenly, he jumped up onto the stone bench next to Rose so he towered over the others in the Hall. He cupped his hands around his mouth like as if it was a megaphone and yelled. "GOOD GRADES IN POTIONS ALL YEAR, EVERYONE! THANK YOU MRS. SNAPE AND YOUR LOVELY PRESENCE! WE THANK YOUR SERVICES EVERYDAY _AND_ EVENING!"

"Oh that is _IT_!" said Fred loudly, pushing himself up from his seat and looking furious.

Evan laughed, jumping off the bench and started running as fast as he could as Fred, despite the food, stepped onto the table and jumped off it, chasing after Evan with out-strutted arm in front of him.

"THIS IS NO WAY TO ACT WHILE YOUR PARENTS ARE HERE!" yelled Evan as Fred chased after him angrily. They vaulted over tiny Professor Flitwick as he strolled into the Hall, who looked mighty ruffled once he realised that he was a miniature obstacle to Fred's chase. The other students laughed and cheered as they ran up and down and all around the place.

"This is going to be one interesting year, isn't it?" asked Harry, watching as Evan and Fred ran down the length between the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables.

"Definitely." said Rose, noticing that her mother looked particularly embarrassed as her son finally chased Evan out of the hall altogether.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: You can all thank me later.<em>**


	38. The Bouncing Ferret

**AN: I'M NOT KILLING LILY. PLEASE DON'T WORRY ABOUT.**

* * *

><p>Despite Fred's immediate embarrassment at first, Lily's kind-hearted teaching easily won her students over, who were used to the complete opposite with her husband's style of teaching. Noticeably, Severus seemed to be in a <em>much<em> better mood now that he could easily walk down the corridors while holding her hand and sneaking her a quick kiss before they departed for the next session classes. Though the first years did not realise it, the older students were especially appreciative of it.

"This class is way more fun to be in now." said Harry as they watched the potion in his cauldron hiss into a emerald green colour.

"Thank you for your input, Potter." said Snape, not looking up from the Sixth year essays that he was grading. "I wouldn't do that if i were you, Finnigan, it'll make your eyes pop out."

Seamus, who for some reason dripped his finger into his cauldron for taste-testing, immediately wiped his then-green tinged finger on his robes hurriedly. Dean giggled as Seamus whispered, _"What? _I wanted to taste it, i reckon it'd taste like green apples."

"Not worth the awkward trip to the hospital wing, Finnigan." said Snape. The class giggled as Harry looked over his shoulder at Rose. "Your mum should have done this _years_ ago."

"You think i don't know that?" asked Rose.

Mad-Eye, much like Lily, was getting a warmer welcome than he had originally received at the Start of Term Feast. Unlike Lily, however, he was getting noted for his, let's say, _hand-on_ style of teaching.

"He's ruddy terrifying," said Matthew after his first class with him a few days late. "But he really _knows_ how it's like out there, you know what i mean? He's _seen_ it."

"Still doesn't explain why he has a bloody fake eyeball though." said Harry. He had the fleeting impression that Moody's magical eye was watching others, seeing as some cowered when they walked near him, either it be in between classes or in the Great Hall.

"He probably got into a battle with a massive Grindylow," said Fred seriously. "You know like, they're fighting then -BAM-! The bloody thing takes his eye out."

Matthew frowned. "How'd you get that one?"

Fred shrugged. "I doubt he'd accidently poke it out with a spoon, now would he?"

"I don't think so." said Matthew said uncertainly. He was a bit oblivious sometimes.

"Well lookie, you seem in a much better mood." said Evan happily, walking over with a bit of a swagger in his step. "Has you mum teaching here finally sunk in yet?"

Fred gave a mocking smile. "Oh yes, your little outburst in the Great Hall a few days ago is just a thing of the past now."

"Goodie," said Evan. "Because my ear still hurts from you whacking it."

"I jumped you and whacked you in the ear," said Fred. "I could have done much worst."

"What's you and whacking my ears for?" asked Evan. He remembered going to Hogsmeade last year and, by some ridiculous circumstance, some sort of invisible person flicked him in the ear. Very strange.

"At least you're both even now." said Matthew.

"Or at least until your mummy starts calling you "Freddieweddiekins" in class." said Harry with a grin. Matthew and Evan laughed as Fred's mouth went thin.

* * *

><p>"Oh my god! It blew up on me!"<p>

They didn't exactly know _why_ Hagrid had such a fascination with deadly creatures, but these Blast-Ended Skrewts were just ridiculous.

Harry, with the aide of Ron and Hermione, tried to keep their Skrewt at bay as they watched the other students struggle with theirs. Harry stiffened a laugh as he saw Sam come over, while being dragged by a particularly fat Skrewt, looking almost bored with her feet flat and not losing her balance on the wet ground.

"And people think dogs are better than _this_?" yelled Sam sarcastically to them. "Hardly! A dog can bite while this will blow up on you, loads better!"

"Sam! Get back here!" said Ina anxiously as she and Rose trailed after her. "We're supposed to keep them _alive_, not use them for transportation!"

"Then what's the point of them anyway?" asked Ron in an undertone. Harry frowned. Ron had a point, what where they for besides almost killing if you got too close to them?

Draco found them completely useless. "I can perfectly see why we want to keep these alive." he said scratchily. "Who wouldn't want pets that can burn, sting, _and_ bite all at once?" Crabbe and Goyle gave a laugh which sounded like grunting.

"I think we should just stamp 'em out." said Ron seriously an hour later as they trekked back to the castle for lunch. 'They'll eat us alive if we don't."

"Well that's very nice," said Ina. "Just because they aren't particularly nice doesn't mean they're not , uh..." She trailed off.

"Useful?" said Ron. "As if. Once Hagrid figures out what they eat, they'll be grow to be six feet tall, i reckon."

Later, when they had once again found themselves in Professor Trelawney misty presence in the North Tower, she set them all upon their next "major" assignment for the year.

"It's time to focus on the stars," she said, her eyes magnified by her thick, very round glasses. "The movements of the planets and the mysterious portents they reveal only to those who understand the steps of the celestial dance. Human destiny may be deciphered by the planetary rays, which intermingle with the time of each and every one of your time of birth."

It was after her obviously falsified claim to Harry (who wasn't listening, as per usual) that his "obvious" sign of birth meant he was born in midwinter, when he was really born in July, she set them off to their dull work.

"Great," mumbled Rose as she looked at her chart. "Apparently i'm born under a masculine sign, Frederick will love that one. Let's see, i'm under Saturn and Uranus. What does that mean?"

"It says you're unorthodox but intelligent." said Ina, flipping through her textbook. Rose smiled smugly. "I'm alright with that."

"I thought you would," said Ina. She scribbled another calculation on her chart and looked up. "What about you, Sam?"

"Hmm," said Sam, biting her lip as she looked over her own chart. "I got Mars and Pluto."

"So you're passionate and loyal but fiercely competitive," read Ina aloud, flipping through her textbook once again. "Wonder what you're competitive about though, you're not one to play Quidditch..."

Sam frowned. She did notice that a certain Third year named Charisse was being rather _fond_ of Fred, which made Sam very unpleased, to say the least.

"You don't have to play a sport to be competitve," said Rose. "I mean, people fight over who dates who all the time, and that's not a sport."

"Or who gets the last piece of Lemon Tart at dinner." said Ina in an afterthought. Rose laughed. "Yeah, that too."

At the end of the class, sounding very much like Professor McGonagall than her usually airy self, Trelawney set them a load of work afterwards for the up coming Monday involving a detailed analysis of the way the planetary movements in the coming month will affect them, with reference to your personal chart.

"Miserable old bat," said Ron bitterly as they exited the class and joined the crowds making their way down the staircases to the Great Hall for dinner.

"I told you," said Hermione brightly as caught up with them. "You should picked Arithmancy instead of that foolish class. Professor Vector didn't give us any homework at all!"

"Well, bully for Professor Vector," said Ron moodily, his freckled face annoyed.

"Aw, i thought was interesting, actually." said Ina in an undertone. Ron ignored her.

They reached the entrance hall, which was packed with people queuing for dinner. They had just joined the end of the line, when a loud voice rang out behind them.

"Weasley! Hey, Weasley!" Harry sighed as the turned. Malfoy with his little cronies were standing there, each looking immensely pleased for one reason or another.

"What?" said Ron, not sounding or looking pleased at all to see Draco at all.

"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!" said Malfoy, brandishing a copy of _the Daily Prophet_ and speaking rather loudly, so that everyone in the packed entrance hall could hear. "Listen to this!

_FURTHER MISTAKES AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC_

_It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."_

Malfoy looked up. "Ha! They didn't even spell his name right! It's almost as though he's a complete nonentity, isn't it, Weasley?" he crowed rather rudely.

Everyone in the entrance hall was listening now. Malfoy straightened the paper with a flick of his wrist and read on:

_"Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers ("policemen") over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr. Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of "Mad-Eye" Moody, the aged ex-Auror_  
><em>who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley<em>  
><em>found, upon arrival at Mr. Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen, but refused to answer Daily Prophet questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene.<em>

"And guess what? There's a _picture_!" said Malfoy, flipping the paper over and holding it up for everyone to see. "A picture of Weasley's parents outside their  
>house, if you can call it a house! Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?" he said, looking at Ron.<p>

Ron was red in the face and shaking with fury. Everyone was staring at him rather tensely.

"Get stuffed, Malfoy," said Harry. He grabbed Ron's sleeve. "C'mon, Ron..."

"Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you, Potter?" sneered Malfoy loudly. "So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?"

"You know your mother, Malfoy?" said Harry, the back of his robes grabbed by Ron and Rose as to stop him from launching himself at Malfoy. "That expression she's got, like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because _you_ were with her?"

Malfoy's pale face went a light shade of pink. "Don't you _dare_ insult my mother, Potter."

"Keep your fat mouth shut, then," said Harry, turning away and lifting up his foot to walk away.

_BANG!_

Almost half of the people in the packed hall screamed. Sam covered her eyes out of impulse as Harry felt something strange and white-hot graze the side of his face. He forced his hand into his robes for his wand, but before he'd even touched it, he heard a second loud _BANG_, and a roar that echoed through the entrance hall.

_"OH NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE!"_

Harry spun around. Professor Moody was limping down the marble staircase. His wand was out and it was pointing right at a pure white ferret, which was shivering on the stone-flagged floor, exactly where Malfoy had been standing.

There was a terrified silence in the whole hall. Nobody but Moody was even moving a muscle. Moody turned to look at Harry at least, his normal eye was looking at Harry; the other one was pointing into the back of his head.

"Did he get you?" Moody growled. His voice was low and grizzled, almost like his tough face.

"N-no," said Harry. "He missed."

_"LEAVE IT!"_ Moody shouted.

"Leave what?" Harry said, sounding bewildered.

"Not you — _him_!" Moody growled angrily, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at Crabbe, who had just frozen, about to pick up the white ferret. Moody's eye must have seen through the back of head.

Rose thought for a moment. Why would Crabbe go for a ferret for? Unless...no, that would be _too_ good to be true...

Moody started to limp his way toward a terrified looking Crabbe and Goyle, and, of course, the white ferret, which gave a terrified squeak and took off, streaking toward the dungeons.

"I don't think so!" roared Moody, pointing his wand at the ferret again. It flew ten feet into the air, fell with a smack to the floor, and then bounced upward once more.

"I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned," growled Moody as the ferret bounced higher and higher, squealing in pain. "Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do..."

The ferret flew through the air, its legs and tail flailing helplessly. Rose almost felt bad for a moment, but then she remembered how much of an insufferable prat Malfoy was and went back to being amused at the scene.

"Never — do — that — _again_ —" said Moody, speaking each word as the ferret hit the stone floor and bounced upward again.

"Professor Moody!" said a shocked voice. They turned to see Professor McGonagall was coming down the marble staircase, looking rather appalled.

"Hello, Professor McGonagall," said Moody calmly, bouncing the ferret still higher.

"What — _what_ are you doing?" said Professor McGonagall, her beady eyes following the bouncing ferret's progress through the air.

"Teaching." said Moody, the ferret going up and down all the while.

"Teach-? Moody, is that a _student_?" shrieked Professor McGonagall.

"Yep." said Moody.

"No!" cried Professor McGonagall, running down the stairs and pulling out her wand; a moment later, with a loud _SNAP!_, Draco Malfoy had reappeared, lying in a ruffled heap on the floor with his sleek blond hair all over his now brilliantly pink face. He got to his feet, wincing and looking shaken.

"Moody, we _never_ use Transfiguration as a punishment!" said Professor McGonagall weakly. "Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?"

"He might've mentioned it, yeah," said Moody, scratching his chin unconcernedly. "But I thought a good sharp _shock_-"

"We give detentions, Moody! Or speak to the offender's Head of House!" snapped McGonagall, cutting him off.

"I'll do that, then." said Moody, eyeing at Malfoy with great dislike.

Draco, whose pale eyes were still watering with pain and humiliation, looked up at Moody in equal loathing and muttered something were the words "my father" were easily distinguishable.

"Oh yeah?" said Moody quietly, limping forward a few steps, the dull _clunk_ of his clawed leg echoing around the silent hall. "Well, I know your father of old Mad-eye, boy. You tell him Moody's keeping a close eye on his son. You tell him that from me. Now, your Head of House'll be Snape, will it?"

"The male one. Yes." said Malfoy resentfully, his eyes narrowed.

"Very funny, boy. Another old friend," growled Moody. "He'll love this one, yes he will. Come on now."

Moody seized Malfoy's upper arm and marched him off toward the dungeons.

Professor McGonagall stared anxiously at them for a few moments for walking away from the crowded hall.

"What'd i miss?"

Rose turned to her right and saw Fred towering over her, looking bemused at the now buzzing hall, which was now full of chatting of what just happened.

"Oh my _god_," said Harry. "How in the _hell_ did you miss that?"

"Miss _what_?" aked Fred, looking confused.

"Didn't you see Moody turn Malfoy into a ferret?" asked Rose. Ron was standing on the other side of her, staring into space with an extremely pleased expression on his face.

Fred's face went rigid. "I missed _that_? Are you serious?"

"Yep." said Ron happily. "Draco Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret... I never want that image out of my head ever."

"That's _it_, i'm never going to the bathroom again, i always miss the cool stuff when i do." said Fred irritably.

"That's sounds unhealthy." said Hermione.

"It's a figure of speech." said Fred, crossing his arms over his chest. "Where's Malfoy now then?"

"Moody's taking him to see your dad." said Hermione.

"Not unless he and the Misses are making the Beast-with-two-backs," said Evan quickly, moving past Fred like a blond blur. "Then i wouldn't count on it."

"I'm both impressed by his Shakespearian knowledge but also throughly angered at his insinuation." said Fred quietly, sounding like a blank robot. "Excuse me, i have to go rip every single blond hair off his head."

"He's such a nice kid." said Rose as Fred turned on his heel and stormed into the Great Hall, looking mutinous.

* * *

><p>"Now, according to the Ministry of Magic, I'm supposed to teach you countercurses and leave it at that. I'm not supposed to show you what illegal Dark curses look like until you're in the Sixth year. But Dumbledore's got a higher opinion of your nerves, he reckons you can cope, and I say, the sooner you know what you're up against, the better. How are you supposed to defend yourself against something you've never seen? A wizard who's about to put an illegal curse on you isn't going to tell you what he's about to do. He's not going to do it nice and polite to your face. You need to be prepared. You need to be alert and watchful. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"<p>

The class jumped for seemed like the umpteenth time at Moody's random mantra to keep them on their toes. Matthew was right, he _was_ terrifying.

"So... do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?"

It was obvious who grew up in a magical family and grew up hearing this curses as several hands went into into the air.

Moody pointed at Ron, though his magical eye was still going about the room in its creepy way.

"Er," said Ron uncertainly, not expecting to be picked out of all the other students who had their hands up as well. "My dad told me about one... Is it called the Imperius Curse, or something?"

"Ah yes," said Moody with a note of gratefulness in his voice. "Your father would know that one, wouldn't he? Gave the Ministry a lot of trouble at one time, the Imperius Curse."

Moody clunked heavily to his desk on his mismatched feet, opened his desk drawer, and took out a glass jar full of three large, black spiders. Ron's face went pale as he recoiled on his seat. He wasn't a fan of spiders, if you couldn't tell.

Moody reached into the jar, caught one of the spiders in his scarred hand, and held it on his palm of his hand so the whole class could see it. He then pointed his wand at it and muttered lazily, "_Imperio_!"

The spider leapt from Moody's hand on a fine thread of silk and began to swing backward and forward as though on a trapeze. It stretched out its legs rigidly, then did a back flip, breaking the thread and landing on the desk, where it began to cartwheel in circles. Moody jerked his wand, and the spider rose onto two of its hind legs and went into what was unmistakably a tap dance.

Everyone was laughing, except for Moody.

"Think it's funny, do you?" he growled. "You'd like it, would you, if I did it to you?"

The laughter that arose died suddenly.

"Total control," said Moody quietly as the spider balled itself up and began to roll over. "I could make it jump out of the window, drown itself, throw itself down one of your throats-"

Ron gave an involuntary shudder.

"Years back, there were a lot of witches and wizards being controlled by the Imperius Curse," said Moody. Anyone with any knowledge of the past decade knew that he was talking about the time Voldemort had been all-powerful. "Some job for the Ministry, trying to sort out who was being _forced_ to act, and who was acting of their own free will."

"The Imperius Curse can be fought, and I'll be teaching you how, but it takes real strength of character, and not everyone's got it. Better avoid being hit with it if you can. _CONSTANT VIGILANCE!_" he barked loudly. Everyone jumped once again. Sam even out her hands over heart as if she was almost ran over by a train.

Moody picked up the somersaulting spider and threw it back into the jar. "Anyone else know one?"

Surprisingly, Neville's hand went upwards. Neville only seemed to ever help in Herbology, which was easily his best subject.

"Yes?" said Moody, his magical eye fixing on Neville's round face.

"There's one — the Cruciatus Curse," said Neville in a small but all-too distinct voice.

Moody was looking very intently at Neville, this time with both eyes.

"Your name's Longbottom, Yes?" he said.

Neville nodded nervously, but Moody made no further inquiries. Turning back to the class at large, he reached into the jar for the next spider and placed it upon the desktop, where it remained motionless, apparently too scared to move.

"The Cruciatus Curse," said Moody. "Needs to be a bit bigger for you to get the idea," he said, pointing his wand at the spider. "_Engorgio_!"

The spider swelled up in size. Ron muttered "Oh my _god_." before, almost looking like he was about to faint, pushed his chair as far from Moody's desk as possible.

Moody raised his wand again, pointed it at the spider, and muttered, "_Crucio_!"

At once, the spider's legs bent in upon its body. It rolled over onto its back and began to twitch horribly, rocking from side to side. You didn't need to hear it to tell that it had a voice, it would have been screaming at the moment. Moody did not remove his wand, and the spider started to shudder and jerk more violently more and more-

"Stop it!" Hermione said shrilly. Her gaze was fixed not on the spider, but on Neville.

Sam, who was sitting behind him, put her hands on his shoulders to attempt to calm him down. Neville's hands were clenched upon the desk in front of him, his knuckles white and his eyes wide and horrified.

Moody raised his wand. The spider's legs relaxed, but it continued to twitch.

"_Reducio_," Moody muttered, and the spider shrank back to its proper size. He put it back into the jar.

"_Pain_," said Moody softly. "You don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse... That one was very popular once too..."

"Right then. Anyone know any others?" he asked, looking around the class expectantly.

From the looks on everyone's faces, they were all wondering what was going to happen to the last spider. Hermione's hand shook slightly as she raised it into the air.

"Yes?" said Moody, looking at her.

"Avada Kedavra." Hermione whispered.

Several people looked uneasily around at her as she muttered teh words. Harry galnced to his left and saw that Rose was staring at the desk in front of her, a little paler than usual.

"Ah," said Moody, another slight smile twisting his lopsided mouth. "Yes, the last and worst. Avada Kedavra. The Killing Curse."

The third spider scurried around as Moody put his hand into the glass jar, trying to avoid his fingers before Moody trapped it and placed it on teh wooden surface of his desk. It still scurried around the surface, as if it tried to avoid was coming next.

Moody raised his wand to it. Every breath in the class was at a stand-still.

"_Avada Kedavra_!" Moody roared.

There was a flash of blinding green light and a rushing sound, as though a vast, invisible something was soaring through the air. Instantaneously the spider rolled over onto its back, unmarked, but unmistakably dead. Several of the students stifled cries at the sight of it. Rose couldn't help but think about that odd story her grandmother told them about how those nasty Riddles died so suddenly.

Moody swept the dead spider off the desk onto the floor. "Not nice," he said calmly. "Not pleasant. And there's no countercurse. There's no blocking it. Only one known person has ever survived it, and he's sitting right in front of me."

Harry's face went red as everyone in the class looked towards him, calculation him with curiosity.

"Avada Kedavra's a curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind it — you could all get your wands out now and point them at me and say the words, and I doubt I'd get so much as a nosebleed." explained moody, detaching his gaze from Harry's frozen face. "But that doesn't matter. I'm not here to teach you how to do it."

"Now, if there's no countercurse, why am I showing you? Because you've got to know. You've got to appreciate what the worst is. You don't want to find yourself in a situation where you're facing it. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he roared once again, and the whole class jumped again.

"Now... those three curses — _Avada Kedavra, Imperius, _and_ Cruciatus_ — are known as the Unforgivable Curses. The use of any one of them on a fellow human being is resulting in a one-way ticket to Azkaban. That's what you're up against. That's what I've got to teach you to fight. You need preparing. You need arming. But most of all, you need to practice constant, never-ceasing _vigilance_. Get out your quills and copy this down..."

The class was in silence as they spent the rest of the lesson taking notes on each of the Unforgivable Curses.

When they were excused, a torrid flurry of talking bursted out once they departed into the hall.

"Do you think he'll get in trouble with the Ministry if they knew he did that?" asked Sam, whose hair turned shades of pale brown through out the whole lesson, looking tense.

"I don't think so," said Ina in an undertone. "He's probably the best Auror they ever had, they'd never get in trouble if he's still alive and willing to hunt for anymore Dark wizards in the world. He's more of an action first, ask questions later fighter."

Rose turned to see Moody limped towards Neville, who looked just as distraught as in the class, as Moody whispered something to him. He then told Neville by the shoulder and directed him back towards his office. Neville didn't look particularly happy about it, though.

* * *

><p>"Hello," said Hermione happily the next day at breakfast as she walked to the Slytherin table, looking throughly pleased with herself.<p>

"What's up with you?" asked Fred between mouthfuls of fried egg, looking towards Harry and Ron, who stood behind her, looking a bit awkward.

"What's in the box?" Sam asked, pointing at it.

"Funny you should ask," said Hermione, who gave a nasty look at Ron over her shoulder. She took off the lid and showed them the contents. Inside were about fifty badges, all of different colours, but all bearing the same letters:_ S.P.E.W._

"What's 'Spew'?" said Sam, looking closer to make sure she read it correctly.

"Not _spew_," said Hermione impatiently. "It's S-P-E-W. Stands for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."

"We tried to stop her-" said Harry.

"But she wouldn't listen to reason." said Ron.

"I do have a reason, and that's how complelety abused the House Elves are being treated!" snapped Hermione to the both of them.

"So, how many members have you got?" asked Rose politely.

"Well — if you lot join — eight," said Hermione. "If i can get Matt, Evan, and Zach on board as well, we'd be in the double-digits!"

"And you think they want to walk around wearing badges saying 'spew,' do you?" mumbled Ron.

"S-P-E-W!" said Hermione hotly, shooting daggers at Ron. "I was going to put Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Our Fellow Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal Status — but it wouldn't fit. So that's the heading of our manifesto."

"Aw, S.O.A.O.F.M.C.C.C.T.L.S would have sounded so nice too." pouted Fred.

She pulled out a piece of parchment and brandished it at them. "I've been researching it thoroughly in the library. Elf enslavement goes back centuries. I can't believe no one's done anything about it before now."

"Hermione — open your ears," said Ron loudly. "They. _Like_. It. They like being enslaved!"

"Our short-term aims," said Hermione, speaking even more loudly than Ron, and acting as though she hadn't heard a word, "are to secure house-elves fair wages and working conditions. Our longterm aims include changing the law about non-wand use, and trying to get an elf into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, because they're shockingly underrepresented."

"We're by recruiting members," said Hermione, turning from Ron and Harry. "I thought two Sickles to join — that buys a badge — and the proceeds can fund our leaflet campaign. Are you in?"

They looked at each other uncertainly. Rose stared at Fred, who mysteriously winced and after a moment, bent down and yanked his money pouch out of schoolbag. Hermione smiled and jabbed Ron in the arm. Ron mumbled something under his breath and pulled out a collection tin. Fred put his hand into the pouch and grabbed a handful of silver Sickles. When they landed on the bottom of the tin, they could tell that it was much more than just two Sickles.

"I'll pay for their admission." said Fred, looking at Harry's confused face.

"Really?" said Hermione, her eyes shining. "Thank you so much!" She looked over Ron's shoulder and counted the money before grabbing eight pins from the box gingerly handing them to him.

"Obviously you could't have done that _yourself_?" asked Fred as Hermione led Ron and Harry away and back towards the Gryffindor table.

"It would have looked much better if you did it." said Rose sweetly, grabbing a pin for both herself and Alice (where was she anyway?) from his hand and flipping it in her hand. She may or may not kicked Frederick under the table to make him pay for the pins. "Now where am i gonna put this?"

"I'm putting it next to my Manchester United one," said Fred, lifting his school bag up and pinning it next to the gold and red pin. He had much too many on his bag. "I'll go give Matty and Zach theirs."

"What about Evan?" asked Ina, taking two pins for her and Sam.

"I'll pin it to himself myself," said Fred. "If i poke him a little too hard, than he'll have to deal with it."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Fred and Evan have such a healthy relationship. Very loving.<strong>

**(Also, i had to get that Shakespeare reference in there somewhere.)**


	39. Beauxbatons and Durmstrang Arrive

Harry tried to keep the impending thought of Sirius flying back North (this is the last time he writes that his scar is hurting to him for a while!) as a new announcement went around the school; The students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were coming the day before Halloween.

"This is so exciting!" said Lily happily, holding Severus' arm as they watched from the upper level of the stairs as the students read the announcement, which was placed right next to the doors of the Great Hall. "If only we had this when we went here, that would have been so interesting to see."

"Oh yes, i can imagine that either James or Sirius would have been more than eager to put their names in for consideration." said Severus.

"Only if we were in our Seventh year, of course." said Lily matter-of-factly.

"Like age would have stopped them," smirked Severus. "Just wait, once they start the whole "submit your name" part, i can guartnee you know that a few underage students will try to get in."

Lily sniffed. "Honestly Sev, you're so morbid. What are the chances of someone not seventeenbeing chosen?"

"Considering this school's history," said Severus seriously. "Fairly high."

The students, however, had amuch brighter outlook on it.

"Where is Beauxbatons anyway?" asked Sam as October 30 rolled around. The Houses lined up according to year and were marching their way into the grass facing the Black Lake just outside the castle.

"France, i think." said Ina. "Of course, no one knows really, all the schools are umplottable."

"What the hell is that?" asked Fred, walking front with Alice, who wasn't in a good mood. Branin Haskell, a Fourth year in Ravenclaw, was a dark hair, icy eyed boy who despite his constant trials to win her over, always found his way under Alice's skin. She didn't particularly find it amusing that he'd boast about being a werewolf (scratch that, a _half_-werewolf) when she knew someone who had to suffer from the full bout of the condition while he thought it was something to brag about.

"It means you can't find it on a map," said Ina simply. "I bet Durmstrang is too. Though they have fur capes in their uniforms, they must be from up north."

"Very fashionable." said Fred. The lines stopped suddenly as they reached the edge of the lake. Fred screeched to halt and accidentally bumped into Charisse's back.

"Oh, someone's frisky today!" said Charisse, winking her eye at his embarrassed face. "Save it for later, big boy."

Fred's face flushed red as Sam's hair spiked a deep red colour, making her look like she knocked-off Rose's hair. Admittedly, maybe the whole "the Planets have an effect you" might be a little accurate on her part considering the whole "jealousy" thing.

"Be quiet!" snapped Severus, looking down his hooked nose at the First years queued in front. "The Headmaster specifically said to not embarass yourselvves in front of the other schools!"

"So that's a 'No' to walking around in a rainbow wig and clown nose then?" whispered Evan, who was in the Hufflepuff line, right next to the Slytherin one and bending his head towards Ina.

Ina smirked. "i doubt you'd be able to work that look."

"Oh but i could try." said Evan smugly. The Four Heads of House gave stern looks to their students and they all went silent.

"This is _boring_." said Fred after a few eerily quiet minutes.

"Shut up or i'm throwing you in the Lake." whispered Rose from the side of her mouth.

"You realise that you're incredibly short compared to me, right?" smiled Fred. He had a point, He was towering over a good portion of the younger Slytherins in line. Rose frowned and remained silent.

"When did it say they'd get here?" asked Sam again after getting impatient.

"Six." said Ina once again. The ends of her mouth turned downwards. 'How are they getting here anyway?"

"Of they know how to make an enterance," whipsered Fred. "They'd arrive on the back of a dargon."

"What's with you and dragons?" asked Alice.

"I like dragons." shrugged Fred.

It was a few moments later that Dumbledore called out from the back row where he stood with the other teachers. "Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"

"Where?" said many students eagerly, all looking in different directions.

"There!" yelled a sixth year, pointing over the forest as something large flew over it.

"It's a dragon!" shrieked one of the first years, losing her head completely.

"Aha! i knew it!" said Fred triumphantly, throwing his fists into the air.

"Don't be stupid, Fred, it looks like a flying house!" said Sam absentmindedly. Hopefully it wouldn't '_accidentally_' land on Charisse, that would be _so_ awful.

Her guess was much closer as the gigantic black shape skimmed over the treetops of the Forbidden Forest and the lights shining from the castle windows hit it. They saw a gigantic, powderblue, horse-drawn carriage, the size of a large house, soaring toward them, pulled through the air by a dozen winged horses, all palominos, and each the size of an elephant.

"I reckon Hagrid will love those." whispered Branin to Zachary in the Ravenclaw line. Zachary nodded, looking a bit anxious as the carriage got closer.

The front three rows of students drew backward as the carriage hurtled ever lower t ground, coming in to land at a tremendous speed. Then, with an almighty crash that made a good handful of students jump backwards onto their neighbours' feet, the horses' hooves, larger than any normal horse should have, hit the ground. A second later, the carriage landed too, bouncing upon its vast golden wheels, while the golden horses tossed their enormous heads and rolled large, fiery red eyes at the students.

"Blimey." said Fred breathlessly. "Those look _way_ cooler than dragons." Rose had to physically stop herself from rolling her eyes.

Before the carriage door opened, they saw the school emblem (which were two crossed, golden wands, each emitting three stars). A boy in pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage, bent forward, fumbled for a moment with something on the carriage floor, and unfolded a set of golden steps.

"Classy." said Branin. "They must be loaded."

The boy in blue sprang back respectfully. Then a a much too large, shining, high-heeled black shoe emerged from the inside of the carriage followed almost immediately by the largest woman any of them had ever seen in his life. The size of the carriage, and of the horses, was immediately explained. A few people gasped.

You could argue that was Hagrid was the next biggest person compared to her; Yet somehow — maybe simply because everyone was _used_ to Hagrid's massive size — this woman (who was now at the foot of the steps, looking around at the waiting, wide-eyed crowd) seemed even more unnaturally large. As she stepped into the light flooding from the entrance hall, she was revealed to have a handsome, olive - shaded face; large, black eyes; and a rather beaky nose. Her hair was drawn back into a tight knob at the base of her neck. She was dressed from head to foot in black satin, and many magnificent opals gleamed at her throat and on her thick fingers.

"Lookin' good." said Fred with a nod of his head. At this rate, no one knew whether he was joking or not.

Dumbledore started to clap; the students, following his lead, broke into applause too, many of them standing on tiptoe or craning their necks upwards to better to look at this woman.

Her face relaxed into a gracious smile and she walked forward toward Dumbledore, extending a glittering hand to him. Dumbledore, though tall himself, had barely to bend to kiss it.

"My dear Madame Maxime," he said. "Welcome to Hogwarts!"

"Dumbly-dorr," said Madame Maxime in a deep voice. "I 'ope I find you well?"

"In the most excellent form, I thank you," said Dumbledore.

"My pupils," said Madame Maxime, waving one of her enormous hands carelessly behind her.

The students turned towards the carriage, now noticing that about a dozen boys and girls, who by the look of them, were in their late teens, had emerged from the carriage and were now standing behind Madame Maxime. They were shivering, given that their robes seemed to be made of fine silk, and none of them were wearing cloaks. A few had wrapped scarves and shawls around their heads.

Rose frowned as she noticed that they were staring up at Hogwarts with apprehensive looks on their faces.

" 'As Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madame Maxime asked.

"He should be here any moment," said Dumbledore. "Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?"

"Warm up, I think," said Madame Maxime. "But ze 'orses —"

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them," said Dumbledore, "The moment he has returned from dealing with a slight situation that has arisen with some of his other — er — charges."

"Ruddy Skrewts." muttered Sam, grinning. "Hopefully they didn't get lose, imagine them running around the grounds..."

"My steeds require — er — forceful 'andling," said Madame Maxime, looking as though she doubted whether any Care of Magical Creatures teacher at Hogwarts could be up to the job. "Zey are very strong..."

"I assure you that Hagrid will be well up to the job," said Dumbledore, smiling.

"Very well," said Madame Maxime, bowing slightly. "Will you please inform zis 'Agrid zat ze 'orses drink only single-malt whiskey?"

"It will be attended to," said Dumbledore, also bowing politely.

"Come," said Madame Maxime imperiously to her students, and the Hogwarts crowd parted to allow her and her students to pass up the stone steps.

"Now Durmstrang," said Fred seriously. "They'd have dragons, i'm counting on it."

"I keep believing that, Frederick." said Rose.

For a few minutes, the silence was broken only by Madame Maxime's huge horses snorting and stamping their massive hoofs on the ground. But of course, the silence didn't last for long.

"Is it just me," asked Ina uncertainly. "Or does anyone else think it sounds like a giant tub just got unplugged?"

"The lake!" yelled Lee Jordan from Gryffindor suddenly, pointing down at it. "Look at the lake!"

The Black lake, which was usually smooth as a sheet of glass on normal circumstances, was now uneasy, rolling and bubbling from the middle of the Lake itself, a giant hole appearing in the middle of it.

"It's a mast!" said Harry loudly, his voice carrying over the crowd.

Slowly, thought very magnificently, the skeletal-like ship rose out of the water, gleaming in the moonlight, it's dim, foggy windows like ghostly eyes.

"I lied, that's way cooler." said Fred.

Finally, with a great sloshing noise, the ship emerged entirely, bobbing on the turbulent water and began to glide toward the bank. It was few moments later that they heard the splash of an anchor being thrown down in the shallows, and the thud of a plank being lowered onto the bank.

They knew the students were disembarking, seeing as they could see their silhouettes passing the lights in the ship's portholes. Maybe it was the light, but they looked rather bulky-built.

Of course, as they reached the gleaming lights of the castle, they saw that they were wearing cloaks of a kind of shaggy, matted fur. But the man who was leading them up to the castle was wearing furs of a different sort: sleek and silver, like his hair.

"Dumbledore!" he called heartily as he walked up the slope. "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore replied. Karkaroff had a fruity, oily voice; when he stepped into the light pouring from the front doors of the castle they saw that he was tall and thin like Dumbledore, but his white hair was short, and his goatee (finishing in a small curl like Sam's father) did not entirely hide his rather weak chin. When he reached Dumbledore, he shook hands with both of his.

"Dear old Hogwarts," he said, looking up at the castle and smiling; his teeth were rather yellow, and they could see that his smile did not extend to his eyes, which remained cold and shrewd. "How good it is to be here, how good. . . . Viktor, come along, into the warmth . . . you don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold..."

Karkaroff beckoned forward one of his students. As the boy passed between the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor lines, Rose caught a glimpse of a prominent curved nose and thick black eyebrows.

"Oh my god," said Fred, his eyes wide in shock. "It's Krum!"

"Who's Krum?" asked Ina.

Fred looked offended. "I'm going to pretend i didn't hear that."

"Well, who is he?" asked Sam, frowning.

"He's the best bloody Seeker alive!" he said breathlessly. "I had no idea he was still in school!"

"Didn't his team lose the Quidditch Cup though?" asked Alice.

"Minor details." said Fred, waving her comment off.

* * *

><p>Once they reached the warm Great Hall for dinner, Rose noticed that the Beauxbaton students had picked the Ravenclaw table. A particularly willowy girl, whose grim-looking face was now free of the shawl that was once around her head, revealed her to be very stunning in looks, her silvery-blond hair long and her blue eyes wide and sparkling. The fact that she was sitting next to Zachary (who was pink in the face) made Rose feel oddly angry at the girl, for some reason.<p>

"I wonder where the Durmstrang lot is gonna sit," said Fred, looking at them at the front of the Hall. They didn't look like they knew where to go.

His question, however, was answered as Karkaroff motioned them towards the Slytherin table.

Fred looked like he might faint. "Oh my god, Rose, move, Krum needs to sit over here."

"What? No he doesn't, he can sit wherever he wants." snapped Rose angrily. She didn't see what was so great about Krum anyway, he might have been nice, but Fred _never_ acted like this unless it was someone off Doctor Who (Trust her, he got to met both Tom Baker AND Peter Davison on two separate occasions, he almost fainted afterward each time,)

"Can i sit 'ere?" asked a thick accented voice. Fred almost passed out when they looked up to see the curved nose Krum looking at them.

"Y-yeah, sure." said Rose a bit awkwardly. Krum bowed to her slightly and sat next to her. Fred had to grip the table for moral support, looking slightly dazed.

"'z he alright?" asked Krum, noticing Fred's almost green-tinged face. Puking on him would probably not win him any autographs any time soon.

"Oh i'm _fiiine_," said Fred, sounding as if he drank too many butterbeer in one sitting. "Just fine, yeah."

Sam giggled at Krum's bemused face as he took of his thick fur cloak, which revealed his blood-read uniform underneath. Rose turned to see Draco only a few seats away from them, looking a bit mad. She smirked and turned away from him.

Krum picked up the golden goblet in front of him and nodded his approval before looking at the black, starry sky above them. "Amazing."

"It is, isn't it?" said Fred dreamily, looking like a slopping schoolgirl. Rose and Alice glanced at each other and giggled at Fred's ridiculousness.

Up at the staff table, Filch, the caretaker, was adding chairs. He was wearing his moldy old tailcoat in honor of the occasion. It was strange seeing that he added four chairs, two on either side of Dumbledore's.

"There's only two more people here, though." said Ina uncertainly. "Who else is coming?"

Not much longer later, the staff entered, filing up to the top table and taking their seats. Fred tried not to frown as he noticed that his parents had their little fingers hooked to each other.

Last in line were Professor Dumbledore, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime. When their headmistress appeared, the pupils from Beauxbatons leapt to their feet. A few of the Hogwarts students laughed. The Beauxbatons party appeared quite unembarrassed, however, and did not resume their seats until Madame Maxime had sat down on Dumbledore's left-hand side.

"Respectful lot, aren't they?" mumbled Sam as the students in blue sat back down.

Dumbledore remained standing, and a silence fell over the Great Hall.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and — most particularly — _guests_," said Dumbledore, beaming around at the foreign students. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."

The Beauxbatons girl with silvery hair gave a derisive laugh at that.

"No one's making you stay!" Rose whispered, bristling at her with narrowed eyes.

"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," said Dumbledore. "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"

He sat down, and Karkaroff lean forward at once and engage him in conversation.

The golden plates in front of them filled with food as usual. The House elves in the kitchen seemed to have pulled out all the stops; there was a greater variety of dishes in front of them that none of them knew about, including several that were _definitely_ foreign.

"Our castle iz much smaller than this one," said Krum between mouthfuls, looking around the Hall. "We only 'ave two stories and it's mostly cold for most of ze year, but we have ze great mountains, so we fly during ze warmer months."

Fred hanged on his every word. Krum looked towards the staff atble. 'Our your parents up zere?"

"Huh?" asked Fred, snapping out of thought. "Oh, uh, yeah, they are. How could you tell?"

"You look like that one in ze black cloak." said Krum, pointing to Severus, who was whispering something to Lily, which was making her smile.

Krum looked at Rose and Alice. "You liek se woman besides him, iz that yer mothzer?"

"Yeah, that's them." said Rose. She narrowed her eyes when she noticed that Karkaroff was glanced at her parents from the corners of his eyes rather coldly. What's up with him?

No more than an half hour later, teh new additions to the staff table arrived. A large-bellied man with a curly blond hair and a rosy face was now sitting on Professor Karkaroff's other side, while a stony-faced man with a pencil-thin moustache, was next to Madame Maxime.

"What are they doing here?" said Ina in surprise.

"They must have organised the Triwizard Tournament." said Alice certainly. "I suppose they wanted to be here to see it start."

"Now who are they?" asked Sam, pointing her fork at the man with the large belly.

"_That's_ Ludo Bagman," said Fred. "Old Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps. World famous, pretty brilliant back in is day."

"'E iz not very nice." said Krum in an undertone. "I heard 'e has a might of ze gambling problem."

Once the golden plates had been wiped clean after another serving and dessert, Dumbledore stood up again. A pleasant sort of tension seemed to fill the Hall  
>now.<p>

"The moment has come," said Dumbledore, smiling around at the sea of upturned faces. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket, though just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation" — there was a smattering of polite applause — "and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

There was a much louder round of applause for Bagman than  
>for Crouch, perhaps because of his fame as a Beater as Fred said, or simply because he looked so much more likable. He acknowledged it with a jovial wave of his hand. Bartemius Crouch did not smile or wave when his name was announced.<p>

"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore continued, "and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts."

Dumbledore had noticed their sudden stillness at the mention of "champions", as he smiled and said, "The casket then, if you please, Mr. Filch."

Filch, who had been lurking unnoticed in a far corner of the Hall, now approached Dumbledore carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels. It looked extremely old. A murmur of excited interest rose from the watching students. Some of the smaller students even went stood up on the benches for a better look.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman," said Dumbledore as Filch placed the chest carefully on the table before him, "and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways. Their magical prowess — their daring — their powers of deduction — and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."

"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament," Dumbledore went on calmly. "One from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."

Dumbledore now took out his wand and tapped three times upon the top of the casket. The lid creaked open. Dumbledore reached inside it and pulled out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It would have been entirely unremarkable had it not been full to the brim with dancing blue-white flames.

Some of the students gave out surprised "Ahhs" as Dumbledore closed the casket and placed the goblet carefully on top of it, where it would be clearly visible to everyone in the Hall.

"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet," said Dumbledore. "Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete."

"To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation," said Dumbledore seriously. "I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line." Fred gave out a sniffed giggle at that.

"Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play  
>before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all."<p>

"I'm entering whether it kills me or not." said Fred seriously as the students got up to leave for bed. Krum wrapped his cloak around him and said, "Thank you for ze kindness, mizzies and mizter." He bowed at them and departed after the other Durmstrang students, who were queuing at the door, surely heading back to their docked ship.

"Damn," mumbled Fred. "I could have let him have my bed too."

"Maybe next time." said Rose with a held back giggle.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: ROSE VS. FLEUR FIGHT. IT'S ON NOW.<strong>


	40. Goblet of Fire

"So how am i supposed to submit my name if this damn thing is in the way?"

"You're _not_, that's the point."

Fred frowned at the shimming gold line that circled the Goblet on its perch, which had now moved to the middle of the ground, just in front of the staff table. No one's surprise, a few students, each of ranging years and houses, just lingering around the Goblet, almost as if they expected it to stop being an immobile object and start doing the tango right in front of them.

Fred poked his foot at the line. It made his toes, even with the protection of his shoes, feel like they were burning and he snapped his foot back. "Well shoot, this is not how it's supposed to work."

Rose sat on the edge of one of the Ravenclaw benches. "_Hello_, Dumbledore said _only_ seventeen and older could enter, why else would he make an age line for? Really, how old are you now?"

"I'm almost fourteen, if you must know person who _should_ know my birthday anyway since we ruddy _live_ _together_." said Fred quick and scratchily.

Rose shrugged lazily and crossed her arms. Zachary frowned at the line. "Why would you want to join anyway?"

"Because, you know,_ eternal glory._" said Fred dreamily, putting his hands in front of him and making the movement of large banner in front of him. The large Oak doors of the Great Hall opened, snapping Fred out of his dreamy state to see a line of heavy-cloaked Durmstrang students marching towards the Goblet, with Karkaroff bringing up the rear, looking just as intimidating as he tried to perceive himself to be.

Krum led them towards the cup of dancing blue flames and easily passed over the golden age line without the slightest flinch. He took a small shard of parchment, which had his name and school written on it in rough handwriting, and put it into the Goblet. It burned briefly red and emitted tiny sparks when the parchment entered it until it turned back to its cool blue a few seconds later. He stepped aside towards the Ravenclaw table to let the others go behind him.

Krum stared in the direction of the Gryffindor table. "Vho is that?"

"Hmm?" said Fred, going at once into his ridiculous fan mode. Krum pointed towards Hermione, who was nose-deep into a thick textbook as Ron and Harry sat near her, watching the Goblet while muching on toast.

"That's Hermione Granger," said Zachary, who wasn't particularly famished that a famous Quidditch player was talking to any of them. "Why do you ask?"

Krum looked at him. "Does she alvays read like that?"

"Well, yeah, that's sorta her thing." said Rose uncertainly.

"She's very pretty." said Krum in an undertone. Rose and Zachary glanced at each other with raised brows and suppressing grins as Krum noticed that his fellow Durmstrang students were done and followed them out of the Hall.

"Oh my," said Rose with a hint of a smirk. "I think Hermione got an admirer."

"Don't we all." said Fred, frowning slightly as he saw Charisse and her friend, with a wild mass of ginger hair on her head, walk by and bandishing their curved up eyelashes at him. "Man, why can i get _cool_ girls to like me?"

Rose held back the urge to say that she _did_ think a certain blue-locked girl did like him, but she was interrupted as another set of students marched through the Hall doors, this time the Beauxbatons, walked primly towards the Goblet, a clean piece of light blue parchment in each of their hands, all with their names written in fancy, curved writing.

"What are they going to do once they pick a champion?" asked Alice, who sat near her sister.

Rose shrugged. "Probably just hang around here. Maxime is staying here to judge, so i wouldn't be surprised."

"Come one, come all!" said a loud voice. They turned to see the Weasley Twins half-marching towards the Goblet, with Harry, Ron, and very sceptical looking Hermione trailing behind them.

George and Fred looking extremely excited for some reason.

"Are you sure you don't want any, Acid-Green?" whispered Red Weasley as he got closer to them.

"I'd rather not push my chances." Fred whispered back with a grin.

"Or dear ol' Mummy will yell you senseless?" asked George happily. "But don't you worry, we'll thank you in our acceptance speech when we win."

"Done it." his twin triumphantly. "Just taken it."

"Taken what?" said Alice, her brows furrowed.

"The Aging Potion, my dear." said Fred Weasley sweetly.

"One drop each," said George, rubbing his hands together. "We only need to be a few months older anyway."

"You know that's not going to work." said Hermione in a warning tone. They ignored her.

"Ready?" George to his twin. They both smiled to each other. "C'mon, then — I'll go first —"

They watched in fascination as The two of them, both identical to the last freckle, each pulled a slip of parchment out of their robe pocket (each bearing their names) and walked right up to the edge of the line and stood there, rocking on their toes like a diver preparing for a fifty-foot drop. Then, with the eyes of every person in the entrance hall upon him, they took a dramatic breath and stepped over the line in sync with each other.

It certainly looked like it worked for a spilt second as they stood there triumphantly, smiling smugly at Hermione until a moment that a loud sizzling sound filled the entire Hall, and both twins were hurled out of the golden circle as though they were connected to ropes and someone very strong yanked them out.

They landed painfully, ten feet away on the cold stone floor, and to add insult to injury, there was a loud popping noise, and both of them sprouted identical  
>long white beards.<p>

The entrance hall rang with laughter. "Lookin' good!" yelled Fred with cupped hands over his mouth to magnify his voice down the hall. The Weasley Twins even joined in the laughed as soon as they regained their balance on their feet and tugged on each other's beards.

"I _did_ warn you," said a deep, amused voice, and everyone turned to see Professor Dumbledore standing in the doorway.

He surveyed the Twins, his eyes twinkling. "I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr. Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though I must say, neither of their beards is anything like as fine as yours."

* * *

><p>"Has anyone from Hogwarts entered?" asked Matthew an hour later as they were finishing their breakfast, trying to keep from one of the live bats they used for Halloween decorations from dropping anything into his drink.<p>

"A few, i think." said Alice. "I know we saw some Hufflepuff enter."

Matthew turned towards the table in Yellow. A group of Hufflepuffs were crowded around one a tall, burly and very handsome boy with dark hair and grey eyes. The girls were batting their eyelashes at him and giggling at anything he said.

"Ah, Cedric entered?" asked Matthew, turning back to them. "He'd be a good champion."

"Who's Cedric?" asked Ina.

_"Who's Cedric?"_ asked a shocked voice. Matthew truned and saw Evan standing behind him, his hands on his hips. "I'll tell you who Cedric Diggory is. He's about the best one in our whole House, he is-"

"And a Prefect." said Rose, noticing the golden badge pinned to his robes.

"You would notice that, wouldn't you?" asked Evan. "Speaking of you, Cedric says hi, Rose."

Rose blushed red as Fred turned and grinned her mischievously. "Oh my. About time! I need to see Dad being all defensive about you two." He waved towards her and Alice.

"What do you mean?" asked Rose, looking flushed.

"Because you're both at that age were boys will start fancying you!" he said happily.

"And why would that matter?" snapped Alice.

"Honestly, Al, do you really think he wouldn't rip any guys' head off if he knew someone fancied either his daughters?" said Fred, smiling. Zachary and Matthew gave each other wide-eyed looks. Matthew mouthed '_Damn_.'

"He just said hi, that doesn't mean he fancies me, he's just being nice." said Rose as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You keep believing that." said Fred. "

"Well Dad wouldn't do that," said Alice seriously. "He'd be happy for us."

Fred stiffened a giggle. "_Sure_, maybe eventually. But just you wait. Once you two start getting boyfriends-"

"If he doesn't prevent that from happening in the first place." said Sam.

"Yes, if you somehow avoid that." said Fred, grinning at Sam. "Mum will think it's all _cute_ because, you know, it's obviously adorable," Fred put a sinister twist on his voice. "But _Dad,_ on the other hand_,_ would be off it and would try to separate you lot from each other at any costs."

Fred got up from his seat. "So if you and Diggory start going at it, which trust me, the quiet types _always_ are, don't be surprised if he mysteriously disappears the next day." He extended his hand towards Sam. "Samantha, there's a _nasty_ Herbology essay i must finish by Monday, would you care to join me in finishing it?"

"Oh most certainly." she said, taking his hand and getting up gingerly. He grinned as they walked away from them, whispering something to her and making her laugh.

"I swear on Merlin's y-fronts," said Evan shaking his finger at them. "If they aren't secretly snogging behind closed doors then nothing sacred anymore."

"Says the boy who constantly makes cracks that his parents are doing much more than just kissing in their spare time." said Ina quickly. Evan pouted as they others laughed at Ina's remark.

* * *

><p>"Is it time yet?"<p>

"Shut it, we have to wait until Dumbledore's done eating."

"Well he needs to speed it up, i can't wait any longer."

Fred frowned and put his chin on Alice's head. Her face turned a blotchy red colour, looking like the red uniform that Krum wore.

Like Fred, nearly everyone was constantly their craning necks with impatient expressions on their faces and fidgeting, it was more than obvious that they all just wanted the plates to clear and to hear who had been selected as champions.

After what seemed like centuries of slowly waiting, the golden plates returned to their original spotless state.

"Sweet mother of Gallifrey," whispered Fred, grabbing the edge of the table. "Do not speak man, just pick."

There was a sharp upswing in the level of noise within the Hall, which died away as instantly as Dumbledore got to his feet. On either side of him, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime's faces looked as tense and expectant as anyone in the Hall. Ludo Bagman was beaming and winking at various students.

"Well someone has a broomstick up his bum," said Rose, noticing how completely uninterested Mr. Crouch looked.

"Well, the Goblet is almost ready to make its decision," said Dumbledore. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber," He waved his his hand to indicate the door behind the staff table. "Where they will be receiving their first instructions."

He took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were put out, plunging them into a state of semidarkness. The Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall.

"This suspense is killing me." moaned Fred, unwrapping his hands from the table and propping his elbows on it, resting his chin on his hands.

"I think you'll live, Frederick." said Rose.

The flames inside the goblet turned suddenly red. Sparks began to fly from it. Next moment, a tongue of flame shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it. The whole room gasped.

Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm's length, so that he could read it by the light of the now blue-white flames.

"The champion for Durmstrang," He read in a strong, clear voice which echoed through the hall. "Will be Viktor Krum."

Krum rose from his seat from his seat as a storm of applause and cheering swept the Hall. He slouched up toward Dumbledore, shook his hand brieftly, and turned right, walked along the staff table, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber.

"No surprise there!" said Fred through the cheering.

"Bravo, Viktor!" boomed Karkaroff, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the applause. "Knew you had it in you!"

"A little boastful, isn't he?" asked Sam, leaning close towards Ina so she could hear. Ina nodded.

A second later, the Goblet's flames turned bright red as a second piece of light blue parchment shot out of it, propelled by the flames.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," said Dumbledore, "Is Fleur Delacour!"

_'So that's her name.'_ thought Rose as the girl with silvery-blond hair got gracefully to her feet from the Ravenclaw table and swept up between the it and Hufflepuff one.

"Wow, they look isappointed." said Alice over the noise, pointing toward the remainder of the Beauxbatons party at the Ravenclaw table.

That was a bit of an understatement on Alice's part. Two of the girls had dissolved into tears upon not being chosen and were sobbing with their heads on their arms.

When Fleur Delacour too had vanished into the side chamber, silence fell again, but this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it.

The Goblet of Fire turned red once more, sparks showering out of it as the tongue of flame shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment.

"The Hogwarts champion," He called, "Is Cedric Diggory!"

"Yay Rose's boyfriend!" said Fred loudly as Rose shot daggers at him, but nobody heard him except those sitting next to him, seeing as the uproar from the Hufflepuff table was far too great.

Every single Hufflepuff had jumped to their feet, screaming and stamping, as Cedric made his way past them, grinning broadly, and headed off toward  
>the chamber behind the teachers' table after a quick handshake from Dumbledore. The applause for Cedric went on so long that it was some time before Dumbledore could make himself heard again.<p>

"Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily as at last the cheering finally died down. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very _real_-"

Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking, and it was very apparent to everybody in the Hall what had distracted him.

The fire in the Goblet had turned red again. Sparks were flying out of it. A long flame shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment.

"What the-?" whispered a few audible voices.

Automatically, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it. There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the room stared at Dumbledore. Dumbledore cleared his throat and read  
>out —<em> "Harry Potter.<em>

Fred huffed. "That's a good one."

Rose turned to him, her eyes wide from shock and worry. Fred's smile flattered. "Is this _not_ a joke?"

* * *

><p>Matthew and Fred sat outside the Great Hall, their backs against the stone wall. After Maxime and Karkaroff coming out with their stricken looking champions, Cedric and Harry finally stepped out of teh Hall. Cedric nodded to them before heading back to the Hufflepuff basement.<p>

"You alright?" asked Matthew as he and Fred got up, looking at Harry's paler-than-usual face.

Harry gulped. "N-no, not really."

"You didn't actually put your name into the Goblet, did you?" asked Matthew delicately.

"Of course not! Why would i?" said Harry defensibly.

"What'd they say?" asked Fred, leaning towards Harry.

"I have to compete, no questions." said Harry weakly.

"_What_?" they both said loudly, waking a few sleeping paintings. "No, they can't, you're way too young to-"

"Crouch said i have to, if the Goblet picks me than i'm bound to compete until the end, it's the magical contract and all that." said Harry.

"Well that's a load of bullocks." said Fred.

"Did the professors have anything to say about it?" asked Matthew.

Harry shrugged. "Not really, though your dad was actually on my side" He looked towards Fred.

Fred grinned. "You can thank me later."

Harry sighed. "You don't reckon i'll get a whole ton of backlash for this, do you?"

"I don't think so," said Matthew. "Though the Hufflepuff lot looked pretty mad when we were excused after you disappeared into that chamber."

"They probably think Gryffindor is trying to steal their thunder." said Fred, rolling his eyes. "They've got Cedric, don't they? More chance for Hogwarts to win anyway."

"Evan isn't cursing my name now, is he?" asked Harry. He got the memory of how venomous the Hufflepuffs were to him back in his Second year. Of course, Evan was on his side then, bit he didn't know whether he would be now that a matter of pride was involved in this as well.

"Nah, we caught up with him before he got to his dorms," said Matthew. "He's more surprised than angry."

"He's like our little, blond ball of sunshine that also just happens to be our bridge to badgers and lions living in harmony." said Fred in a sugary tone.

For the first time since his name flew out of the Goblet, Harry actually laughed.

Fred smiled and patted him on the back. "I'll leave you two to it then, We'll be rooting for you."

Harry gave him a look of appreciation before Fred turned on his hell and headed back towards the dungeons.

"Wait 'til you see the Common room," said Matthew as they made their way up the stairs to the Gryffindor Tower. "You'll love it."

Harry nodded but wasn't really listening. When he was being interrogated by the teachers as to how and why his name was chosen, Moody was the first to voice his theory as to why he, out of everyone else was picked for a champion. Simply put, he said it was someone's plan to _kill_ him, seeing as how deadly the Tournament could be.

Maybe it was just being his usual paranoid self, but could someone have put Harry's name in the goblet as some sort of a sick practical joke that went to far, too fast?

No one really wanted them dead, right?

Well, except Voldemort, of course. But how could Voldemort have made sure that Harry's name would have been put into the Giblet, much less have it be chosen as well? He supposed to be far away, in some distant country, in hiding, alone, feeble and powerless...

Then again, there was that dream he had just over the summer that he told no one except Sirius in his letters to him, but even then they didn't get into detail about how he had been talking to Wormtail, plotting Harry's murder...

"Balderdash," said Matthew's voice, snapping Harry out of thought. Harry got a shock to find himself facing the Fat Lady already. He had barely noticed where his feet were carrying him.

Surprisingly, they also saw that she was not alone in her frame. A wizened looking witch (Who just happened to be a portrait that had flitted into her neighbor's painting when he had joined the champions downstairs) was now sitting smugly beside the Fat Lady. She must have dashed through every picture lining seven staircases to reach here before they arrived. They were both looking down at him with keen interest.

"Well, well, _well_," said the Fat Lady, "Violet's just told me everything. Who's just been chosen as school champion, then?"

"I said Balderdash," repeated Matthew dully.

"It most certainly isn't!" said the pale witch indignantly.

"No, no, Vi, it's the password," said the Fat Lady soothingly, and she swung forward on her hinges to let them into the Common room.

The blast of noise that met Harry's ears when the portrait opened almost knocked him backward. Matthew's auburn-brown hair rushed backwards from teh sheer voice of the noise, looking as if he was in a wild wind storm.

Next thing Harry knew, he was being wrenched inside the Common room by about a dozen pairs of hands, and was facing the whole of Gryffindor House, all  
>of whom were screaming, applauding, and whistling.<p>

"What did i tell you?" bellowed Matthew, finding Harry once again in the crowd.

"You should've told us you'd entered!" yelled Fred Weasley, looking half annoyed, half deeply impressed.

"How did you do it without getting a beard? Brilliant!" roared George.

"I didn't," Harry said. "I don't know how —"

"You'll be able to pay back Diggory for that last Quidditch match, Harry!" shrieked Katie Bell, a Gryffindor Chaser on their Quidditch team.

"We've got food, Harry, come and have some —"

"I'm not hungry, I had enough at the feast —"

Nobody wanted to hear that he wasn't hungry, though. Nobody wanted to hear that he hadn't put his name in the goblet; not one single person seemed to have noticed that he wasn't at all in the mood to celebrate at all, actually.

The Weasley Twins unearthed a Gryffindor banner from somewhere, and had _insisted_ on draping it around Harry like a cloak, tying it tightly so Harry couldn't just rip it off.

Harry couldn't get away; whenever he tried to slide over to the staircase up to the dormitories, the crowd around him closed around him, badgering him on how he had done it, how he had tricked Dumbledore's Age Line and managed to get his name into the Goblet...

"I'm tired!" he bellowed finally, after nearly half an hour of the questions. "No, seriously, George — I'm going to bed —"

He wanted more than anything to find Ron and Hermione, anyone with a bit of sanity, actually, but neither of them seemed to be in the Common room.

Insisting that he needed to sleep, Harry managed to shake everyone off and climb up to the dormitory as fast as he could.

To his relief, he found Ron was lying on his bed in the otherwise empty dormitory, still fully dressed. He looked up when Harry slammed the door behind him.

"Where've you been?" Harry said. "Matt and Fred were waiting outside the Great Hall for me..."

"Oh hello," said Ron, sounding like he wasn't hardly listening to him. He was grinning, but it was a very odd, unusually strained sort of grin.

Harry suddenly became aware that he was still wearing the scarlet Gryffindor banner that the Twins had tied around him. He hastened to take it off, but it was knotted very tightly. Ron lay on the bed without moving, watching Harry struggle to remove it.

"So," he said, when Harry had finally removed the banner and thrown it into a corner. "_Congratulations_."

"What d'you mean, '_congratulations_'?" said Harry, staring at Ron. There was definitely something wrong with the way Ron was smiling: It was more like a grimace, actually.

"Well, no one else got across the Age Line," said Ron. "Not even Fred and George. What did you use — the Invisibility Cloak?"

"There's no way the Invisibility Cloak wouldn't have got me over that line," said Harry simply.

"Oh _right_," said Ron. "I thought you might've told me if it was the cloak, because it would've covered both of us, wouldn't it? But you found another way, did you?"

"Listen," said Harry, "I didn't put my name in that Goblet. Someone else must've done it."

Ron raised his eyebrows. "What would they do that for?"

"I dunno," said Harry. He felt it would sound very melodramatic to say what Moody's guess was.

Ron's eyebrows rose so high that they were in danger of disappearing into his hair. "It's okay, you know, you can tell me the truth," he said. "If you don't want everyone else to know, fine, but I don't know why you're bothering to _lie_, you didn't get into trouble for it, did you? That friend of the Fat Lady's, that Violet, she's already told us all Dumbledore's letting you enter. A thousand Galleons prize money, eh? And you don't have to do end-of-year tests either... It's a good deal, isn't it?"

"I didn't put my name in the Goblet!" said Harry, starting to feel very angry now.

"Yeah, okay," said Ron, in exactly the same sceptical tone as Cedric had when he asked how Harry entered. "Except you said this morning you'd have done it last night, and no one would've seen you, remember? I'm not stupid, you know."

"You're doing a really good impression of it," Harry snapped, his face red.

"Yeah?" said Ron, leaving no trace of a forced grin or not on his face. "You want to get to bed, Harry. I expect you'll need to be up early tomorrow for a photo-call or something."

He wrenched the hangings shut around his four-poster, leaving Harry standing there by the door, staring at the dark red velvet curtains, now hiding one of the few people he had been sure would believe him.

* * *

><p>Without Ron on his side, Harry felt oddly lonely, even though he still had the others standing behind (though Harry had the lagging feeling that Evan was still a bit suspicious of him) but Ron, he was Harry's first <em>real<em> friend, they went through thick and thin together and now Ron refused to speak to him. The only other time Harry felt this singled-out was back when everyone thought he was the Heir of Slytherin, but even then he had Ron backing him up. Hermione said he was "jealous of being under his famous friend's shadow", but it still angered Harry how Ron refused to listen to him. All of Gryffindor supported him, of course, Hufflepuff loathed him now, Ravenclaw had their doubts, and Slytherin... Well they're Slytherin, you know how they are.

Harry now sat there in a tiny broom closet, glowing in the light of the floating candles after an incredibly dull Wand Weighting ceremony, watching Rita Skeeter's Acid-Green (Harry smirked slightly as it reminded him of Fred's little Weasley Twins' nickname for him) coloured Quick-Quote Quill going at it quickly on a piece of parchment.

Harry had heard of his woman before by Rose's little off-handed ranting. Apparently Skeeter wasn't particularly nice or factual when it came to her writing, which usually undermined whoever she wrote about and usually over-exaggerated herself and her looks. Harry believed it, she had rough, strong-chinned face, thick hands and fingers, and her curled, bright blond hair was frozen to her head.

"So tell me, Harry," she said, raising an penciled eyebrow to him and putting her fingers together, causing her bright pink, long nails to clank against each other. "Here you sit, a mere boy of twelve..."

"I'm fourteen." said Harry weakly.

_"..._About to compete against three students," Rita continued as if Harry didn't talk. "Who are not only _vastly_ more emotionally mature than yourself, but who've mastered spells that you wouldn't attempt in your dizziest daydreams." She put her heavy chin on two of her knuckles. "_Concerned_?"

Harry furrowed his brows. "I dunno, I haven't really thought about it..."

"Because you're no ordinary boy of twelve, are you?" asked Rita.

"Fourteen." repeated Harry.

Rita smiled, showing a few golden teeth. "Your story's _legend_. Do you think it was the trauma of your past that made you so keen to enter such a _dangerous_ tournament?"

_"_No, I didn't enter." said Harry, feeling like he had said that for about a thousand times by now.

_"_Of course you didn't." said Rita, winking. "Everyone loves a rebel, Harry." She whispered, grinning her golden teeth at him.

"Speaking of your parents," she said suddenly, straightening her back. "_Were_ they alive, how do you think they'd feel? Proud? Or _concerned_ that your attitude shows, at best, a pathological need for attention? The worst psychotic death wish."

Harry's eyes glanced at her notes. "Hey, my eyes aren't glistening with the ghosts of my past!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I just want to ask, what's your favourite couple so far in this? I'm just wondering. <strong>


	41. Horntails

"Honestly Harry, i don't get why you couldn't have just left that back at your dormitory."

"And have everyone _stare_ at me? No thank you."

Rose gave Hermione a sidelong glance and they both sighed, rolling their eyes at Harry's _insistence_ of walking around Hogsmeade under his Invisibility Cloak. At least they both agreed to go with him together. If only one went, it would have looked like they were talking to themselves.

"C'mon, let's get a Butterbeer or something," said Rose, tightening her green and silver scarf around her neck as the mid-November wind breezed past them. "I'm freezing."

"It's not that cold." said Harry's disembodied voice.

"Says the boy under a ruddy cloak." said Hermione scratchily. She and Rose grabbed each of his upper arms. "Come along, Potter."

"Since when were we going by last names?" asked Harry, being pulled against his will towards the Three Broomsticks pub.

As they walked they noticed a very stricken and annoyed looking Draco Malfoy outside of Honeydukes. Even though some bruise removing cream was put on it, the shadow of his eye still had a slight purplish tint to it.

"You've got a right-hook, Rose." said Harry, looking at Draco.

"Well that's what he gets for wearing those stupid pins." she said, thinking the bright, snot green coloured pins bearing the words _POTTER STINKS_ on them. "And making Hermione's teeth get all big too."

"Ah, but your dad getting mad at him was the best, Malfoy looked freaked." said Harry, glancing at Hermione, who's teeth looked much smaller than the usual buck-teeth he was used to on her. Maybe Madam Pomfrey shrunk them a little too much.

Hermione smirked. "Sugaring either of us with compliments will not stop us from getting a drink, Harry."

"You mean that didn't even work a little bit?" said Harry, acting like he had no idea that he was doing that in the first place.

When they entered the warm pub, they directed themselves to an empty table in the corner. Rose flicked her brother in the ear, who was on his first ever Hogsmeade trip with Alice, as they pasted them at their own table.

"Love you too, Red!" called Fred after her over his shoulder.

"I'll get the drinks," said Rose, taking her scarf and coat off and throwing them on the back of her chair. Harry sat in between her seat and Hermione, still under his Cloak.

Harry looked around the pub at the laughing groups of students and villagers alike. He wondered if he'd be like that had his name not be picked from the Goblet. Not a care in the world whether or not he'd survive the First Task (which was for November 24th) when the time came.

The past few weeks weren't going particularly well for him. Ron still refused to speak to him. Draco made '_POTTER STINKS'_ pins, which most seemed to love, until Rose, showing one of her few public fits of anger, punched him in the eye. Of course, Harry was sure that since Draco and his little cronies were also insulting Neville and hit Hermione with a hex that caused her teeth to grow incredibly long when Neville jumped them, Harry still thought it was pretty impressive, even though the situation wasn't one he was happy to be in. Skeeter published an awfully exaggerated article about him, which didn't win him any favours whatsoever. Only to add to this flurry of emotions, Harry was positive that he was suffering from a thrashing crush.

Her name was Cho Chang. She was a year older than him in Ravenclaw, playing Seeker for her house Quidditch team. She was very popular and pretty, with dark hair and eyes that sparked in the light. Harry didn't feel better that she hardly seemed to notice anything more about him than some goofy Gryffindor with ruffled hair and a scar on his head.

"Oh, hello Professor."

Harry snapped out of thought, looking up at seeing Hagrid, with shaggy hair and beard obscuring most of his face, and Moody standing next to him, his blue eye surveying the pub.

Rose came back carrying three glasses of Butterbeer in her hands. "'Ello Rose." said Hagrid, looking down at her.

"Hi Hagrid," she said, the glasses in her hands clinking. "What are you two here for?"

"Gettin' a drink o'course." said Hagrid briskly. Moody's magical eye focused at the empty spot where Harry sat. "Nice cloak, Potter."

Rose and Hermione flushed red. "That's silly, sir, why would Harry be here-?" said Rose, not sounding convincing at all.

"If he ain't here than why in the world would you have three Butterbeers for?" asked Moody roughly.

Rose frowned at the drinks clenched in her hands. "You're not a good of a liar as most Slytherin are, i'm afraid," said Moody. "It takes _practice_."

After a stunned moment, Harry's voice said, "Can your eye — I mean, can you — ?"

"Yeah, it can see through Invisibility Cloaks," Moody said quietly. "And it's come in useful at times, I can tell you."

Hagrid was beaming down at Harry too. Harry knew Hagrid couldn't see him, but Moody had obviously told Hagrid he was there. Hagrid now bent down, pretending to read the S.P.E.W. notebook Hermione had on the table and said in a whisper so low that only Harry could hear it, "Harry, meet me tonight at midnight at me cabin. Wear that cloak."

Straightening up, Hagrid said loudly, "Nice ter see yeh, Hermione, Rose." winked, and departed. Moody followed him.

"Why does Hagrid want me to meet him at midnight?" Harry said, very surprised.

"Does he?" said Hermione, looking startled. "I wonder what he's up to? I don't know whether you should go, Harry..." She looked nervously around and hissed, "It might make you late for Sirius.

"Late for Sirius? Have you been talking to him?" asked Rose, sitting down and handing Hermione her drink while slipping Harry's under his cloak.

"Writing him, yeah." said Harry. "He's meeting me later tonight."

"But it would cut short due to Hagrid, I don't you should do it, Harry, Sirius is worried sick about you." said Hermione.

"I'll just take twenty at the most," Harry said reassuringly "I'll get back to the Common room before he gets there." Hermione still looked a bit anxious though, frowning into her drink.

"Wonder what Hagrid's showing you then," said Rose, taking a sip of her Butterbeer. "It must be important."

* * *

><p>Fred looked at the handwritten note that Hagrid had slipped him as he and Moody made their way through the pub. It said to find Harry later at his cabin and wait for him. He wondered what that meant.<p>

"Ah, refills then?" asked Evan, looking at the low amounts of Butterbeer that were in their cups. "I'll take care of that one."

He slipped his hands into the glass handles and picked them up three a hand. "Be right back." he said, before turning and pushing his way through the crowded pub.

Almost as soon as his volumpinous hair disappeared from view, however, Evan's unoccupied seat was filled by Charisse, who slipped right in uninvited and putting her elbows on the table as of she had been there the whole time.

"Hello Frederick," she said in a honeyed voice.

Fred grimaced. He hated being called by his full name. "Hi Chair."

Charisse gave a very short, very high pitched screech of a giggle. "Oh Frederick, you're too funny!"

Fred frowned. He thought making the stupidest name he could think of would annoy her and give him some breathing room. Apparently that was not in the cards for him.

"So, _Frederick_, have any Beauxbatons girls been giving you any trouble?" she said suddenly, her dark eyes wide in alertness.

"Uh - no, not really." said Fred. He did notice in that the few weeks that a few of the girls from the French magical insitute did seem to acting _much_ nicer to him than they originally did when they first arrive.

He furrowed his brows. "Wait, why do you care?"

"Because," said Charrise, her face oddly turning a shade of blotchy red. "I gave them a piece of my mind."

"Oh god, like what?" asked Fred, sounding a lillte desperate. He hoped she wasn't spreading some rumour around that he fancied goats or something.

"If you must ask," said Charisse, not acting upset at all that Fred was paying so much attention to her. "I told them that you, _Frederick_," - Fred grimaced again at his full name - "Only have your heart set on the most _beautiful_, _sweetest_, _funniest_, _smartest_ girl you know."

She batted her eyelashes and simpered at him. Despite himself, Fred glanced to his left and saw Sam staring at Charisse with lowered eyes, a muscle moving tensely in her jaw and her hands clenched tightly into fists on her lap. The ends of her hair were turning slowly from purple into a fiery red.

"Pray tell, _Chair_, don't leave us in the dust," said Sam in a low voice. "Who is this girl Fred is _obviously_ in love with?"

Charisse smiled at Sam with a strained sort of smile. "When the time comes, we'll all know."

"Oh okay, i guess I didn't want to sit there then." said Evan's voice. He was back with the drinks, looking a bit flustered at the back of Charisse's head. Charisse didn't even attempt to move from his seat. Evan huffed, looking at Ina with an 'Is she serious right now?' glint in his eyes.

"Oh thank you, Wright." said Charisse sweetly as he dropped the drinks and slid them over to their recipients. Charisse took the one that was going to be Sam's and took a large gulp of it.

She smirked at Sam's angry face as she wiped the tiny line of white form of her top lip. "Refreshing, isn't it?"

Fred noticed Sam's seething face. "I'll get you another one-" he said, pushing himself up from his seat.

Sam yanked him back down by the robe sleeve roughly. "That won't be nessacary, thanks." she said, sounding like she was fighting back the urge to jump Charisse right then and there, her left hand nails digging into the table. Even though Fred probably shouldn't, he thought this surge of dominance from Sam was bit ... Well he liked it, to say the least.

Evan, who had grabbed a near by, empty chair and dragged it over to their table and landed it near Ina, gave a sidelong look to Matthew. He mouthed 'Ten of Sam.'

"Theres no need to whisper, Wright," said Charisse, her dark eyes looking intently at Evan's wide-eyed face at being caught. "What did you say to, uh, what's your name again?" she said, pointing at Matthew.

"Matthew."

"Yes, what did you say to Matthew?" she said, turing back to Evan

Evan's face went blank of emotion as he said, "Er - I said 'Rack of Lamb'." Alice and Matthew sniffed giggles, which sounded like bad coughs, as Ina rolled her eyes.

"Ah, you're wondering about dinner aren't you?" said Charisse, sounding like she was adresseing a five year old. "I'm not surprised. Hufflepuffs are known for their appetites!"

"No, we're not." said Evan dully. He hated how much hate his House would get, and for what? Being the "Loyal" House? Who gave them the okay to judge?

"Well, i must be off," said Charisse as, looking at an emerald encrusted, silver watch on her skinny wrist. She took one last slip on her stolen Butterbeer. "See you later, Frederick!" She glared at Sam, her cat-like eyes narrowed, before bouncing off the seat and slinking her way out through the crowds. Evan looked at Sam as she disappeared out of the pub and said, "Why were you so mad for?"

Sam flushed red. "Because she was being an insufferable brat, that's why!"

Evan raised his drink and winked. "She sure was, if you both get into a tussle, i'll make sure to be cheering for you. Right, _Frederick_?"

"Definitely." said Fred, smirking slightly knowing that Sam would most certainly win if that ever happened.

* * *

><p>Later that night, when the moon and stars shined, Harry, being as quiet as he could, put his Cloak on, hidden from view, and made his way through and out of the Gryffindor Tower and Castle until his trainers found the dewy grass of the late night.<p>

Harry walked, hearing a slow whistling coming from somewhere. As he got closer to Hagrid's cabin, however, he noticed a very familar, lanky form sitting just outside of it on the stone steps.

"Fred, what the hell are you doing here?" asked Harry as he got only a few feet from him. Fred jumped, blinking in the darkness and stopping his slow whistling. "Who said that?"

Realising that he was still invisible under his cloak, Harry uncovered his head, looking down at Fred.

Fred blinked, rubbed his eyes, and looked at Harry. "Harry, i don't been to alarm you, but your head is floating in mid-air right now."

"It's Invisibility Cloak," said Harry. "But that's doesn't answer my question. What are you doing here for?"

"Hagrid left me a note and said i could come over to see something at Midnight," said Fred, his elbows on his propped up knees. "If i found you, of course. And there you are! Bodiless and all!"

"Did he really?" asked Harry, smiling. "I wonder why he'd let a ponce like you tag along."

Fred made a fake grasp. "Harry James Potter, i am _shocked_ by your language!"

"Oh, like _you_ don't swear more than a drunk sailor at New Years." said Harry smartly.

"Trust me, i do, but i'm not proud about it," said Fred, grinning like he was _more_ than proud about it. "But an Invisibility Cloak, eh?" he said, reaching a long hand out and grabbing the unseen fabric and rubbing it together behind his fingers. "I though Rose was lying when she said you had one of these."

"Hardly, she's horrible at lying." said Harry.

"Then how the world does she keep getting away with things when we're at home?" asked Fred, cocking an eyebrow at him.

Harry shrugged. "It's way more likely that you'd be the cause of the trouble than anyone else."

"Well, i'm _completely_ fine being the non-prat version of Loki." said Fred matter-of-factly, letting go of the fabric. Harry looked at his with a bewildered expression.

"Norse God of Mischief? Comic character in the Marvel universe?" said Fred. Harry shook his head.

Fred sighed. "Ah, well, i guess everyone can't get my popular culture references all the time."

They heard some loud footsteps and saw Hagrid's bushy head appear in the window. Fred got up and stood next to Harry as Hagrid opened the door and he stepped out onto the stone steps. Harry had to stomp Fred on the foot to stop him from laughing at the ridiculous outfit Hagrid was wearing.

He was wearing a flower that resembled an oversized artichoke in his buttonhole. It looked as though he had abandoned the use of axle  
>grease, but he had at least attempted to comb his hair, Harry could see the comb's broken teeth tangled in it.<p>

"What's up?" asked Harry.

"Got summat ter show yeh," said Hagrid, smiling down at Harry. "Eh, yer comin' along too, eh, Fred?"

"Yeah," said Fred. "But - uh- why did you ask us to go along?"

"Yeah, what're you showing us?" Harry said warily, wondering if the skrewts had laid eggs, or Hagrid had managed to buy another giant three-headed dog off a stranger in a pub.

"Well, i know you'll will appreciate it, an' by what i heard," Hagrid gave a significant look to Fred. "yeh'll enjoy it."

"Now," said Hagrid whispering. "Come with me, keep quiet, an' keep yerself covered with that cloak," said Hagrid. "We won' take Fang, he won' like it..."

Fred lifted the Cloak and, after flinging it over him, he was now as invisible as Harry. "Oooh," said Fred. "I want one of these."

"Listen, Hagrid," said Harry before throwing the Cloak over his head once again. "I can't stay long, i've got to be back up at the castle by one o'clock —"

Hagrid wasn't listening; he was striding off into the night. Fred nudged Harry in the back and they hurried to follow and found, to their surprise, that Hagrid was leading him to the Beauxbatons carriage, that, since they got here, had taken residence next to Hagrid's cabin.

"Hagrid, what — ?"

"Shhh!" said Hagrid, and he knocked three times on the door bearing the crossed golden wands.

Madame Maxime opened it. She was wearing a silk shawl wrapped around her massive shoulders. She smiled when she saw Hagrid. "Ah, 'Agrid, it is time?"

"Bong-sewer," said Hagrid, beaming at her, and holding out a hand to help her down the golden steps.

Madame Maxime closed the door behind her, Hagrid offered her his arm, and they set off around the edge of the paddock containing Madame Maxime's giant winged horses, with Harry and Fred, who was grabbing onto Harry's upper arm, and totally bewildered, ran to keep up with them.

It occurred to them that it seemed that Madame Maxime was in for the same treat as they were, because after a while she said playfully, "Wair is it you are taking me, 'Agrid?"

"Yeh'll enjoy this," said Hagrid gruffly. "Worth seein', trust me. On'y — don' go tellin' anyone I showed yeh, right? Yeh're not s'posed ter know."

"Of course not," said Madame Maxime, fluttering her long black eyelashes, reminding Fred of Charisse and making him feel sick to his stomach.

They walked and walked, Harry getting more and more irritated as they jogged along in their wake, checking his watch every now and then. Hagrid had some harebrained scheme in hand, which might make him miss Sirius. If they didn't get there soon, he was going grab Fred, turn around, and whether he wanted to or not, would go straight back to the castle, and leave Hagrid to enjoy his moonlit stroll with Madame Maxime.

"Pssh," said Fred in a whisper. "Do you hear soemthing?"

Actually, Harry _did_ hear something. Men were shouting up ahead, followed by a deafening, earsplitting roar.

Hagrid led Madame Maxime around a clump of trees and came to a halt. Harry and Fred hurried up alongside them. For a faint second, Harry thought he was seeing bonfires, and men darting around them, then his mouth fell straight open.

Four fully grown, enormous, _vicious_-looking dragons were rearing onto their hind legs inside an enclosure fenced with thick planks of wood, roaring and snorting. Torrents of fire were shooting into the dark sky from their open, fanged mouths, fifty feet above the ground on their outstretched necks. There was a silvery-blue one with long, pointed horns, snapping and snarling at the wizards on the ground; a smooth-scaled green one, which was writhing and  
>stamping with all its might; a red one with an odd fringe of fine gold spikes around its face, which was shooting mushroom-shaped fire<br>clouds into the air; and a gigantic black one, more lizard-like than the others, which was nearest to them. It took about eight wizards to try to control the beasts as they shot flames at them.

Fred grabbed Harry with both his arms, almost as if he was giving him a hug from behind. "If i faint, please drag my body back to the castle."

"Keep back there, Hagrid!" yelled a wizard near the fence, straining on the chain he was holding. "They can shoot fire at a range of twenty feet, you know! I've seen this Horntail do forty!"

"Oh my god, they have a _Horntail_." said Fred breathlessly. If Harry didn't know any better, he'd think Fred had the same fascination with deadly creatures like Hagrid did.

"Is'n' it beautiful?" said Hagrid softly. Fred murmured in agreement. Yeah, Harry was spot-on with his theory.

"It's no good!" yelled another wizard. "Stunning Spells, on the count of three!"

They saw each of the dragon keepers pull out his wand.

"_Stupefy_!" they shouted in unison, and the Stunning Spells shot into the darkness like fiery rockets, bursting in showers of stars on the dragons' scaly hides. Very slowly, it fell, its nostrils still smoking. Several tons of sinewy, scaly-black dragon hit the ground with a thud that you could have sworn made the trees behind them quake.

The dragon keepers lowered their wands and walked forward to their fallen charges, each of which was the size of a small hill. They  
>hurried to tighten the chains and fasten them securely to iron pegs, which they forced deep into the ground with their wands.<p>

"Wan' a closer look?" Hagrid asked Madame Maxime excitedly. The pair of them moved right up to the fence. Fred pushed Harry along, following them.

The wizard who had warned Hagrid not to come any closer turned, and Harry realized who it was: Charlie Weasley.

"Is that Charlie?" asked Fred in a whisper into Harry's ear. Harry nodded. "I thought so, he kinda looks like the Twins."

"All right, Hagrid?" Charlie panted, coming over to talk. "They should be okay now, we put them out with a Sleeping Draft on the way here, thought it might be better for them to wake up in the dark and the quiet, but, like you saw, they weren't happy, not happy at all -"

"What breeds you got here, Charlie?" said Hagrid, gazing at the closest dragon, his beetle-black eyes sparkling.

"This is a Hungarian Horntail," said Charlie. "There's a Common Welsh Green over there, the smaller one — a Swedish Short-Snout, that blue-gray — and a Chinese Fireball, that's the red."

Charlie looked around; Madame Maxime was strolling away around the edge of the enclosure, gazing at the stunned dragons. "I didn't know you were bringing her, Hagrid," Charlie said with a frown. "The champions aren't supposed to know what's coming — she's bound to tell her student, isn't she?"

"Jus' thought she'd like ter see 'em," shrugged Hagrid, still gazing at the dragons.

"Really romantic date, Hagrid," said Charlie, shaking his head.

"Four..." said Hagrid, "So it's one fer each o' the champions, is it? What've they gotta do, fight 'em?"

"Just get past them, I think," said Charlie. "We'll be on hand if it gets nasty, Extinguishing Spells at the ready. They wanted nesting mothers, I don't know why, but I tell you this, I don't envy the one who gets the Horntail. Vicious thing. Its back end's as dangerous as its front, look."

Charlie pointed toward the Horntail's tail. Harry gave an involuntary shudder as he saw long, bronze-colored spikes protruding along it every few inches.

Five of Charlie's fellow keepers staggered up to the Horntail at that moment, carrying a clutch of huge granite-gray eggs between them in a blanket. They placed them carefully at the Horntail's side. Hagrid let out a moan of longing.

"I've got them counted, Hagrid," said Charlie sternly. Then he said, "How's Harry?"

"Fine." said Hagrid, his gaze still locked on the eggs.

"Just hope he's still fine after he's faced this lot," said Charlie grimly, looking out over the dragons' enclosure. "I didn't dare tell Mum what he's got to do for the first task; she's already having kittens about him. . . ." Charlie imitated his mother's anxious voice. _"'How could they let him enter that tournament, he's much too young! I thought they were all safe, I thought there was going to be an age limit!'_ She was in floods after that Daily Prophet article about him. _'He still cries about his parents! Oh bless him, I never knew!'"_

Harry grabbed Fred's arm roughly and trusting to the fact that Hagrid wouldn't miss him, he turned silently and began to walk away and back to the castle.

"Hey, i wasn't done drooling over the dragons yet!" said Fred in a moaning voice, craning his neck to look back. "Not cool-"

Harry didn't listen. He was more debating with himself whether or not he was grateful for seeing the dragons before the 24th, but he still needed to talk to Sirius, maybe he'd have something to say to him, words of encouragement or something-

Then without warning, he ran into something very solid, Fred bumping into his back

Fred tripped backwards, snaking his arms around Harry's chest and bringing him down with him. Harry's glasses were askew as he clutched the cloak around them. A voice nearby said, "Ouch! Who's there?"

Harry hastily checked that the cloak was covering them and lay very still, staring up at the dark outline of the wizard he had hit. He recognised the goatee. Why was Karkaroff there?

"Who's there?" said Karkaroff again, very suspiciously, looking around in the darkness. Harry remained still and silent. After a minute or so, Karkaroff seemed to decide that he had hit some sort of animal; he was looking around at waist height, as though expecting to see a dog. Then he crept back under the cover of the trees and started to edge forward toward the place where the dragons were.

"You know," said Fred's voice after a silent moment into Harry's ruffled hair, his arms still wrapped around Harry's chest. "This is _very_ homoerotic."

"Shut up, Fred." snapped Harry.

* * *

><p>Rose tip-toed through the library, keeping a tight grip on Ina's wrist as she dragged her along.<p>

"Where are we going?" asked Ina. "I promised to help Evan with his Potions homework-"

"Like he needs it, he's actually _good_ at that class, he just dumbs himself down so you guys can spend time together." said Rose bluntly. Ina's cheeks went dark pink. "

"Anyway," said Rose. "I need to Harry, he had a meeting with Sir - er - Snuffles last night." Rose forgot that she never told anyone else that Sirius wasn't actually a lunatic mass murderer. She should probably fix that soon.

"Who's Snuffles?" asked Ina, her dark brows going upwards.

"Old family friend." said Rose quickly. They turned a corner and saw Harry sitting a table, laying face down on a thick book, while Hermione flipped through a stack next to him.

"How's the drama queen doing?" asked Ina as they walked over.

Harry turned this face to the right to face them. "Oh, hello there, are you here to give me a few last parting words before i die on Tuesday?"

"Rough night?" asked Rose as she and Ina pulled themselves a seat at the table.

"He found out what the First Task is," whispered Hermione, looking over her book.

"Well, what is it?" asked Rose.

"Dragons." said Hermione simply. Harry moaned, his face was back on the book's yellow pages.

Ina's brown eyes went wide as Rose said, "You're joking."

"No, Hagrid took me to see them last night." said Harry into his book. "Fred too."

"Is that why he was so happy this morning? I thought he had another special dream last night." said Rose.

Harry lifted his head so his chin was resting on the book. "Special dream?"

Rose sniffed a giggle. "Sometimes, when were at home, Mum will make me go wake him up and open his door to find him snogging his pillow. I reckon he's having a good dream then."

Harry half-smiled. "You think a certain blue-haired Miss is in these dreams?"

"What do you think?" asked Rose, sounding as if that was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard.

"Oh no, he's back again, why can't he read on his stupid ship?" said Hermione irritably. They looked and saw that Viktor Krum slouched in, cast a surly look over at them, and settled himself in a distant corner with a pile of books.

"Great," said Hermione, slamming her book shut. "His fan club'll be here in a moment, twittering away..."

"He's not that bad, actually, he's really pretty kind..." said Ina quietly. Hermione still looked bad.

"We'll make due, what are you going to do about the dragon, Harry?" asked Rose, looking worried.

"Well, first i've got to tell Cedric." said Harry, lifting himself up.

"What, why?" asked Hermione, watching him start to leave.

"Because he doesn't know about them," said Harry. "And if Hogwarts wants any champion to survive this task, it's him.

* * *

><p>The students crowded into the wooden stands on Tuesday, tightening their respected school scarfs around their necks from the November wind.<p>

"Ah, bracing, isn't it?" said Matthew, his hands on his hips and taking a deep breath of the chilly wind. "Feels good to the lungs. And front row seats too!"

"Lord, you are strange, aren't you?" said Evan, who was standing behind Alice, his yellow-and-black scarf wrapped around his head, making him looking like he was trying to make his hair look like a bee. "Come on now, sit down, we still have to fill up this row."

Matthew grinned and sat down gingerly. Alice straightened her skirt and sat down next to him, her hands grasped on her lap. Evan and Ina sat down next to them, Fred and Sam next, and Rose and Zachary taking up the rear.

"Jesus, couldn't we have had this inside?" asked Fred, rubbing his gloves hands together. He blew a small bit of breath out, he could see his breath faintly.

"Yes, because it would be such a good idea to have fire-breathing dragons indoors." said Rose, leaning over Zachary. He blushed pink until Rose straightened herself up again.

"Are the front seats good then?" asked a familiar voice. Matthew looked up as Ron ruffled his auburn hair before sitting behind him.

"Eh, you coming to support Harry then?" asked Matthew, turning to look at him over his shoulder.

Ron frowned and said nothing as Hermione filled the empty seat next to him. "Has anything started yet?"

"No, or else we'd all be screaming bloody murder." said Fred, his voice muffled under his scarf.

"Because we're all just that excited!" said Evan happily. He stood up, throwing his arms staright into the air and yelled, "GO HOGWARTS!"

A loud cheering of approval followed Evan's words. "Nowe these," he pointed to the students sitting behind and around him. "Are my people!"

"You have got the inner makings of a showman, Evan." said Ina, pulling him back down. "Now don't waste your spotlight before you've even got there yet."

Evan readjusted his scarf as he sat back down. "Thanks for believing in me, darling."

"START THE DAMN THING!" yelled Fred, cupping his hands around his mouth to magnify his voice. A whistle blew somewhere.

"THANK YOU!" he yelled back.

A central tent, which is where they assumed the Champions were, was hidden behind a tunnel of trees. After a few moments, Cedric, looking much greener than usual, emerged from the thicket of trees, recieving a very loud roar of applause as he stepped into the enclosure.

"MAKE THE BADGERS PROUD!" bellowed Fred, shaking his fist in the air. Evan mocked his movement as well.

"SHUT UP!" snapped Rose, looking anxious.

A low rumbling came from somewhere in the lower enclosure. A loud, ear-shattering roar filled the air as a stream of fire nearly missed Cedric's legs.

The crowd screamed as he clutched his arm. Apparently the dragon, which due to Fred's constant whispering to Evan they knew to be a Swedish Short-Snout, had caught Cedric's arm, causing a nasty burn on it.

Cedric scrunched up his handsome face in pain as he looked around for a possible way to distract the dragon. The dragon's long tail and whipped at him, nearly gutting him.

"Oooh, narrow miss there, very narrow..." said Ludo Bagman's voice over the crowd as Cedric made his way across to the other edge of the enclosure.

After a minute, Cedric, wand in hand, flicked it at a rock. A minute later, a yelping filled the air. He turned it into a Labrador.

"HE'S A DOG PERSON!" said Fred, raising his fists into the air.

"He's taking risks, this one!" said Bagman. Cedric yelled something to the Lab, it ran around, obviously to distract the dragon. It was working too, before the dragon changed its mind half way through and made its way back towards Cedric.

"Clever move — pity it didn't work!" said Bagman as Cedric ran again from a snort of flame from the dragon. The Labrador barked happily as it flounced around the area, happily oblivious. For awhile Cedric dodged the dragon's snarls and flames until finally...

"HE'S GOT IT!" yelled Evan, jumping up as Cedric ran as fast as he could from the Short-Snout, a giant golden egg under his arm.

"Very good indeed!" shouted Bagman as a few dragon keepers ran and secured the dragon. "And now the marks from the judges!"

They hardly paid attention as the judges showed their scores. They just wanted to see the next dragon. They craned over the edge of the barrier between and the enclosure.

"One down, three to go!" Bagman yelled as the whistle blew again. "Miss Delacour, if you please!"

Rose grimaced as a moment later that Fleur came into view, her silvery hair falling down her back, her head held high and her wand clutched in her hand.

Fleur calculated the area with her blue eyes narrowed. Her dragon, a Common Welsh Green, roared and spit fire at her. She jumped as she got to too close to the dragon.

"Oh I'm not sure that was wise!" shouted Bagman gleefully.

Fleur huffed some of her hair out of her face as she raised her wand and did an elaborate set of wand moments. The dragon looked tired suddenly.

"She's putting her under a Trance!" said Alice loudly.

Fleur smiled as the dragon lowered its head onto the ground. She stepped over the uneven ground as she neared the sleeping dragon.

However, as she was close enough, the Welsh Green snored, shooting a small line of fire out of its snout, catching Fleur's shirt.

"Oh nearly! Careful now, good lord, I thought she'd had it then!" said Bagman over the crowd.

Ten minutes later, Fleur finally grabbed her egg, looking a bit flushed and rushed out of the way of the snapping dragon.

The crowd cheered very loudly.

"How does she glow like that?" asked Evan, staring at the faint white glow she emitted from her very being.

"She's part Veela, i can tell." said Ina bitterly, looking mad that Evan looked so fascinated with her.

The judges showed their score. And after another round of applause, the third time, the whistle blew.

"And here comes Mr. Krum!" cried Bagman, and a minute later, Krum slouched into the enclosure to a flurry of very loud cheering.

"MAKE HERMIONE PROUD!" yelled Evan and Fred in unison, causing Hermione's face to turn very red indeed. Ron shot her a compulsive look, looking almost annoyed at her.

"Very daring!" yelled Bagman as Krum raised his wand and shot clear spell at the dragon, a bright red and yellow coloured Chinese Fireball.

It hit in the eye and it emitted a horrible, roaring shriek, while the crowd drew its collective breath. Rose grabbed ontp Zachary's roughley, causing him t flinched slightly but he didn't linger on it as Krum ran his way towards the fidgeting dragon, rubbing its eyes.

"That's some nerve he's showing — and — yes, he's got the egg!" bellowed Bagman.

Applause shattered the wintery air like breaking glass. They looked over the edge and saw that Krum's egg looked slightly crushed.

"Oh my god, it crushed its own eggs!" said Evan, shaking his head. "How will she win the_ Best Mother of the Year_ award now?"

"They're not real eggs, stupid." said Alice.

Suddenly, the whistle blew. They hardly even knew that Viktor's scores were shown, it was Harry left now.

They all tensed up as hey saw Harry's slightly trembling form make him way towards the gap in the enclosure fence. Ron sat up, straight as a board, as Harry finally stepped into the enclosure.

"DON'T DIE ON ME, HARRY!" yelled Fred through the noise.

Sam slapped him the arm. "Ow, it was encouragement!" said Fred defensively.

Everyone looked down at Harry, who was staring straight ahead at his dragon, the Horntail, who was crouched low over her clutch of eggs, her wings  
>half-furled, thrashing her spiked tail, leaving yard-long gouge marks in the hard ground.<p>

The crowd made a great deal of noise, but it was mixed with friendly words and some not so nice ones, but Harry didn't seem to care.

He raised his wand. "_Accio Firebolt!_" he shouted.

"So that's what you were teaching him," said Ina, turning around to face Hermione.

Hermione had her hands over her mouth, her nails digging into teh skin above her mouth. "I hope it works!" she said shrilly.

Matthew narrowed his eyes. "Do brooms fly by themselves?"

"No, why?" asked Evan.

"Because Harry's broom is flying over, duh." said Matthew, pointing towards the edge of the forest.

He was right, speeding through the air they turned in the direction of Matthew's finger and saw his Firebolt hurtling toward him around the edge  
>of the woods, soaring into the enclosure, and stopping dead in midair beside Harry, waiting for him to mount.<p>

The crowd shouted even louder now. You couldn't even hear Bagman over them. Harry swung his leg over the broom and kicked off from the  
>ground. And a second later, he soared upward, as the wind rushed through his hair, as he disappeared into the clouds.<p>

"Oh my god," said Ron behind them. "Where'd he go?"

Ron's question was answered as Harry dived back down in a blur of red and gold robes, representing Gryffindor. The Horntail's head followed him, he pulled out of the dive just in time as a jet of fire had been released exactly where he would have been had he not swerved away.

"Great Scott, he can fly!" yelled Bagman as the crowd shrieked and gasped. "Are you watching this, Mr. Krum?"

Rose clutched onto Zachary's arm very tightly as Harry soared higher in a circle; the Horntail was still following his progress; its head revolving on its long neck.

"MAKE IT PUKE, HARRY!" yelled Fred.

Harry plummeted just as the Horntail opened its mouth, but this time he was less lucky — he missed the flames, but the tail came whipping up to meet him instead, and as he swerved to the left, one of the long spikes grazed his shoulder, ripping his robes —

The crowd screamed and groaned. "Son of a-" said Ron, but his last word was buried under another loud roar of the crowd as Harry flew higher. The Horntail's head rose with him, her neck now stretched to its fullest extent, still swaying.

Harry rose a few more feet, and she let out a roar of exasperation. Her tail thrashed again, but he was too high to reach now. She shot fire into the air, which he dodged, her jaws opened wide, but it wasn't likely that he'd just fly into her mouth.

At last she reared, spreading her great, black, leathery wings, as wide as those of a small airplane — and Harry dived.

Before the dragon knew what he had done, or where he had disappeared to, he was speeding toward the ground as fast as he could go, toward the eggs now unprotected by her clawed front legs — he had taken his hands off his Firebolt — he had seized the golden egg —

With a huge spurt of speed, he was off, he was soaring out over the stands, the heavy egg safely under his uninjured arm.

"Look at that!" Bagman was yelling. "Will you look at that! Our youngest champion is quickest to get his egg! Well, this is going to shorten the odds on Mr. Potter!"

The crowd cheered incredibly louder for Harry than all the champions before. Rose jumped up, clapping, when she looked to right and saw that Fred and Evan were grasped each other like two dying men at sea.

"Oh my god," said Fred breathlessly. "That was _so_ cool."

* * *

><p>To no one's surprise, Ron finally reconciled with Harry soon after the Dragons, saying "Whoever put your name into the Goblet, i reckon they must be trying to put you out!"<p>

Boys were silly and dumb in that way.

Weirdly enough, the Golden egg, which was now the champions next clue to the Second task. Of course, when you opened the thing, all it gave out was a loud, screeching wail that almost sounded like a subdued version of Charisse's laugh. Harry had no clue what it meant.

The start of December brought wind and sleet to Hogwarts. Drafty though the castle always was in winter, they were glad of its fires and thick walls every time they passed the Durmstrang ship on the lake, which was pitching in the high winds, its black sails billowing against the dark skies. The Beauxbatons caravan was likely to be pretty chilly too.

Hagrid was keeping Madame Maxime's horses well provided with their preferred drink of single-malt whiskey; the fumes wafting from the trough in the  
>corner of their paddock was enough to make the entire Care of Magical Creatures class light-headed, especially making Sam sleepy, seeing as she always had a problem with too-strong of fumes getting to her.<p>

"I'm not sure whether they hibernate or not," Hagrid told the shivering class in the windy pumpkin patch next lesson, pointing to the skrewts. "Thought  
>we'd jus' try an' see if they fancied a kip, we'll jus' settle 'em down in these boxes..."<p>

There were now only ten skrewts left; apparently their desire to kill one another had not been exercised out of them. Each of them was now approaching six feet in length. Their thick gray armor; their powerful, scuttling legs; their fire-blasting ends; their stings and their suckers, combined to make the skrewts the most repulsive things any of them had ever seen. The class looked dispiritedly at the enormous boxes Hagrid had brought out, all lined with pillows and fluffy blankets.

"We'll jus' lead 'em in here," Hagrid said, "an' put the lids on, and we'll see what happens."

"They're bigger than me!" said Sam in a small voice, her hair now a snowy white under her woolen hat. "They'll eat me!"

"I don't think they have mouths, actually." said Ron, turning his head to the side as if that would help.

Turns out that the skrewts did _not_ hibernate, and especially did not appreciate being forced into pillow-lined boxes and nailed in. Hagrid  
>was soon yelling, "Don' panic, now, don' panic!" while the skrewts rampaged around the pumpkin patch, now strewn with the smoldering wreckage of the boxes. Most of the class — Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle in the lead — had fled into Hagrid's cabin through the back door and barricaded themselves in. However, a few actually bothered to say outside and trying to help Hagrid. Together they managed to restrain and tie up nine of the skrewts, though at the cost of numerous burns and cuts; finally, only one skrewt was left.<p>

"Don' frighten him, now!" Hagrid shouted as Ron and Harry used their wands to shoot jets of fiery sparks at the skrewt, which was advancing menacingly on them, its sting arched, quivering, over its back. "Jus' try an' slip the rope 'round his sting, so he won' hurt any o' the others!"

"Yeah, we wouldn't want that!" Ron shouted angrily as he and Harry backed into the wall of Hagrid's cabin, still holding the skrewt off with their sparks.

Rose and Sam sat on a charred, frozen-solid pumpkin watching them, while Hermione and Ina collected broken pieces of the cages from around them.

"Who's pinky?" asked Sam, pointing towards a woman with rigid blond curls and wearing a thick magenta cloak with a furry purple collar. She was leaning on Hagrid's garden fence, looking in at the mayhem.

"Harry told me about her," said Hermione disapprovingly. "_That's_ Rita Skeeter."

"Is that the lass who made that ridiculous article about Harry in The Daily Prophet?" asked Rose, looking over her shoulder at them.

"The very same." said Hermione.

"Wonder why she's talking to Hagrid then." said Sam, her feet hanging half a foot from the snowy ground.

She was talking to him, for some reason. Harry and Ron stood near him, looking apprehensive as Rita went on asking Hagrid questions, which he seemed to being happily answering.

"She'll just warp anything he say." said Hermione in a low tone.

"Not unless the skrewts get to her first." grinned Rose.

* * *

><p>Later that night, after another "Death is coming ever closer to us!" prediction from Trelawney and Ron's failed attempt to get an autograph from Krum (he would ask Fred to get one for him, but he was just as star-struck to pluck up the courage to do so) they headed back to the Gryffindor Tower.<p>

As they reached the Fat Lady, who now threw open the portrait hole so they could get in, Hermione skidded up the staircase after them, a bit pink in the face but very pleased about something. "Harry, you've got to come — you've got to come, the most amazing thing's happened —please —"

She seized Harry's arm and started to try to drag him back along the staircase.

"What's the matter?" Harry said.

"I'll show you when we get there — oh come on, quick —"

"Okay," Harry said as he was being dragged along. Ron hurrying to keep up.

"Oh don't mind me!" the Fat Lady called irritably after them. "Don't apologize for bothering me! I'll just hang here, wide open, until you get back, shall I?"

"Yeah, thanks!" Ron shouted over his shoulder.

"Hermione, where are we going?" Harry asked, after she had led them down through six floors, and started down the marble staircase into the entrance hall.

"You'll see, you'll see in a minute!" said Hermione excitedly.

She turned left at the bottom of the staircase and hurried toward the door through which Cedric Diggory had gone the night after the Goblet of Fire had regurgitated his and Harry's names. He and Ron followed Hermione down a flight of stone steps, but instead of ending up in a dark underground passage like the one that led to dungeon where they'd have Potions, they found themselves in a broad stone corridor, brightly lit with torches, and decorated with cheerful paintings that were mainly of food. Evan sat front of one with a gigantic silver fruit bowl, humming to himself.

"Oh hang on..." said Harry slowly, halfway down the corridor. "Wait a minute, Hermione..."

"What?" She turned around to look at him, anticipation all over her face.

"I know what this is about." said Harry.

"Hermione!" said Ron. "You're trying to rope us into that spew stuff again!"

"No, no, I'm not!" she said hastily. "And it's not spew, Ron —"

"Changed the name, have you?" said Ron, frowning at her. "What are we now, then, the House-Elf Liberation Front? I'm not barging into that kitchen and trying to make them stop work, I'm not doing it —"

"I'm not asking you to!" Hermione said impatiently. "I came down here just now, to talk to them all, and I found — oh come on, Harry, I want to show you! Evan!"

She seized his arm again, and pulled him towards Evan. He looked up when they got closer.

"Ah, ready for your little kitchen visit then?" asked Evan pushing himself up onto his feet.

"_You're_ helping her?" asked Ron, pouting. "I thought you were my friend!"

"Hey, i'm just getting some food, if you lot want to look around at whatever is in here, then go for it." said Evan defensively

He stretched out his forefinger, and tickled the huge green pear on the paining. It began to squirm, chuckling, and suddenly turned into a large green door handle. Evan seized it, pulled the door open. "After you." said Evan waving his hand in for them.

Hermione pushed Harry hard in the back and forced him inside.

The room was an enormous, high-ceilinged room, large as the Great Hall above it, with mounds of glittering brass pots and pans heaped around the stone walls, and a great brick fireplace at the other end, when something small hurtled toward Harry from the middle of the room, squealing, "Harry Potter, sir! Harry Potter!"

Next second all the wind had been knocked out of him as the squealing elf hit him hard in the midriff, hugging him so tightly he  
>thought his ribs would break. "D-Dobby?" Harry gasped.<p>

"It is Dobby, sir, it is!" squealed the voice from somewhere around his navel. "Dobby has been hoping and hoping to see  
>Harry Potter, sir, and Harry Potter has come to see him, sir!"<p>

"Heh, you know Dobby too, huh?" asked Evan, snapping the door shut behind them.

Harry took a short breath. 'Since when doid you know Dobby?"

"I come down here all the time, i know all the House elves down here." said Evan, shrugging his shoulder.

Dobby let go of Harry and stepped back a few paces, beaming up at him, his enormous, green, tennis-ball-shaped eyes brimming with tears of happiness. He looked almost exactly as Harry remembered him. He still had the pencil-shaped nose, the batlike ears, the long fingers and feet — all except the clothes, which were very different.

When Dobby had worked for the Malfoys, he had always worn the same filthy old pillowcase. Now, however, he was wearing the strangest assortment of garments Harry had ever seen. He was wearing a tea cozy for a hat, on which he had pinned a number of bright badges; a tie patterned with horseshoes over a bare chest, a pair of what looked like children's soccer shorts, and odd socks. One of these, Harry saw, was the black one Harry had  
>removed from his own foot and tricked Mr. Malfoy into giving Dobby, thereby setting Dobby free. The other was covered in pink and orange stripes.<p>

"Dobby, what're you doing here?" Harry said in amazement.

"Dobby has come to work at Hogwarts, sir!" Dobby squealed excitedly. "Professor Dumbledore gave Dobby and Winky jobs, sir!"

"Winky?" said Harry. "She's here too?"

"Ah, poor lass, Crouch was right well nasty to her." said Evan sympathetically. Ron gave him a questioning look. "The Elves tell me a lot of things."

"Yes, sir, yes!" said Dobby, and he seized Harry's hand and pulled him off into the kitchen between the four long wooden tables that stood there. Each of these tables, Harry noticed as he passed them, was positioned exactly beneath the four House tables above, in the Great Hall. At the moment, they were clear of food, dinner having finished, but he supposed that an hour ago they had been laden with dishes that were then sent up through the ceiling to their counterparts above.

At least a hundred little elves were standing around the kitchen, beaming, bowing, and curtsying as Dobby led Harry past them, Ron, Evan, and an absolutely beaming Hermione trailing behind them.

They were all wearing the same uniform: a tea towel stamped with the Hogwarts crest, and tied like a toga. Dobby stopped in front of the brick fireplace and pointed.

"Winky, sir!" he said.

Winky was Barty Crouch's former House elf, and having been released from her duties from be accused of sending the Dark Mark into the sky at the World Cup, she looked downcast. She sat on a stool by the fire.

Unlike Dobby, she had obviously not foraged for clothes. She was wearing a neat little skirt and blouse with a matching blue hat, which had holes in it for her large ears. However, while every one of Dobby's strange collection of garments was so clean and well cared for that it looked brandnew, Winky was plainly not taking care of her clothes at all. There were soup stains all down her blouse and a burn in her skirt.

"Hello, Winky," said Harry.

Winky's lip quivered. Then she burst into tears, which spilled out of her great brown eyes and splashed down her front, just as Harry remembered as they had done at the Quidditch World Cup.

"Oh dear," said Hermione. "Winky, don't cry, please don't..."

Winky cried harder than ever. Dobby, on the other hand, beamed up at Harry. "Would Harry Potter like a cup of tea?" he squeaked loudly, over  
>Winky's sobs.<p>

"Er — yeah, okay," said Harry.

Instantly, about six house-elves came trotting up behind him, bearing a large silver tray laden with a teapot, cups for them, a milk jug, and a large plate of biscuits.

"Good service!" Ron said, in an impressed voice. Hermione frowned at him, but the elves all looked delighted; they bowed very low and retreated. Evan stuffed a biscuit into his mouth, looking happy.

"How long have you been here, Dobby?" Harry asked as Dobby handed around the tea.

"Only a week, Harry Potter, sir!" said Dobby happily. "Dobby came to see Professor Dumbledore, sir. You see, sir, it is very difficult for a house-elf who has been dismissed to get a new position, sir, very difficult indeed —"

At this, Winky howled even harder, her squashed-tomato of a nose dribbling all down her front, though she made no effort to stem the flow. Evan and Ron shifted awkwardly on the balls of their feet from her loud sobbing.

"Dobby has traveled the country for two whole years, sir, trying to find work!" Dobby squeaked. "But Dobby hasn't found work, sir, because Dobby wants paying now!"

The house-elves all around the kitchen, who had been listening and watching with interest, all looked away at these words, as though Dobby had said something rude and embarrassing.

Hermione, however, said, "Good for you, Dobby!"

"Thank you, miss!" said Dobby, grinning appreciatively at her. "But most wizards doesn't want a house-elf who wants paying, miss. 'That's not the point of a house-elf,' they says, and they slammed the door in Dobby's face! Dobby likes work, but he wants to wear clothes and he wants to be paid, Harry Potter. Dobby likes being free!"

The Hogwarts house-elves had now started edging away from Dobby, as though he were carrying something contagious. Winky, however, remained where she was, though there was a definite increase in the volume of her crying.

"And then, Harry Potter, Dobby goes to visit Winky, and finds out Winky has been freed too, sir!" said Dobby delightedly.

At this, Winky flung herself forward off her stool and lay facedown on the flagged stone floor, beating her tiny fists upon it and positively screaming with misery. Hermione hastily dropped down to her knees beside her and tried to comfort her, but nothing she said made the slightest difference. Dobby continued with his story, shouting shrilly over Winky's screeches.

"And then Dobby had the idea, Harry Potter, sir! 'Why doesn't Dobby and Winky find work together?' Dobby says. 'Where is there enough work for two house-elves?' says Winky. And Dobby thinks, and it comes to him, sir! Hogwarts! So Dobby and Winky came to see Professor Dumbledore, sir, and Professor Dumbledore took us on!"

Evan punched his fist into the air at the mention of Dumbledore's actions and Ron laughed.

Dobby beamed very brightly, and happy tears welled in his eyes once again. "And Professor Dumbledore says he will pay Dobby, sir, if Dobby wants paying! And so Dobby is a free elf, sir, and Dobby gets a Galleon a week and one day off a month!"

"That's not very much!" Hermione shouted indignantly from the floor, over Winky's continued screaming and fist-beating.

"Professor Dumbledore offered Dobby ten Galleons a week, and weekends off," said Dobby, suddenly giving a little shiver, as though the prospect of so much leisure and riches were frightening. "But Dobby beat him down, miss, Dobby likes freedom, miss, but he isn't wanting too much, miss, he likes work better."

"And how much is Professor Dumbledore paying you, Winky?" Hermione asked kindly.

Winky suddenly stop crying, but when she sat up she was glaring at Hermione through her massive brown eyes, her whole face sopping wet and looking beyond furious.

"Winky is a disgraced elf, but Winky is not yet getting paid!" she squeaked. "Winky is not sunk so low as that! Winky is properly ashamed of being freed!"

"Ashamed?" said Hermione blankly. "But — Winky, come on! It's Mr. Crouch who should be ashamed, not you! You didn't do anything wrong, he was really horrible to you —"

But at these words, Winky clapped her hands over the holes in her hat, flattening her ears so that she couldn't hear a word, and screeched, "You is not insulting my master, miss! You is not insulting Mr. Crouch! Mr. Crouch is a good wizard, miss! Mr. Crouch is right to sack bad Winky!"

Ron gave Evan a wide-eyed look as Dobby said, "Winky is having trouble adjusting, Harry Potter, Winky forgets she is not bound to Mr. Crouch anymore; she is allowed to speak her mind now, but she won't do it."

"Can't house-elves speak their minds about their masters, then?" Harry asked.

"Oh no, sir, no," said Dobby, looking suddenly serious. " 'Tis part of the house-elf's enslavement, sir. We keeps their secrets and our silence, sir. We upholds the family's honor, and we never speak ill of them — though Professor Dumbledore told Dobby he does not insist upon this. Professor Dumbledore said we is free to — to —"

Dobby looked suddenly nervous and beckoned Harry closer. Harry bent forward. Dobby whispered, "He said we is free to call him a — a barmy old codger if we likes, sir!"

"But Dobby is not wanting to, Harry Potter," he said, talking normally again, and shaking his head so that his ears flapped. "Dobby likes Professor Dumbledore very much, sir, and is proud to keep his secrets and our silence for him."

"Like anyone _doesn't_ like Dumbledore." said Ron.

"But you can say what you like about the Malfoys now?" Harry asked him, grinning.

A slightly fearful look came into Dobby's immense eyes. "Dobby — Dobby could," he said doubtfully. He squared his small shoulders. "Dobby could tell Harry Potter that his old masters were — were — bad Dark wizards!"

Dobby stood for a moment, quivering all over, horror-struck by his own daring — then he rushed over to the nearest table and began banging his head on it very hard, squealing, "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!"

Harry seized Dobby by the back of his tie and pulled him away from the table.

"Thank you, Harry Potter, thank you," said Dobby breathlessly, rubbing his head.

"You just need a bit of practice," Harry said.

"Practice!" squealed Winky furiously. "You is ought to be ashamed of yourself, Dobby, talking that way about your masters!"

"They isn't my masters anymore, Winky!" said Dobby defiantly. "Dobby doesn't care what they think anymore!"

"Oh you is a bad elf, Dobby!" moaned Winky, tears leaking down her face once more. "My poor Mr. Crouch, what is he doing without Winky? He is needing me, he is needing my help! I is looking after the Crouches all my life, and my mother is doing it before me, and my grandmother is doing it before her. Oh what is they saying if they knew Winky was freed? Oh the shame, the shame!"

She buried her face in her skirt again and bawled loudly.

"Winky," said Hermione firmly, "I'm quite sure Mr. Crouch is getting along perfectly well without you. We've seen him, you know —"

"You is seeing my master?" said Winky breathlessly, raising her tearstained face out of her skirt once more and goggling at Hermione. "You is seeing him here at Hogwarts?"

"Yes," said Hermione. "he and Mr. Bagman are judges in the Triwizard Tournament."

"Mr. Bagman comes too?" squeaked Winky, she looked angry again. "Mr. Bagman is a bad wizard! A very bad wizard! My master isn't liking him, oh no, not at all!"

"Bagman isn't bad." said Evan weakly.

"Oh yes," Winky said, nodding her head furiously. "My master is telling Winky some things! But Winky is not saying, Winky — Winky keeps her master's secrets..."

She dissolved yet again in tears; they could hear her sobbing into her skirt, "Poor master, poor master, no Winky to help him no more!

They couldn't get another sensible word out of Winky. They left her to her crying and finished their tea, while Dobby chatted happily about his life as a free elf and his plans for his wages.

"Dobby is going to buy a sweater next, Harry Potter!" he said happily, pointing at his bare chest.

"Tell you what, Dobby," said Ron, who seemed to have taken a great liking to the elf/ "I'll give you the one my mum knits me this  
>Christmas, I always get one from her. You don't mind maroon, do you?"<p>

"Oh Ronnie," said Evan happily, slapping his hand on Ron's back. "You're too sweet."

Dobby was delighted.

"We might have to shrink it a bit to fit you," Ron told him. "But it'll go well with your tea cozy."

As they prepared to take their leave, many of the surrounding elves pressed in upon them, offering snacks to take back upstairs, which the boys took, ignoring the annoyed look on Hermione's face.

"'Gonna sneak some of these over to Fred, he'll love 'em." said Evan, looking at one bright blue decorated cream pie that one stout elf had given him.

"Thanks a lot!" Harry said to the elves, who had all clustered around the door to say good night. "See you, Dobby!"

"Harry Potter, can Dobby come and see you sometimes, sir?" Dobby asked tentatively.

"'Course you can." said Harry, and Dobby beamed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Up next, a few of these kids get their first kisses (whether they want it or not), some reveal their feelings, or start to notice that they have them. Also, drunk Branin. <strong>

**P.S.: I still need some advice with what Rose/Cedic's Yule Ball situation is, some message me at iwanttolivewithoutyou(dot)tumblr(dot)com(slash)ask and tell me your suggestions. **


	42. The Yule Ball

**AN: This is going to bounce around a lot, so please don't kill me.**

* * *

><p>The Fourth year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs chatted as their Memory Potions shimmered to a pale shade of blue. Severus stared impassively at all of them until, as he as sure that they had absolutely no idea what was coming next, took a long pointing stick from under his desk and whacked it against the blackboard.<p>

The whole class jumped, skidding some of the their stools against the stone ground in complete shock. A few grabbed their tables for support. One even had to stop their cauldron from tipping over, as the initial surprise they got from the loud sound caused them to slap their cauldron almost completely off the table.

"Good, now that i have all your undivided attention," said Severus with a smirk. "I have something to say to you all."

"_Oh god_, we all failed the test didn't we?" said Evan dramatically, his hands flat on the table's surface.

The class laughed as Severus slightly turned his head to the left to consider him. "As i'm sure some of your classmates skills may need improving, i can assure that is not the case, Mr. Wright."

"Oh good." said Evan, relaxing. Zachary, who had been his Potions parter for the past four years, rolled his eyes at him.

"Anyway, as i was saying before Wright's little outburst," Severus waved his hand at Evan as he smiled. "The Yule Ball is approaching, which if you've read up on it, is a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialise, not get into debacles, as i'm sure some of you will try to do, with your fellow students and our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above — although you may invite a younger student if you wish —"

_"Hello Matt."_ whispered Evan to Zachary. Severus ignored them and continued, "Dress robes will be worn and the ball will start at eight on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. Now then —" He gave a deliberately stern look to the class. "The Yule Ball is of course a chance for us all have, for the sake of it, some - er - _fun_."

The class giggled at his disapproving face.

"But that does _not_ mean," He went on. "That we will be _relaxing_ any sort of the standards of behaviour that me or my fellow professors expect from Hogwarts students. I, for one thing, will be most vicious if any student, whether they be in my House or not, _embarrasses_ the school in any way."

The bell rang after he had finished, and there was the usual flurry of activity as everyone packed their bags and swung them onto their shoulders.

Evan grinned widely as he and Zachary left the dark dungeon.

"Why are you so happy for?" asked Zachary, both of his hands grasped on the handle of his schoolbag out of impulse when he was a bit nervous. Zachary had an idea of who _he_ wanted to ask to this Ball, but considering that she had the scariest damn teacher in the school, he thought his chances were a tad limited if he asked.

"I've got a date to Yule Ball," said Evan, a skip in his step.

"What, _How_? Professor Snape just told us about it-!" said Zachary.

"Well, i haven't _asked_ her yet," said Evan. "But i intend to fix that soon enough. I'll see you later, Zachy-boy."

Evan rushed up the stairs to the upper level quickly, seeing as he needed this proposal of Yule Ball dancing to be memorable.

* * *

><p>Ina shuffled though her schoolbag and huffed. "I forgot my Transfiguration book back at the classroom." She looked over her shoulder, she'd have to cross the snowy courtyard to head back for it.<p>

"Go get it, McGonagall wouldn't want one of her top students to not have the material to her homework," said Rose. "We'll save you a seat at the table, okay?"

"Fine, i'll see you guys in a bit." said Ina. She waved to Rose and Sam off as they departed for the entrance Hall. Ina tightened her green-and-silver scarf and stomped into the white sheet of snow that covered the courtyard ground. She was walking under a particularly tall, leafless tree when...

"HELLO!" said Evan happily, appearing face-to-face with Ina, his pudgy, round nose face barely an inch from her long, straight one. He was hanging upside-down from one of the lower tree branches by his legs, just in front of Ina.

Ina let out an oddly girly scream and slapped her hand to her mouth. Evan laughed, his blond hair, under its weight, hanging down and yellow-and-black scarf touching the ground.

"Evan, what the _hell_ was that for?" Ina yelled, composing herself and looking red in the face.

Evan shrugged, his hands in the pockets of the robes that were hanging off him. "Dunno, it was fun."

Ina huffed some of her dark hair out of her face and straightened her robes out, which got ruffled from being scared. She went to step around Evan's upside-down obstacle when he said, "Wait!"

Ina sighed. "What?"

"I wanted to ask you something," said Evan simply.

"Well, go on with it then, ask what you want," said Ina, her tone annoyed and her arms crossed over her chest. "But do hurry up, i have to get my Transfiguration book-"

"Do you wanna go to Yule Ball with me?" asked Evan rather quickly, cutting Ina off. He shut his eyes tightly, as if he as waiting for Ina to explode on him and he didn't want any of her broken pieces to get into his eyes.

"Okay."

Evan's eyes snapped open, looking at Ina's (or at least from his perspective) upside-down, light-brown skinned face. "_Really_?" He sounded almost shocked.

"Yes." said Ina, fighting back a smile at he amazement that she said yes.

"WOOHOO!" said Evan happily. He couldn't believe it was that easy! He threw his arms out from his pockets to over his head in triumph. However, in his excitement, his legs lost their grip of the branch and he fell off, landing on the snow below him.

"Oh my god!" said Ina, bending down quickly to the now face-down Evan in the snow. "Are you alright?"

Evan rolled over so his back was now to the snow. He had a goofy grin on his face. "Never better."

* * *

><p>Matthew, acting as if he was a spy finding some sort of new information, creeped down the stairs and headed towards the dark dungeons. He wasn't sure if his plan was going to work, but damn-it, he'd try at least, he <em>was<em> a Gryffindor, after all. Plus, Yule Ball was on Sunday, what if someone else asked her and he just went by his lonesome self?

He reached the Potions class door. He heard his heartbeat going off in his ears.

_'What would Michael do in this situation?'_ Matthew asked himself. He frowned. Michael wasn't the 'asking girls on a date' type of person, he'd never do something like this, he'd just buy the girl a few drinks, bed them, and move on to the next one. Matthew never thought that was very honourable of his older brother to do, actually. _'Scratch that, Michael is a prat.'_ Matthew thought.

He smoothed down his wavy hair and knocked three times on the door. His heart felt like it was burst from his chest when the same, cold voice said, "Enter." from behind the door.

Matthew gulped and pushed the door open slightly. He peered into the classroom and saw that Professor Snape's back was to him, a long scroll of parchment in his hand. He seemed to be checking off supplies.

Matthew stepped into the room a bit awkwardly as Severus turned to face him, barely looking up from his parchment to Matthew before focusing back on it. "Is this another attempt for - what was it called - extra credit?" asked Severus dully, scratching away on his piece of parchment with a dark-green coloured quill.

"N-no, sir," said Matthew, his arms stuck to his sides. "I wanted to - uh - ask you s-something..."

"Do you?" said Severus, not looking up from his parchment. "You don't sound all that excited to say anything, much less _ask_ something, Greenley."

Matthew gulped again. "I was - er - wondering, i know that i couldn't get away from this if i didn't ask beforehand so i'm asking this now-"

Severus hardly listened until Matthew said, "C-can i ask Alice out for Yule Ball?"

Severus looked up slowly from his parchment, a slight hint of surprise (or was it anger?) on his face.

_'Oh my god,'_ thought Matthew, his eyes locked with Severus' eyes, which looked so much like Alice's. _'He's gonna stab me with that quill, isn't he? Damn you, Fred, you've jinxed me into my downfall-" _

"Why are so asking me?" said Severus finally, snapping Matthew out of thought. "W-what?" asked Matthew, dumbfounded.

"Why are you asking me?" repeated Severus. "Because if i know anything about the imbecile males that attend this school, they would _never_ think to ask me beforehand."

Matthew frowned. "I know you'd skin me alive if i didn't."

"Now," said Severus, putting down his quill and parchment on one of the tables and crossing his arms afterwards. "Is that idea out of fear of me as your professor, or respect for me as her father?"

"A little bit of both, actually." said Matthew, surprised at his daring.

For the first time since he's been at Hogwarts, Severus gave him what he thought was a smile, although it was small. "I must admit, you've got a smarter head on your shoulders than you think, Greenley."

The edge of Matthew's mouth went up as Severus said, "However, _why_ should i let you bring my daughter to the Yule Ball anyway?"

"B-because i'll show her a good time, sir." said Matthew, his smile flattered slightly but still sounding determined.

"Can you guarantee that?" said Severus, one of his dark brows up in questioning at Matthew. "Because i _hardly_ think i'd let you off all that easily if she didn't have the best time she could possibly have. You realise she's not even allowed to attend the Ball without an older student to accompany her?"

"That's it, _i_ could bring her along and show her a good time!" said Matthew a little too loudly. Severus frowned slightly as Matthew, in a desperate tone said, "Please, i wouldn't do _anything_ to hurt her, it's just one dat - i mean - we'd go as friends and leave as friends. Please, sir?"

Severus considered Matthew. Matthew felt his heart sink, he must have failed, Severus wasn't saying anything...

"You can ask her." said Severus finally.

Matthew felt like he just got slapped in the face. "W-what? _Really_?"

"Yes, really." said Severus.

"Thank you, thank you so much!" said Matthew happily, running over to Severus and shaking his hand and little too vigorously. Severus looked a bit flustered as Matthew let go and headed back over to the door, grabbing the handle and throwing the door open and bounding out into the hallway, looking happier than he had in a long time.

"I feel like i'm going to regret this later." mumbled Severus to himself after the door snapped shut behind Matthew.

Matthew, however, was over the moon. Of course, only half of his plan was completely, he still had to ask Alice, obviously.

Going on instinct, Matthew half-ran to the library. Ignoring the daggers that Madam Pince shot him as he bursted into the library, he was too excited to really slow down.

He looked down all the tall bookcases until he finally saw the dark-haired, lithe form of Alice sitting at a table, nose-deep into a small hardback.

"Room for one more?" asked Matthew as he walked over to her. She looked up and smiled when she saw it was him. "Of course."

Matthew grabbed one of the chairs out and sat down. He put his elbows on the table. "What'cha reading?"

_"Wuthering Heights,_" said Alice, flipping to the next page. "It's an Old English romance novel, very bittersweet, though."

Matthew put his cheek on a propped up arm. He looked at how her nose crinkled when something bad or annoying happened, which was obviously happening a lot in her book, how her eyes sparkled a dark amber colour when the light hit them a certain way, how her slender fingers carelessly brushed a large curl of her dark hair out of her eyes...

"Can i ask you something?" said Matthew suddenly.

Alice looked up from her book. "Sure."

Matthew scratched his cheek nervously as he said, "D-do you have a date for the Ball?"

Alice looked at him blankly. "Well, no, i don't suppose i do, why?"

"Oh well, _you_ know, _i_ don't have a date, _you_ don't have a date," said Matthew, wanting to slap himself more and more by the minute for how stupid he sounded. "We could together, and ... _dance_, and stuff."

Matthew stopped and put his hand on his face. "I'm so sorry, that sounded really freaking stupid-"

Alice laughed. "I'll go with you."

Matthew removed his hand from his face. "Really?"

"No, i'm joking," said Alice sarcastically. "Yes, really."

"If i wasn't sure that Madam Pince was coming over here to beat me a new one, i'd kiss you right now." said Matthew with a grin.

Alice blushed pink.

* * *

><p>"Do you think Snape will kill me if i ask her?"<p>

"Of course he will, i'm surprised he lets anyone of the opposite gender actually hang around them."

"But Cedric's a school champion, he gets extra cool points."

"That wouldn't help me."

"Who says it wouldn't?"

"Listen, i'm just saying this now, if you wanna ask her out, ask her out. If you don't, someone _else_ will. The Ball's on Sunday, what day is it now?"

"Tuesday."

"Well there you go. Go find her and work your Diggory charms on her."

"Am i the only one who thinks it's _hilarious_ that Ced wants to ask a _Slytherin_ out?"

"Shut up, Greg."

Zachary felt his heart sink to the pit of his stomach. He was only trying to head back to the Ravenclaw Tower to grab his Charms book, but he was sidetracked when he saw Cedric taking to a few of his Hufflepuff friends on the other side of the wall he was walking past. He would have just kept walking along until he heard Cedric say something about asking Rose for his partner at Yule Ball.

"Whatever, we'll see what Cedric does now, eh?" said one his friends. They started laughing. Zachary thought to himself, thinking of what he could possibly do now. Of course, there was asking her father beforehand like Matthew did...

Zachary sped off towards the dungeons. If a Gryffindor two years older could successfully get his youngest daughter to agree to go with him, why couldn't Zachary get Rose to go with him? They _were_ friends, after all.

Before he knew it, Zachary was facing the Potions class's door. He knocked and pushed the door open without an okay.

Severus looked up from the First years' essays he was grading, looking a bit bemused. "Mr. Leon, i never said you could _barge_ in here, now did i? What's wrong with you?"

Zachary gave a deep breath before answering. "Sir, i didn't mean to do that-"

"But you did."

"Yes, i did," said Zachary a little breathlessly. "But never mind that, i need to ask you something-"

Severus noticed that Zachary had the same exact air about him like Matthew did a few days eariler when he had asked him to grant him permission ask Alice to the Ball. Severus raised his hand, causing Zachary to be quiet.

"Now Leon, i know this might be a tad surprising to you, but i believe i already know what you're going to ask me," said Severus, looking at Zachary with a shrewd expression. "Tell me this, does it happen to involve the Ball and Rose?"

Zachary's mouth went flat. "How'd you know-?"

"I notice more than most, Leon," said Severus, his long fingers entwined in front of him. "Now, how exactly do you expect to go about showing my Rose a good time at said Ball?"

Zachary's blue eyes were a bit wide in shock. He, of course, did not know that Severus was all more than aware that this Ravenclaw boy had some, if not completely obvious, feelings for his eldest daughter. Also, he didn't know that Severus was, for lack of better word, impressed with the boy's skills at such a young age. It reminded him of himself back when he was younger, best friends with a girl who he loved so dearly but did not reciprocated the feelings until awhile later in their friendship. Though he wasn't exactly okay with the idea, he thought that at least he would be much more acceptable for his daughter to be with than say some pompous idiot, whether they were from Gryffindor or not.

"Wait, does that mean you're saying okay? I can ask her?" said Zachary quietly.

"Yes, i am, technically speaking," said Severus. "But that does not answer my question, how do you expect to show her a good time?"

Zachary straightened himself up. "Everything in my power, sir, i promise."

"Good then," said Severus shortly. "Now, go off and ask her before someone else does, lets not make this a complete waste of time."

Severus waved him off. Zachary grinned from ear to ear and ran out of the room happily.

That went way easily. A little too easily, like it was all too good to be true...

* * *

><p>"Rose!"<p>

Rose, who was walking back to the Slytherin dungeons for her Herbology homework, turned and saw Zachary running towards her, looking a bit pink in the face.

"What's up?" asked Rose as he got closer.

"R-Rose," he said, trying to catch his breath. "C-can i ask you something?"

"Sure." said Rose, clutching her books close to her. Zachary took a deep breath and asked, "D-do you wanna go to the Yule Ball with me?"

Rose was silent for a moment and frowned. "Zach, i can't, i already agreed to with Harry..."

"_What_?" asked Zachary, his eyes wide.

"Well, the champions have to dance first, and Harry knew i could dance pretty well so we agreed to go as friends..." said Rose awkwardly. "But it seemed like i was the second choice though, he sounds like he'd rather go with that Cho girl..."

"What, like Cho Chang? She doesn't have a date, like she would, she's a right well brat." said Zachary quickly. He wouldn't have said that in the open normally, but given that he was tad mad at the moment, he didn't care. "Is there no way out of it?"

"I promised Harry," said Rose, her eyes sad. "I'm really sorry, Zach."

Zachary sighed, taking a deep breath afterwards and nodding. "It's okay, Rose, really. I-i'll see you later."

He turned on his heel quickly, his head downwards and looking broken. "Zach!" called Rose after him, but he didn't turn back, he was just trying to hold back the urge to start crying then and there.

Cedric turned the corner in front of him, spotting and Rose and his handsome face cracking into a smile.

"Don't b-bother," said Zachary, sounding like he had a bad head cold. "She's already going with Harry."

Cedric stopped and turned to Zachary. "Really? How do you know?" he whispered.

"Because i just asked her," said Zachary. He thought up a wild idea. "You know, i heard Cho Chang was dateless, though, you _could_ ask her..."

* * *

><p>"Frederick Snape, you stop right now!"<p>

Fred gave out an aggravated groan. Charisse had been trailing behind him for the past week since they learned there was a Ball that weekend. "Chair, i'm going to the loo, you can't follow me in there-" He really did have to go, he was just trying to get away from her.

"But - _you_ - never - _answered_ - my - _question_!" said Charisse, sounding like a five-year old who wasn't getting what she wanted.

"Well i didn't hear it." said Fred scratchily.

"Fine! I'll say it again, do you want to escort me to the Yule Ball on Sunday?" asked Charisse for the umpteenth time in her accustomed sugary tone she used just for him.

Fred huffed. "Chair, i don't know how many times i have to say this, but we're _both_ Third years, we wouldn't be able to go even if we _wanted_ to, we need an older kid to bring us along-"

"Hardly, your parents would pull some strings to let us go together!" said Charisse happily.

Fred turned down an empty corridor and turned to look down at Charisse. She had maniac glint in her dark eyes and her smile was a little too wide for his liking. "Listen, Chair-"

Fred was cut off, however, as Charisse went blank of emotion and suddenly ran up to Fred, jumped up on her toes and grabbed his face, bringing it down roughly and kissing him hard on the lips.

It was maybe two seconds as most until Fred freed himself her tight grip on him and pushed away angrily. She, however, still had her eyes closed and her lips pucked, as if she was stilling kissing him.

Fred wiped his mouth with the backside of his hand, his brows shooting downwards. "What the _hell_ was that?"

Charisse opened her eyes. She looked disappointed. "That was a kiss."

"No, i wouldn't have gotten that from the fact that our lips just touched," said Fred sarcastically. "Why did you do that for?"

"Because," said Charisse, her thin arms crossed over her chest. "We're meant to be together..."

"No, we're not." said Fred rather harshly.

Charisse frowned. "But Frederick-"

"Bloody hell," snapped Fred hotly. "Stop calling me that! We're not some match made in heaven! Hell, we don't even count as friends! You've been rude to me, my family, _and_ my friends for almost three straight years and you hate anyone who's not as "pure blooded" as you, yet you think i'll forget all that just so you can get what _you_ want? Since when did you like me anyway? We have _nothing_ in common."

"We'd make a good couple," said Charisse, looking proud. "We could rule this school together-"

"Is this what it's about then? A damn_ popularity contest_?" asked Fred, looking mad. "You don't even care about me, you just want some added credibility to your name, and what did you do now besides steal my first bloody kiss-!"

Charisse now looked angry. "Who'd you save that kiss for then, huh? That little, blue-haired _slag_-"

Before she knew it, Fred's wand was pointing at her. "Don't you _ever_ say that about her."

Charisse smiled a sinister grin at him. "What are you going to do, _hex_ little old me? My father would snap you in half..."

"I'm not scared of you _or_ your father, and oddly enough, _Wargrave_," said Fred dangerously, his bright eyes narrowed. "One of my favourite pastimes is going through my father's books, and i can tell you know, i've got a _much_ better knowledge of hexes and jinxes than one would like to admit, _especially_ more than you."

Fred lowered his wand, still looking furious, and walked past her, brushing a few dark strands of his face all the while.

"You can't just drop me like this, _Snape_!" yelled Charisse as Fred made his way down the the corridor. "I'll make your life hell, i swear by it! I always get what i want!"

"I'll be looking forward to it then!" bellowed Fred, not looking back at her.

He walked quickly, feeling rather angry at Charisse, until he saw the same, ever-changing hair that he had grown to adore so much walking just in front of him. "Sam!"

She turned on the spot and saw Fred walking quickly over to her. "Hey Fred-"

"Do you have a date to the Yule Ball yet?" he asked quickly.

Sam looked bemused. "No, you wanna go together?"

"As friends?" asked Fred.

"As friends." said Sam.

"Like hell i do," said Fred, not suppressing his smile at all. "It'll be fun."

"It's a date then," said Sam nonchalantly. "But don't get weirded out if i get a little too excited, i heard the Weird Sisters are playing at the Ball..."

"Big fan?" asked Fred.

"More than i care to admit." she said, smiling.

"We'll make sure to dance to one of their best songs then." said Fred.

* * *

><p>"So, <em>Harry<em>, who's my little champion bringing?" said Fred Weasley, sounding like he was proud father seeing his kids off for their first days of school. Admittedly, they never realised how many girls actually attended the school until this Ball came up, nearly anyone fourth year and older signed up to stay over the Holidays. At least the Gryffindor common room was warm and toasty enough for all the new students staying with them.

Harry turned slightly pink. "I'm taking Rose."

"Oh, are you?" asked George, putting his cheeks on both of his propped up hands on the table in the corner of the common room, almost giving himself the appear of a chubby-cheeked chipmunk. "And how did you do that?"

"I asked her to go with me as my dance partner?" said Harry, sounding confused.

"No way, that's way too easy," said George, un-propping one of his cheeks and waving him off. "You have to ask her dad beforehand."

"What? Seriously?" asked Harry, looking a bit scared. "Since when?"

"Well, Matt, had to," said his twin. He turned his to look over his shoulder and saw Matthew, sitting on a particularly cushy chair near the fire. "Right Matt?"

"Right." said Matthew, not looking up from the book he was reading.

"And what would their dad do if you didn't?" asked George loudly.

"Kill 'ya."

"What? No way-" said Harry, his eyes wide.

"Nope, he almost stab my eyes out with a quill and i was just asking, i swear by it." said Matthew matter-of-factly. He lowered his book and looked at Harry's terrified face.

"Oh my god, i don't even like dancing!" said Harry.

"Well, think of this way, now you won't have to face the Second task." said George bracingly.

"Yeah, because you'll be dead way beforehand!" sniggered his twin. "This is why we went with teammates, eh, Georgie?"

"Exactly." said George, winking over at Katie Bell.

The portrait hole opened. They turned to see who was entering when the common room when Ron's bright red hair caught their attention. They moved from the table in the corner to one of the sofas as Ginny directed Ron to sit on it. She was talking to him in a low, soothing voice.

"What's up, Ron?" said Harry, getting up from his chair at the table and joining them. Ron looked up at Harry, a sort of blind horror in his face.

"Why did I do it?" he said wildly. "I don't know what made me do it!"

"You didn't kill anyone, did you?" asked Matthew, setting his book down.

"What? Of course not!" said Ron franticly.

"Then what?" said Harry.

"He — er — just asked Fleur Delacour to go to the ball with him," said Ginny. She looked as though she was fighting back a smile, but she kept patting Ron's arm sympathetically.

"You _what_?" said Harry.

"I don't know what made me do it!" Ron gasped again. "What was I playing at? There were people — all around — I've gone mad — everyone watching! I was just walking past her in the entrance hall — she was standing there talking to Diggory — and it sort of came over me — and I asked her!"

Ron moaned and put his face in his hands. He kept talking, though the words were barely distinguishable. "She looked at me like I was a sea slug or something. Didn't even answer. And then — I dunno — I just sort of came to my senses and ran for it."

"She's part veela," said Harry. "You were right — her grandmother was one, i remember from the Wand weighting ceremony from awhile ago. It wasn't your fault, I bet you just walked past when she was turning on the old charm for Diggory and got a blast of it — but she was wasting her time. He's going with Cho Chang."

"Since when?" asked George. "I heard he was going to ask Rose-"

"Why would he? I'm already going with her," said Harry. He frowned slightly as he said, "Well, it was kinda an open deal until i asked Cho earlier and she said Cedric asked her, she looked really pleased she was going with him too..."

"Ah, i love love triangles." said Fred Weasley happily.

"More like a love octagon." said George.

"This is mad," said Ron, ignoring them. "I'm the only one who hasn't got anyone — well, except Neville. Hey — guess who he asked? Hermione!"

"What?" said Harry, completely distracted by this startling news.

"Yeah, I know!" said Ron, some of the colour coming back into his face as he started to laugh. "He told me after Potions! Said she's always been really nice, helping him out with work and stuff — but she told him she was already going with someone. Ha! As if! She just didn't want to go with Neville, I mean, who would?"

"Don't!" said Ginny, looking annoyed. "Don't laugh —"

Just then Hermione climbed in through the portrait hole. "Why weren't you two at dinner?" she said, coming over to join them.

"Because — oh shut up laughing, you two — because they've both just been turned down by girls they wanted ask to the ball!"

That shut Harry and Ron up.

"Thanks a bunch, Ginny," said Ron sourly.

"Harry already has someone to go with though," said Hermione.

"Well the one really really wanted to go with turned him down." said Ginny. Harry was red in the face.

"Well don't tell Rose, she'll punch you in the eye." said Hermione. She turned to Ron. "All the good-looking ones taken, Ron?" she said loftily. "Eloise Midgen starting to look quite pretty now, is she? Well, I'm sure you'll find someone somewhere who'll have you."

But Ron was staring at Hermione as though suddenly seeing her in a whole new light. "Hermione, Neville's right — you are a girl..."

"Oh well spotted," she said acidly.

"Well — you can come with me then!"

"No, I can't," snapped Hermione.

"Oh come on," he said impatiently, "I need a partner, I'm going to look really stupid if i haven't got any, everyone else has..."

"Zachary doesn't."

"I'm not going with him!"

"Well i can't go with you," said Hermione, now blushing furiously. "Because I'm already going with someone."

"No, you're not!" said Ron. "You just said that to get rid of Neville!"

"Oh did I?" said Hermione, and her eyes flashed dangerously. "Just because it's taken you three years to notice, Ron, doesn't mean no one else has spotted I'm a girl!"

Ron stared at her. Then he grinned again. "Okay, okay, we know you're a girl," he said. "That do? Will you come now?"

"I've already told you!" Hermione said very angrily. "I'm going with someone else!"

She turned on her hell and stormed off toward the girls' dormitories again.

"She's lying." said Ron flatly, watching her go.

"She's not." said Ginny quietly.

"Who is it then?" said Ron sharply.

"I'm not telling you, it's her business." said Ginny.

"Right," said Ron, who looked extremely put out. "This is getting stupid. Ginny, you can go with Harry, and I'll just —"

"I can't," said Ginny, and she went scarlet too. "I'm going with — with Neville. He asked me when Hermione said no, and I thought . . . well . . . I'm not going to be able to go otherwise, I'm not in fourth year." She looked extremely miserable. "I think I'll go and have dinner," she said, and she got up and walked off to the portrait hole, her head bowed.

"I think i'm the only one who feels bad for Neville." said Matthew in an undertone, shaking his head.

* * *

><p>It only seemed a matter of hours that it was Christmas day, the grounds covered in thick, fluffy snow, which was untouched except for the deep channels that the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students made when they walked towards the castle. They feasted in the Great Hall for a magnificent lunch, which included at least a hundred turkeys and Christmas puddings, and large piles of Cribbage's Wizarding Crackers. The castle was decorated in its usual Christmas decor.<p>

Later, after watching an intense snowball fight between the boys, Hermione checked her watch and headed back to the Gryffindor Tower.

"What, you need three hours?" said Ron, looking at her incredulously and paying for his lapse in concentration when a large snowball, thrown by George, hit him hard on the side of the head. "It's only five o'clock!"

"Who're you going with?" he yelled after Hermione, but she just waved and disappeared up the stone steps into the castle.

When they had reached their dormitories, Harry, Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville changed into their dress robes up in their dormitory, all of them looking very self-conscious, but none as much as Ron, who surveyed himself in the long mirror in the corner with an appalled look on his face. There  
>was just no getting around the fact that his robes looked more like a dress than anything else. In a desperate attempt to make them look more manly, he used a Severing Charm on the ruff and cuffs.<p>

It worked fairly well; at least he was now lace-free, although he hadn't done a very neat job, and the edges still looked depressingly frayed as the boys set off downstairs.

The Common room looked strange, full of people wearing different colours instead of the usual mass of black. Matthew sat on his usual chair, his feet in pitch black boots propped up on the small table in front of it. His robes were a dark grey, it made him look more brooding.

"No kilt then, eh?" asked Ron, walking over to him.

"It's under me' robes, the stockings are thick enough to look like trousers though," said Matthew, looking up at him and then to his frayed robes. He didn't point it out.

Ron looking around. "Where's Hermione?"

"Dunno," said Matthew. He frowned slightly. "Who're you taking anyway?"

"Padma Patil," said Ron mournfully. "Her sister already got some Beauxbatons boy to go with her and Padma didn't have anyone so..."

"Isn't she in Ravenclaw though?"

"Yeah."

"C'mon everyone!" yelled Fred Weasley over all their heads. "We have to go get our party on! Down to the entrance hall, go, go!"

* * *

><p>The entrance hall was packed with students, all milling around waiting for eight o'clock, when the doors to the Great Hall<br>would be thrown open. Those people who were meeting partners from different Houses were edging through the crowd trying to  
>find one another.<p>

Rose stood with Alice, who was in her robes of light pink with white and silver details, and Ina, her hair pulled back into a long braid with little golden accents, and wearing pale gold robes to match. Rose, of course, was wearing the light green and gold-accented robes she got during the summer. "Hey Rose." said a familiar voice.

Rose turned to see Harry besides her, looking a bit anxious. "Hey Harry," She looked at his bottle green robes that Mrs. Weasley had insisted on buying for him. "Ah, we'll match." Harry grimaced. He wasn't excited to dance at all. "Your dad is going to kill me that i didn't ask him beforehand, isn't he?"

Rose looked over her shoulder towards the Great Hall doors. Her parents, her father in his usual black (though much finer in quality) robes and her mother in robes of pale, greenish-blue, were kissing and giggling over something. His hand was in the red curls of her messy bun. "I think he'll be fine, Harry."

"Hey Zeeney-beany," said Evan, walking over and his hands in his black robes. His eyes widened slightly when he looked at Ina. "You look marvellous."

"Oh thanks," said Ina sarcastically.

"I'm serious! You look amazing!" said Evan, looking surprised that she didn't believe him.

The Great Hall doors opened and a few couples went, including Fleur Delacour, who was looking stunning in robes of silver-grey satin, and accompanied by the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain, Roger Davies.

"Should we go then?" asked scottish-tinged voice. Alice looked over her shoulder and saw Matthew behind her, grinning form ear to ear. "Let's."

Matthew took her hand and they walked into the Hall. "Nice robes, Harry," said a giggling voice. Harry didn't even have to look to know it was Fred.

He glanced to his left and saw Fred in jet-black robes. "I could have sworn you would have gone with something of the neon green variety."

"Trust me, i tried," said Fred bitterly. "But i'll make due."

"Why do you have a bowtie on?" asked Ina, pointing to the bright red bowtie that was at the base of his neck.

"Bowties are cool." said Fred happily. He looked around. "Has anyone seen Sam?"

"No," they said in unison.

"I'm right here, ya' idiots!"

Fred looked behind him as Sam punched in the back. Fred blushed pink as he looked at her.

Though she usually kept her hair short or in ponytails on either side of her head, she now had it long and dark turquoise, passing her shoulders, and tied to the left side, resting on her collar bone while her robes were light, sea blue colour. She looked stunning.

"You - uh - l-look great-" stammered Fred, blushing furiously. Rose nudged Harry in the arm. "C'mon," she whispered to him. "We better leave the lovebirds alone."

"Shut up, Rose." snapped Fred as Sam giggled.

The oak front doors opened, and everyone turned to look as the Durmstrang students entered with Professor Karkaroff. Krum was at the front of the party, accompanied by a pretty girl in blue robes.

Over their heads he saw that an area of lawn right in front of the castle had been transformed into a sort of grotto full of fairy lights — meaning hundreds of actual living fairies were sitting in the rosebushes that had been conjured there, and fluttering over the statues of what seemed to be Father Christmas and his reindeer.

Professor McGonagall's voice called, "Champions over here, please!"

Rose patted down her hair as she and Harry said "See you in a minute" to the others and walked forward, the chattering crowd parting to let them through.

Professor McGonagall, who was wearing dress robes of red tartan and had arranged a rather ugly wreath of thistles around the brim of her hat, told them  
>to wait on one side of the doors while everyone else went inside; they were to enter the Great Hall in procession when the rest of the students had sat down, which didn't make Harry all that excited. Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies stationed themselves nearest the doors; Davies looked so stunned by his good fortune in having Fleur for a partner that he could hardly take his eyes off her. Cedric and Cho were close to Harry too; Cho, of course, looked stunning to Harry, though Harry couldn't help but notice that Rose was determinedly trying not to look at him. Harry looked away from them so he wouldn't have to talk to them. His eyes fell instead on the girl next to Krum.<p>

He poked Rose in the shoulder suddenly. "What?" she said quietly. Harry pointed to the pretty girl next to Krum. Rose's eyes widened as she said, "_Hermione_?"

But she didn't look like Hermione at all. She had done something with her hair; it was no longer bushy but sleek and shiny, and twisted up into an elegant knot at the back of her head. She was wearing robes made of a floaty, periwinkle-blue material, and she was holding herself differently, somehow — or maybe it was  
>merely the absence of the twenty or so books she usually had slung over her back. She was also smiling — rather nervously. Harry and Rose loked at each other with wide eyes. How did they not spot her before?<p>

"Hi, Harry!" she said. "Hi, Rose!"

When the doors to the Great Hall opened, Krum's fan club from the library stalked past, throwing Hermione looks of deepest loathing. Pansy Parkinson, in an unflattering pink frock, gaped at her as she walked by with Malfoy, and even he didn't seem to be able to find an insult to throw at her. Ron, however, walked right past Hermione without looking at her. Fred, on the other hand, was the most vocal about it. "Lookin' good, Hermione!" he yelled as he and Sam walked past. Hermione blushed pink as Krum beamed at her.

Once everyone else was settled in the Hall, Professor McGonagall told the champions and their partners to get in line in pairs and to follow her. They did so, and everyone in the Great Hall applauded as they entered and started walking up toward a large round table at the top of the Hall, where the judges were sitting.

Rose gasped at the Great Hall. It looked nearly unrecognisable. The walls of the Hall had all been covered in sparkling silver frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling. The House tables had vanished; instead, there were about a hundred smaller, lantern-lit ones, each seating about a dozen people. Harry resisted the urge to laugh when he noticed that Fred was seated near the top table, resting his feet on the table cloth. Alice, who sat at the same table as him, looked like she was going to whack him upside the head. He also caught sight of Ron and Padma as he neared the top table. Ron was watching Hermione pass with narrowed eyes. Padma was looking sulky.

Harry concentrated on not tripping over his feet. Rose was just dragging him along, frowning when she saw Zachary all by himself at Ron's table, not looking at her when she pasted.

Dumbledore smiled happily as the champions approached the top table, but Karkaroff wore an expression remarkably like Ron's as he watched Krum and Hermione draw nearer. Ludo Bagman, tonight in robes of bright purple with large yellow stars, was clapping as enthusiastically as any of the students; and Madame Maxime, who had changed her usual uniform of black satin for a flowing gown of lavender silk, was applauding them politely. But strangely, Barty Crouch wasn't there, instead, the fifth seat at the table was occupied by Percy Weasley.

"Oh good." said Harry in an undertone, frowning. He wasn't fond of Percy.

When the champions and their partners reached the table, Percy drew out the empty chair beside him, staring pointedly at Harry.

Harry took the hint and sat down next to Percy, who was wearing brand-new, navy-blue dress robes and an expression of such smugness that Harry thought it ought to be fined.

"I've been promoted," Percy said before Harry could even ask, and from his tone, he might have been announcing his election as supreme ruler of the universe. "I'm now Mr. Crouch's personal assistant, and I'm here representing him."

"Why didn't he come?" Rose asked politely.

"I'm afraid to say Mr. Crouch isn't well, not well at all. Hasn't been right since the World Cup," said Percy, shaking his head. "Hardly surprising — overwork. He's not as young as he was — though still quite brilliant, of course, the mind remains as great as it ever was. But the World Cup was a fiasco for the whole Ministry, and then, Mr. Crouch suffered a huge personal shock with the misbehavior of that house-elf of his..."

Rose and Harry shot each other sidelong, bored glances as Percy went on.

At the near by table, however, Fred and Evan were having a much better time entraining.

Evan flipped over the small menu in front of him in curiosity. "Is this our dinner? I can't eat this, i'm on a strictly non-paper diet..."

"Very funny," said Ina, looking at her own menu. "We're suppsoed to order."

"Well where's the waiter?" asked Fred, lifting up the tablecloth and looking under the table itself, as if someone was waiting for their queue to appear under there.

His question, however, was answered when Matthew looked down at his plate and said, "Steak and potatoes, please."

His golden plate magically filled with what he said exactly said to it. Taking his example, they followed suit.

"Hey Freddie," said Evan awhile later as the others chatted happily together, especially Alice and Matthew, who couldn't take their eyes off each other. "Look over there."

Evan pointed the other table on the exact opposite side of them, where most of the teachers sat. Severus was whispering something to Lily and kissing her cheek as she smiled over something. They hardly seemed to be paying attention to their food.

"Just wait," said Evan, smiling at Fred's annoyed face. "You'll just be walking outside in the snow, minding your own business, but you'll walk past one of those dark carriages that they have outside to bring the other students up, right? And the one you'll past is all fogged up but then, you'll see a nice, familiar hand go," Evan held up his hand and slid it downwards slowly, sticking his tongue out suggestively.

"I hate you _so_ much." said Fred, a muscle moving in his jaw.

"It's one step closer to your little brother, dude, don't get mad at me." said Evan, batting his eyelids like Charisse did.

Speaking of Charisse, she _was_ able to attend the Ball, except not with someone she particularly wanted to go with. Fred glanced over to one corner of the Hall, where she sat with a big and dark Fifth year Slytherin. She looked at his direction with a mad expression on her face, wearing a high-collared, dark puple, velvety robes. Fred planned to stay as far away from her for the time being out of the fear that she'd stab him in the leg with a fork.

When all the food had been consumed, Dumbledore stood up and asked the students to do the same. Then, with a wave of his wand, all the tables zoomed back along the walls leaving the floor clear, and then he conjured a raised platform into existence along the right wall. A set of drums, several guitars, a lute, a cello, and  
>some bagpipes were set upon it.<p>

The Weird Sisters now trooped up onto the stage to wildly enthusiastic applause. Sam even jumped up and down, which didn't seem like a good idea in her delicate robes. All the band members were all extremely hairy and dressed in black robes that had been artfully ripped and torn. They picked up their instruments, and Harry, who had been so interested in watching them that he had almost forgotten what was coming, suddenly realised that the lanterns on all the other tables had gone out, and that the other champions and their partners were standing up.

"Come on," Rose whispered. "We're supposed to dance!"

Harry tripped over his dress robes as he stood up. The Weird Sisters struck up a slow, mournful tune; Harry walked onto the brightly lit dance floor, carefully avoiding catching anyone's eye (he could see Fred and Evan waving at him and holding back giggles), and next moment, Rose had grabbed his hands, placed one around her  
>waist, and was holding the other tightly in hers. Harry blushed pink, hoping her after wouldn't rip him a new one after this was over.<p>

Well, it could have been worse. They revolved slowly on the spot (with Rose was steering, seeing as Harry barely put any effort into it all). He kept glancing over at Cho as she danced with Cedric, they both looked happy for the most part, though Cho seemed much more into it than Cedric was. Very soon many of the other students had come onto the dance floor, so that the champions were no longer the center of attention. Evan and Ina were dancing  
>nearby — Ina was extremely graceful, which you would have never guessed for how she, like Hermione, always had a giant amount of books on her back. Evan had to go very quick to keep up with her— and Dumbledore was waltzing with Madame Maxime. He was so dwarfed by her that the top of his pointed hat barely tickled her chin; however, she moved very well for a woman so large. Severus and Lily danced nearby as well, except they seemed much more involved with each other than the others around them. They were beaming at each other as if this was their first dance at their wedding.<p>

"Fred is gonna _love_ that," Rose muttered as they passed.

"You think so?" said Harry, barely paying attention.

"Oh yeah, definitely" Rose whispered.

Harry heard the final, quavering note from the bagpipe with relief. The Weird Sisters stopped playing, applause filled the hall once more, and Harry let go of Rose at once. "Let's sit down, shall we?"

"Oh — but — Harry, come on, this is a really good one!" Rose said, trying to pull him back as the Weird Sisters struck up a new song, which was much faster.

"No, I don't like it," Harry lied, and he led her away from the dance floor, past a smiling Fred and Sam, who were dancing with so much exuberance that people around them were backing away in fear of injury, and over to the table where Ron and Padma were sitting.

"How's it going?" Harry asked Ron, sitting down and opening a bottle of butterbeer.

Ron didn't answer. He was glaring at Hermione and Krum, who were dancing nearby. Padma was sitting with her arms and legs crossed, one foot jiggling in time to the music. Every now and then she threw a disgruntled look at Ron, who was completely ignoring her, and glaring at her sister when she spotted her dancing with that Beauxbatons boy. Rose sat down next to Harry, looking at the dance floor longingly when she glanced to her left and saw Zachary standing against one wall, looking downcast in his dark blue robes.

"Harry, you wouldn't mind if i went and asked Zach to dance, would you?" Rose said, hoping he wouldn't.

"What?" said Harry, who was watching Cho and Cedric once agin.

Rose sighed, "Never mind." She stood up and went off towards him.

* * *

><p>Evan and Ina snuck out of the Hall and were walking around the empty castle grounds, hand in hand. Evan had never seen her in such a carefree mood before, but he liked it. They walked towards one marble staircase and climbed up it towards the next floor, where Evan led them down the corridor they arrived in.<p>

"No - Louie, you big loon, stop it!" said a girl's voice, giggling. It sounded fairly close to them. Evan put his finger over his mouth before they looked around one wall to see who it was.

They saw Sam's older brother, Louis, in dark green robes, and Ina's older sister, Eloise, in bright orange robes and golden bangles, pushed against one wall when they looked around. Louis was whispering things to her as he kissed her neck and face as she rain her fingers through his wild mop of auburn hair. Guess they stopped hating each other.

"Oh my go-" said Evan before Ina slapped her hand over his mouth and yanked him away. Louis and Eloise looked to their left, wondering who said somehting, but upon seeing no one, went back to their little private snogging fest.

"Oh my god," said Ina giggling as they half-ran away from the area, still hand in hand. "I had no idea they were a couple!"

"Ah, maybe you and Sam can be sisters now, eh?" said Evan, grinning. They laughed as they went down the corridor. Evan saw a over hanging balcony ahead of them. "C'mon, let's go over here-"

They, with their hands still grasping each other, walked to the balcony. Ina smiled as she say the view it had. It looked over the grounds in front of the castle, glittering like a Christmas tree from where they stood overhead. The ledge of the balcony was covered in little vines of Holly berries.

Evan gave a small, slightly-stuffed sounding sniff and rubbed his eye. Ina looked at him. "Evan, are you okay?"

"Yeah, i'm fine," said Evan, sounding the complete opposite of it. "It's - uh - allergies..."

"Evan, i _know_ you, you don't have allergies," said Ina, letting go of his hand and putting her hands to her sides. "What's wrong? You can tell me."

Evan shook his head. "You'll laugh at me."

"No, i won't," said Ina sternly. "Just tell me, i'm here for you. Is it the lights or something? Are they bugging you?"

"N-no," said Evan after a silent moment, his head bowed. "It's these," he pointed to the little red Holly berries that surrounded them. "They remind me of my mum..."

Ina remembered something. She remembered that when they were arriving to Hogwarts earlier that year that Evan went suddenly quiet when Ron said something about "mums".

"Evan, did ... did something happen to your mother?" said Ina quietly, grazing her fingers on Evan's hand and her brows furrowed. Evan lifted his head to look at her. His normally gold - brown eyes were teary and red. "W-will you not tell anyone?"

"I promise, just tell me, please." said Ina, her voice sounding sad.

Evan took a deep, shaky breath and spoke. "My m-mum was named H-Holly and was a really talented at P-Potions," Evan started. "Her and my dad both were, two of the b-best, a-always making up n-new spells, and we w-were _really_ close..."

Evan sniffed. "B-but she had the k-knack for m-mixing _way_ too dangerous plants into her w-work, there was this o-one p-plant, it _really_ didn't work with w-whatever she was making, a-and me and my b-brother were just p-playing outside her r-room where she w-worked, and i w-walked in t-to show h-her t-this neat p-plant i f-found outside that she'd w-want to use and she g-got a little two h-heavy-handed when s-she turned to l-look at what i br-brought for her a-and t-there w-was a big b-blast a-and ..."

A thin line of tears started to trail down his freckled cheeks. "S-she didn't w-wake u-up, i t-tried to b-b-but s-she didn't m-move, i-i l-laid next t-to her u-until my dad t-took me away..."

Ina stared at Evan, her heart feeling so broken at what she was hearing coming from him. He was so care free and happy all the time, she never knew there was so much sadness behind his exterior. She always thought she was inferior compared to her sisters, but here was this boy, one who never even snuck a second glance at them, and he only had eyes for her. He purposely made ways just to be around her... She stepped up to Evan and wrapped her arms around him, her forehead on his own.

"Please don't cry," said Ina soothingly, loosing one of her arms and bringing her hand to his face and wiping the tears off with her thumb. "She'd be so proud of you right now, please-"

Evan gave a strangled hiccup and brought his own hand to his face, wiping it. "I'm s-so sorry, i'm r-ruining the m-_mood_, aren't i?"

Ina gave a tiny laugh. "No, you're just opening up..."

Evan wiped his eyes and looked straight into hers. He'd never notice how pretty they were, so dark brown in colour. He also didn't realise how close her face actually was to his, he could smell the lavender and jasmine scented perfume she wore...

Ina pushed forward and pressed her lips to his, completely taking Evan for a surprise . However, he relaxed after the initial shock and brought his hands up to her, cupping each side of her face in his hands, the tips of his fingers lightly grazing the bottom of her pierced earlobes.

After a few more seconds, they separated, still loosely holding each other. Ina blushed red, obviously embarrassed by her rash action. Evan smiled, "That makes me feel a whole lot better, if you wanna know."

"Shut up, Evan." said Ina, rolling her eyes but smiling as Evan giggled.

* * *

><p>"Zach?" said a soft voice.<p>

Zachary turned to his right and saw Rose looking at him, a little worried looking. "Do you - uh - wanna dance?"

He frowned. "What about Harry?"

"He's more interested in what Cho Chang is doing than dancing, actually." said Rose a little bitterly. "I'm sorry," she added. "I would have gone with you if i knew _this_ was gonna happen." She gave a small smile when Zachary's blue eyes twinkled slightly. "So, you wanna dance?"

Zachary looked over at the Weird Sisters, where a crowd was hovering around, cheering as they played a funky tune.

_'There was a time I would've walked, I'm burning coals for you-'_

"Of course," said Zachary, his pale face cracking into a wide smile. Rose smiled back as he took her hand and walked them hurriedly to the dance floor, her feet barely keeping up with his excited speed.

Rose laughed as Zachary took her hand and placed the other on her waist, moving quickly to the music. Rose couldn't help but notice that he looked much happier dancing with her (or at all) than Harry did, plus, he was putting much more effort into it.

They spun on the spot, dancing to the music, even when it went to another song and another, they didn't care, they were much more absorbed in how much fun they were having.

During the end of one particularly fast song, Rose had to stop to catch her breath. She wrapped her arms around Zachary's chest and put her head on his chest, giggling. "You never told me you could dance!"

"I didn't know i could." said Zachary, blushing pink, brushing a finger through Rose's dark red hair. "Heh, you wanna get a drink or something?"

Rose put her chin on his chest and looked up at him. "Sure."

Zachary smiled and ruffled his hands through her hair, causing it to land in her eyes. He half-ran towards the table at the other side of the Hall, where refreshments were.

"Beat you there!" he said, turning to look over his shoulder to look at Rose, who was running behind him.

"In your dreams, Leon!" said Rose, giggling like mad.

* * *

><p>Harry and Ron left the Hall and walked out into the frosted garden just outside the castle, seeing as they weren't having much fun at the Ball anyway. Ron glanced up and saw some couple locking lips on an overhead balcony. "Well, at least someone is having a good time." he muttered.<p>

They walked in the snow until a familiar voice made them frozen to the spot.

"I don't see why you'd think i'd ever help the likes of _you_."

"Please, you're the only one who seems to understand my predicament!" Karkaroff's voice sounded anxious and hushed, as though keen not to be overheard. "It's been getting clearer and clearer for months. I am becoming seriously concerned, I can't deny it —"

"Your _predicament_?" said Severus's voice curtly. "Why would i understand it? I never served him, i never would."

"And I see how you look at my wife," he continued as Karkaroff tried to speak up again, cutting him off and his voice thick with loathing. "As if she's some slime on your boot. I know Durmstrang doesn't have a high tolerance for Muggle borns, but she's better than most you've come across. Don't think because i had a phase when i was fourteen affects anything now, we were on different sides in the War, and now you're being dragged back into the path that you've lied to keep out of. I've told Dumbledore already, and he's seeing the signs, but for the sake of both of us, don't _ever_ assume that i'd help anyone like _you_."

He and Karkaroff came around the corner. "Now if you'll excuse me, i have to go find my wife. Don't think i won't report this to Dumbledore." Severus eyed with with displeasure and turned away from his, his black cloak billowing behind him. Karkaroff hurried away after Snape. They didn't seem to notice Harry and Ron , so they continued down the path.

"What's got Karkaroff all worried?" Ron muttered.

"Dunno," said Harry. "What _signs_ are they talking about, though?"

"I don't we want to know." said Ron, frowning.

* * *

><p>Matthew spun Alice around, her robes flowing around her in a perfect circle. "Listen, i've got you a Christmas present," he said, smiling down at her. "Wait here, okay? I'll go get it."<p>

Alice sighed happily as Matthew waved and sent out off the Hall. She had never felt happier, dancing with him, holding his hand and laughing with him, it was almost like a dream...

"Hey, Alice," said a voice. Alice's good mood dropped suddenly. She turned around and saw Branin standing behind her, his brown hair in his eyes like always.

"What?" snapped Alice, suddenly annoyed.

Branin mouth went thin. "Where's Matt?"

"He's getting me something for me," she said. "Why?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, maybe we could have a quick dance or something-"

"No." said Alice flatly.

"Oh come on," he said, running a hair through his hair. "Just _one_ dance?"

Alice considering him for a moment with narrowed eyes. "You promise to leave me alone after?"

"Promise." he said, grinning. Alice frowned when he grabbed his hand without her okay and dragged her over to the dance floor.

Maybe the forces were against her, but the Weird Sisters started playing an awfully slow tune, much to her displeasure. Alice kept her face blank of emotions as Branin waltzed her around. She might have "accidentally" stepped on his feet once or twice.

"Now was that so bad?" he said once the tune finished and Alice ripped her hands from his grasps. She said nothing as she walked past him and saw Matthew standing on the outskirts of the dance floor, a small smile on his face.

"Haskell giving you any trouble?" Matthew asked when Alice stepped over to him.

"No more than usual," she said dully. Matthew had a tiny box in his hand with a white ribbon tied on it. "Happy Christmas."

Alice took the box and slowly opened the top. She out her hand into it and extracted a silver and gold bracelet with an assortment of pink amethysts on it.

"It was really last minute," said Matthew, his shoulders squared when he noticed Alice's wide-eyed expression. "I'm sorry it wasn't a bit bigger-"

Alice hugged him tightly. "It's perfect, Matt, thank you!" she said, smiling up at him.

She didn't notice Branin as he stalked past them angrily and out of the Hall, mumbling 'Damn Gryffindor." under his breath.

* * *

><p>Fred and Sam danced the most energetically out of all of them, their smiles never leaving their faces. At one point, they obviously had to spot to catch their breath.<p>

The Weird Sisters picked up another tune, a much softer, even romantic tune.

_'This is your final chance to hold the one you love. You know you've waited long enough...'_

Fred held his out to Sam. "May i have this dance?"

Sam placed her hand onto his. "Oh most _certainly_."

Fred smiled broadly as he led them out to the dance floor.

_'So, believe that magic works. Don't be afraid of being hurt'_

They, of course, did not notice that a few others were watching them.

"What are we waiting for over here for?" asked Ron and he and Harry walked over, brushing snow off their robes. Evan stood next to Ina on the outside of the dance floor, watching Fred and Sam as they danced. Harry and Ron didn't know why, but Evan looked particularly happy for some reason.

"We're waiting for them to start snogging." said Ina before taking a sip of her drink.

"Oh honestly," said Harry. "What are the chances of that happening?"

Ina glanced over at Evan, who was grinning and taking a sip of his drink. "Fairly high, actually..."

Fred looked down at Sam, her hair shining in the light. He gulped and said, "S-Sam, can i tell you something?"

Sam looked up at him, the top of her head barely reaching his chest. "What is it?"

He pulled her closer. The song was incredibly slow, wasn't it? But he didn't care, it was now or never...

"I - uh -" he stammered. Sam looked at him with furrowed brows. "Fred, are you alright-?"

Fred took a deep breath and said bluntly, "I'm completely head over heals about you."

_'Don't let this magic die. The answer's there, Oh, just look in her eyes...'_

He didn't care whether she wanted to hear it not, he was too lost in the moment to actually care. "I don't care if Rose kills me for it, I'm mad about you, i always have, ever since we met, i just knew then..." He trailed off and looked at Sam in eye. She was just staring back at him, wide eyed.

_'Oh damn,'_ he thought to himself._ 'She hates me. I should have kept my mouth shut.'_

"Oh Freddie," said Sam in a giggly voice, her hands trailing up to the very base of his neck. "I thought it was just me..."

Fred's eyes widened."W-what do you mean?"

"I mean i'm crazy about you too, stupid!" said Sam happily, smiling. "Going to this Ball with you has been one of the best nights of my life! It's just shame we promised just to go as friends, though."

"Who says we have to leave just _friends_?" asked Fred silkily.

Evan tapped his toe to the music, his drink still half way full. "This is a good song."

From their distance, they saw that Fred and Sam (well Fred was) were talking about something, though they couldn't hear what. Sam was wide eyed, but they didn't know why.

"Damn, the Ball is going to end soon," said Harry, looking at his watch. "Do we have to keep watching this?"

"Let me thing about that - _YES_." said Evan. He took a long sip of his drink.

_'...make your final move, don't be scared, she want you to. Yeah, it's hard, you must be brave, don't let this moment slip away...'_

"But _nothing_ is happening!" said Ron.

That was quite the contrary. As they watched, Fred, his eyelids lowered half way over his eyes, tightened his grip around Sam's waist and lifted her up to his level and kissed her full on the mouth.

Evan spat out his drink, almost loosing his balance until Ina yanked him back up, gagging. "Okay, i take that one back." said Ron.

They swayed on the spot, kissing deeply as Sam ran her hands through his dark hair, her feet dangling almost a foot from the ground.

"About bloody time!" yelled Evan after he finally got his wits about him.

Fred tightened his grip on Sam's waist to still hold her up with his right arm as he put his left hand up in Evan's direction and made a very offensive hand gesture at him before wrapping his arm back around Sam. Ron and Harry laughed.

Evan made a fake grasp, "Ina, did you see that? The boy has a claw to his bark!"

Fred didn't care if Evan was watching or not, all that really mattered was the wonderful pressure of Sam's lips on his own, soaking in her whole being as her vivid hair fell down her shoulder and entwining with his black locks.

After what felt like years, they finally separated to breathe.

They looked at each other, almost bewildered at what they had just done. "S-so, how does the next Hogsmeade weekend sound?" asked Fred with a tiny smile, stilling holding Sam up as she had her arms still wrapped around his neck.

Sam laughed and placed another kiss on his lips. "Of course."

"Oh good." said Fred, his face lighting up and smiling broadly. Sam placed her forehead on Fred's and she smiled contently at him. Fred had never felt happier in his whole life.

"Use protection!" shouted Evan before Ina gave him a good whack to the backside of his head.

* * *

><p>Alice leaned against the wall just outside of the Great Hall. Matthew had been held back by Bagman, asking him about his father, so Alice agreed just to meet him out there.<p>

A dark form walked into her line of view. It was stumbling a bit. "_Weeell_ lookie here!" said familiar voice, slurring.

"What do you want, Haskell?" asked Alice coldly as Branin stumbled over.

"Oh _nothin_'," he said, grinning sloppily. "Just bein' a werewolf, the usua-_lah_."

Alice narrowed her eyes, her nose crinkled. "You smell horrible. Have you being drinking?"

"_Nooo_," said Branin. Alice stared at him blankly. "Okay, _maaaybe_ a little bit, tweeny bit."

"Go to bed, your head will be pounding tomorrow anyway." said Alice.

"Oh i don't think sooo," said Branin, waving his finger at her. "You owe me-"

"I don't owe you anything, Hask-" started Alice, but she was cut off as Branin pushed her against the wall and kissed her roughly on the mouth.

He was pulled away suddenly and Alice heard an loud smacking noise.

"Son of a-" said Branin, who was now against the ground and holding his eye. Matthew stood above him, seething and his hands clenched tightly into fists.

"Leave her alone, _Haskell_," said Matthew said an uncharacteristically dangerous tone. "You had absolutely no damn right to do that-"

"Oh blah _blah_," said Branin, half moaning. "She doesn't like you, Greenbee, you big idiot-"

"Shut up!" shouted Alice loudly, her eyes brimming with tears. Her hands went over her mouth and she slid down the wall into a sitting on the stone ground, her head bowed.

"Alice, i-" said Brain suddenly, pushing himself up, not caring about the black eye that was forming on his eye.

"I said leave - her - _alone_." said Matthew, staring down at him with narrowed eyes. Branin looked at him in anger and stood up roughly. "Fine, i don't _care_ anyway, i still got her first-"

Matthew grabbed him by the collar and brought them close. "Shut. Up. Get the hell out of here. If i see you bug her _ever_ again, i'll personally make sure it's the last thing you do."

He let go of him. Branin stumbled slightly and shot him a look of utter hatred and stomped away from him, not even glancing back at Alice.

When he was out of sight, Matthew walked over to Alice and sat down next to her. "Are you okay?"

Alice sniffled and lift her head. There was tear stains going down her cheeks. "I d-don't know..."

Matthew put his arms around her and out his head on hers. "I'm _so_ sorry, i should have been there earlier, he would have never done that if i were here -"

Alice turned and hugged him. "Don't say that, you're brilliant, really, he's just a s-stupid prat."

She sniffed again and wiped her cheek with the backside of her hand. "I just want to go to bed."

"I want me to walk you back?" he said softly.

Alice nodded. Matthew stood up and lifted her up by the hand. "C'mon, let's just forget about this."

They walked towards the dungeons, his arms around her shoulders and speaking in low tones.

When Alice finally reached the Slytherin dungeons, she hugged Matthew goodnight and headed into the low room. Barely noticing the other Slytherins who were chatting before bed, she headed up to her dormitory.

"Stupid - big-nosed - _git_," said an angry voice. Alice looked around and saw Charisse on her bed in her night gown, yanking her earrings off and raging.

"What's up with you?" asked Alice, still sounding a bit stuffed up.

Charisse spun around, her dark hair whirling around her face. "It's your stupid brother, that's what!"

Alice frowned slightly. "I know he's an idiot, you don't have to remind me..."

"No," she said, cutting Alice off. "He bloody snogged that blue-haired nutskull in front of everyone!"

"He kissed Sam?" asked Alice, turning her head to her side. "Good for him..."

"Says _you_." said Charisse acidly. She threw the hangings from her four-poster bed roughly, and fell silent.

* * *

><p>Rose and Zachary headed back to the Slytherin dungeon with Ina and Evan in tow. Both couples were holding hands and giggling.<p>

"Thanks for the lovely night, Zach." said Rose as they approached the dungeon. She turned and kissed Zachary on the cheek. "See you tomorrow!"

Ina, on the other hand, placed a light kiss on Evan's lips and said, "Sweet dreams."

The two girls left with each other. Zachary and Evan looked at each other and smiled. Evan walked over to Zachary and threw his arm over his shoulder. Zachary did the same, beaming and chatting loudly about their nights and they walked back to their respected Common rooms.

"You kissed him?" asked Rose as the stone wall opened to let them into the Common room. She smiled. "Good for you both, you're cute together..."

They stepped into the Common room as the stone wall snapped shut behind them. Rose smirked as she saw that Fred and Sam, who had left the Hall before them, were laying on the couch with Sam on top, laughing as Fred kissed her cheeks.

"Happy dreamings, lovebirds." said Rose happily, waving to them as she and Ina pasted them.

"Thank you for your support!" said Fred after them, his arms wrapped around Sam. He smiled as Sam kissed him on the nose. "They're just jealous, don't listen to them."

"I reckon Chair is more jealous, actually." said Sam.

Fred frowned. "Let's not talk about her, she'd going to rip me a new one tomorrow anyway..."

* * *

><p>Harry, feeling extremely tired, climbed into the Common room and found Ron and Hermione having a blazing row before him. Standing ten feet apart, they were bellowing at each other, each very scarlet in the face.<p>

"Well, if you don't like it, you know what the solution is, don't you?" yelled Hermione, her hair coming down out of its elegant bun now, and her face was screwed up in anger.

"_Oh_ _yeah_?" Ron yelled back. "What's that?"

"Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, and _not_ as a last resort!"

Ron mouthed soundlessly like a goldfish out of water as Hermione turned on her heel and stormed up the girls' staircase to bed. Ron turned to look at Harry. "Well," he sputtered, looking thunderstruck, "well — that just proves — _completely_ missed the point —"

Harry didn't say anything. He liked being back on speaking terms with Ron too much to speak his mind right now — but he somehow thought that Hermione had gotten the point much better than Ron had.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'M SO SORRY THIS IS BEING POSTED SO LATE. PLEASE FORGIVE ME! ;_;<strong>

**(Also, i going to somewhat redeem Branin next chapter, so don't you worry. )**


	43. After the Ball

Branin stalked down the corridors back to Ravenclaw Tower, stumbling still and mumbling under his breath. His head was pounding, not to mention he could feel the skin get more and more bruised around his eye. Who knew Greenley had such a good right-hook?

From his own standpoint, Branin _hated_ that Gryffindor prat. Not because he was in Gryffindor, mind you, one of his best friends was in Gryffindor, but that's besides the point. Here's him, completely devoted to getting Alice to like him at least, to no avail at all, and for what reason? He couldn't tell at all. Sure, if he was in a more sober state, he probably wouldn't have done what he did to her, but since when has _she_ ever been rejected more times to count? Then there's _Greenley_, Quidditch star's son, handsome, well-liked, and he's a withering _idiot_. Well, Branin didn't know exactly if he was exactly as dumb as he looked, but he could tell. What in the hell did Alice see him? Branin is the one who ever showed her any interest at all, since when has Greenley ever noticed her? It's unfair!

Branin mumbled on and lost in thought until a rough voice rang out in the empty corridor. "Haskell! Where do 'ya think you're going?"

Branin stopped abruptly and turned around to see Moody clunking towards him, his clawed foot easily seen through the kilt he just happened to be wearing for the Ball. Branin sneered at it, it made him think of something Greenley would wear at more "formal" occasions.

"I'm going to bed." he said, a slight slur in his voice. Moody gave a nasty smile to him. "Not right now you aren't."

Moody reached him and put a tight hand on Branin's shoulder. "Come with me, will you?"

Branin's eyes bulged and he tensed up. "What for?"

"Ah, you know what you did, boy." growled Moody. "Now quiet, we have to go find your Head of House. Flitwick, isn't it? Come along."

With no much as an okay, Moody started pushing Branin along roughly, his feet made loud scratching noises which added to Moody's loud clunks against the stone floor.

After what felt like years of silence, another set of voices came into their range of hearing.

"-so Dumbledore knows what's going on?" said Lily as she and Severus turned the corner in front of them, hand-in-hand.

"He wouldn't want Karkaroff walking around unless he knew what he had gotten himself into, but who knows what's going to happen," said Severus a bit grimly. "We'll have to see and find out."

"Ah, there you are!" said Moody loudly, snapping Severus and Lily out of their conversation. "Been looking for you two. Would you care to come along with me and Haskell here?"

They both looked at Branin, who was being held roughly by Moodys gnarled hand, looking terrified upon seeing both of them.

Lily looked at his questioningly. "What ever for?"

"Trust me, in due time you'll find out, but i must warn you, you might want to restrain your husband there when you do." said Moody, his bright blue eye pointing in Severus's direction. Severus's face went almost blank of emotion as Lily dragged him along with Moody and Branin.

Finally, they reached the wooden oak door of Fltwick's office. Branin could hear his heartbeat going off wildly in his ears as Moody knocked on the door and soon afterwards heard Fliwick's squeaky voice say, "Oh, do come in!"

Moody opened the door and pushed Branin into the office first, Severus and Lily followed behind them silently. Branin looked around Flitwick's office. He'd only been in there once during his First Year as to when he'd have to leave during certain times of the month for his transformations, but that felt like decades ago now. The once warm looking and splendidly decorated Charms Master's office know looked dark and threatening towards him.

"Oh my, what is it, Alastor?" asked Flitwick, propping himself up on the stack of books that were on his chair as to see over his large desk, just next to the toasty fireplace. From the look of the cap on his head and the obviously apparent pyjamas he was wearing, it looked like Flitwick was a having a nightcap before heading off to bed.

"Oh nothin'," said Moody, his slash of mouth twisting towards. "Just been seeing Haskell here causing a little trouble for himself."

Flitwick frowned, looking at Branin and sighing. "Do go on with it, what did he do?"

Moody stared at Flitwick and said, "I don't know the exact detailing, but seeing as i was patrolling the Halls when Haskell here came back into the castle, smelling stronger than anything you can get from the Hog's Head and slurring, i had my suspicions. Now, i have no clue what his relationship is with their little daughter is," Moody's blue eye pointed towards Severus and Lily. "But seeing as he pushed her against the wall without her permission and - _ah_ - 'locked lips' with her was most likely not what she wanted to happen."

Branin held a loud scratching noise go against the stone floor and Lily's voice say urgently, "_Sev_!" Branin looked over his shoulder and saw that Severus had lunged towards him but Lily had held him back by the wrists. Lily whispered something to him softly, dragging his back towards her, but it didn't mask the look of pure acid coming from Severus's dark eyes staring straight at Branin. Branin hastily turned away from him, though he could still feel the intense burning look he was receiving from behind him.

"Did you try to stop this?" asked Flitwick, keeping his voice empty of emotion, though the hint of annoyance rang through.

"I did see it happen, this eye can see through everything, as you know. I was only on the other side of the corridor wall, and i was 'bout to find him again until i saw, eh, what's him name? The tall one, wavy hair, i think he's in Gryffindor." said Moody.

"Greenley?" asked Lily. She had remembered Alice talking about him often, actually.

"That's the one," said Moody, waving his finger at her. "He got to him first, pulled him off her and gave him this."

Moody pointed to the black eye on Branin's face. Branin resisted the urge to try to free himself from Moody's grasp, ignoring the stinging mirth that Severus spat behind them.

Flitwick stared at Branin, looking disappointed. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"

Branin gulped, taking a moment of silence before saying, "I-i'm s-sorry-"

"Oh, i bet he is!" said Severus angrily, his eyes flashing. "Filius, you have our full permission to do has harsh of a punishment as you please."

"But _sir-_!" protested Branin loudly.

Severus grimaced at him, cutting Branin off mid-sentence. "Don't '_sir_' me! Under the influenece of god knows what and you go on and do that to our daughter! Now if i had a say in this, you would be on the train home by now-!"

Lily grabbed him around the arm, causing him to snap out of his rant and she said, "We'll leave you to it then," said Lily, speaking to Flitwick but her bright eyes narrowed at Branin. This made Branin feel worse, actually, seeing as Lily was always gave the expression of seeing both sides of the story before choosing sides. Apparently her family came first in either case. "Come on, Sev."

Lily half-pulled Severus out of the office, a stricken-looking Branin staring at the ground. The door snapped shut behind them as Severus stepped out into the corridor, leaving a sharp ringing noise in their ears. Lily dragged them along, Severus being oddly quiet all the while, until they arrived and marched into Severus's office.

"I'm going to wring his neck." said Severus finally, standing in the middle of the darkened room.

"No, you will not." said Lily sternly, shutting the door and waving her wand, causing the candles in the room to be lit.

Severus turned towards her, his brows furrowed in angry. "Who says i won't?"

"I say so, that's who." said Lily, putting her hands on her hips.

"But _Lily_-"

"_Sev_."

Severus groaned,rubbing his eye in annoyance. "You _know_, i never bothered to tell her when she was little '_Oh, just so you know sweetie, some insufferable cretin will get drunk and push you against a wall and take advantage of you_!'"

Lily frowned and walked over to him, putting her hand on his shoulder and rubbed it with her thumb. "I know, but it could have been a lot worse..."

"I could have not happened at all, actually." said Severus.

"Well, he was out of his normal state of mind, he didn't have control of what he was doing..." said Lily slowly.

"Please tell you're not on his side." said Severus, looked at her, sounding tired.

"Of course i'm not, i'm seething right now, actually." said Lily, sounding mad.

Severus smirked slightly. 'You have a good knack of hiding it then."

"I'm not one to get mad easily." said Lily.

"Unless you're pregnant." said Severus matter-of-factly.

"Yes, but that's not that point," said Lily, her hand leaving his shoulder and going to rest on the side of his face. "This is the point of growing up, isn't it? Not everything is pleasant or goes how you want it to, we _especially_ can't control how it happens or not, it's not our lives to lead."

Severus looked at her, their eyes locking onto each other, black on green. Sometimes Severus couldn't believe that she was married to _him_ and they had a family together, but that family was growing up now, he had to come to terms with it whether he wanted to or not.

"Remember when Rose was five and she would sneak into our bed and sleep between us when there was a storm?" said Severus quietly, putting his hand on her own.

Lily smiled softly. "Yeah, or when Freddie was one and wouldn't sleep unless you sang _Stairway to Heaven_ and rocked him?"

"It's a good song."

"Or when you just had to get that damn cat!" said Lily, laughing.

"Hey, Eowyn a good one, she's likes me," said Severus defensively, grinning slightly.

"And she has the rare ability to drink out of toilets." said Lily, smirking at him.

Severus gave out a short laugh. "It seems so long ago, i can still remember when i held them for the first time..."

Lily sighed, rubbing her thumb on his pale cheek. "I know. I just hope Alice is okay..."

"If she's anything like you, she'll be alright," said Severus, brushing a hand through Lily's hair. "Remind me later to thank Greenley. I dare say, he deserves it."

Lily raised an eyebrow at him. "Severus Snape, _thanking_ a Gryffindor student? Who are you and what have you done with my husband?"

Severus smiled slightly. "If the Gryffindor defends our child, i think i'll make the exception for them."

* * *

><p>Alice sat against one of the library's many tall bookcases, trying to be in the most quiet area of the place to read her hardback in peace.<p>

"Uh, Alice?" said a familiar voice. She didn't look up.

"Listen, i get it, you don't want to talk to me," said Branin, sounding a bit ruffled after searching the library up and down for her. After his little "incident", he hadn't found any chance to apologise to her with the constant punishments that Flitwick was giving him. Of course, he could thank Alice's father and mother for that, they'd _never_ let him live down, he believed. "But i just wanted to tell you that i'm _really_ sorry-"

Alice remained slient, focused on her book. Branin sighed and walked towards her slowly and bent down so he was close to her level. "Are you refusing to speak to me now? Come on, i'm sorry-"

_"Leave me alone."_ she said suddenly, lifting her head and looking at him. Branin almost jumped back at how her face radiated anger at him. Her dark eyes were narrowed at him.

Branin frowned. "Can't you just hear me out?"

"No, i _can't_," said Alice coldly. "_You_ weren't the one pushed against a wall by a drunken idiot. Which by the way, having any sort of alcohol at your age breaks just as many rules as treating a fellow student like how you treated me!"

"Alice, I get it, okay?" said Branin awkwardly. "And I know you like Matt, but don't you think that - maybe - he's just _not_ that smart? You _deserve_ better."

Alice slapped her book shut and slammed it down next to her on the ground. "Do you even _know_ him, Haskell?"

"Well - uh - no, i don't," said Branin, running a hand through his hair. "But i can tell enough-"

"No, you _don't_," snapped Alice angrily. "You have no reason to assume anything about him."

"What about me then?" said Branin suddenly, looking mad. "You don't know a damn thing about me, as if you would listen anyway, and you judge me for it! What about me?"

Alice shot daggers at him. "What about _you_? _You're_ a werewolf? You think it's okay to brag abut something like that, do you?"

Branin looked confused. "Depends, why?"

"_Why_? I know Lupin, you know, the old Defence teacher?" said Alice, her eyes looking so severely at him that it was shocking he didn't just run away then and there. "He's an old family friend. Rose noticed first because she completely doted after him, but we knew he was a werewolf _long_ before our parents told us. He was ashamed of it, obviously, or else he'd still be here teaching, but i knew how tortured he was by it, how he couldn't even get a basic living because of it! Mum would always say that he stayed at our house a lot because he was "just visiting" or that there were "rats in the attic" at his place, but we knew better. And then there's _you_, bragging about it as if i'd think it was so _dangerous_ and _exciting_ that you had the same infliction. I feel sorry for you that you go through what he does, but _don't_ think you were right to brag about it to get a date from me. What you did at the Ball just ruins it even more from you. Maybe _someday_ we can put this behind us and be on friendly terms, but now isn't the time, and it won't be for a _long_ time. Matthew had every right to do what he did to you, and if you _ever_ think to insult him like you _did_, i'll make sure that any chance of us ever getting past this will be non existent."

Alice said all that rather quickly and angrily. Branin stared her, his brows furrowed. "Is that it then?"

"Just go, _please,_" said Alice, looking a but desperate for him to leave. "Before i change my mind and hex you into jelly."

Branin sighed and got up. He walked away slowly and, before disappearing behind the other bookcases, he glanced back at her direction. She didn't look up at him. Knowing him, of course, there's was about an eighty percent chance that he'd be back to bugging her by week's end.

Alice sat there in silence, thinking about the kiss she was forced into. She didn't _feel_ anything when it happened, she was too surprised to register any feelings during it. After it, however, as she saw Branin on the ground as Matthew defended her, she felt like raging at Branin, making her feeling so vulnerable and weak like that. It felt horrible that her first, _real_ kiss was stolen from her, especially from someone like _him_. The fact that he was insulting Matthew in front of her and and the overall shock of what he did to her, she couldn't hold back her tears, which given her normal impassiveness to most things like her father was, the tears were uncharacteristic to her, and she _hated_ it. She was so angry at Branin! Why couldn't he get the damn hint?

"Alice?" said a soft voice.

She didn't look who said it until a lean body sat down next to her. She glanced to her left and saw Matthew sitting next to her, looking a bit worried. "You alright?"

"Yeah." said Alice, looking downcast. Matthew sighed at her sad face. If he could do anything for her, he would. They sat there in silence for a few moments.

"Have you ever kissed anyone, Matthew?" she asked suddenly, turning towards him.

Matthew stared at her blankly. "Do you really want to know?"

"Yes." said Alice.

"I did once," he replied quietly, his hand grazing over hers. "With Marietta Edgecombe, i mean. She's in Ravenclaw and in my year, if you're wondering. It was in the summer before my Third year and she invited me to a party at her house. She just wanted to see how it felt, and i guess i did too."

"Did you feel anything?" asked Alice, looking up at him.

"Not a thing," said Matthew. "It was just a kiss, nothing else than pressure on my mouth. But she was nice about it so we don't really talk about it."

Alice sighed and put her head on his muscular shoulder. "I always though my first kiss would be _nice_ at least, like fireworks going off in my stomach if it was just right, not how it did..."

Matthew sighed. "I know."

Alice turned to look at him, her chin on his shoulder. Matthew took his left hand and crossed it over his chest and brushed some of Alice's dark curls out of her face and put them behind her ear. Her dark amber eyes were locked with his blue, green tinged ones. Alice never noticed that his nose was dotted with tiny, barely noticeable freckles, now that she was looking at his face so precisely.

He brushed his hand against her pale face. He would have never guessed it was so warm and soft, she looked so pale, he almost thought she'd be frozen to the touch.

Matthew bent his head down as Alice lifted hers upwards. Their lips locked together, their eyes closing on contact.

He shifted his position to sitting in front of her to be more comfortable, putting his hand on her back while the other one when to the back of her head, his hand twirling around her dark curls as they went on with the kiss. Alice felt a great relief go over her body, like little, tickling explosions went off in her stomach and chest. They separated for a moment to breath. Alice moaned in protest and put her arms around his shoulders, pulling him back to her. She felt Matthew smile before they kissed again, her hands grabbing some of his auburn waves.

They stayed like that for quite awhile until a stern, hissing voice broke them apart.

"No public displays of affection in the library!" snapped Madam Pince, a large pointing stick in her hand and looking like she was ready to use it on them.

"B-but no one can see us." said Matthew matter-of-factly, his hands now resting on Alice's back, looking a little embarrassed.

"Very funny," said Pince, not looking amused at all. "Get going before i change my mind."

Seeing as there was no reason in arguing with her, Alice picked up her things up and shoved them into her bag, throwing it over her shoulder. She grabbed Matthew's hand and lifted him up and, still hand in hand, half-ran from the area and out and into the corridor outside the Library.

They ran past other students until they reached an empty corridor and Alice pulled them down it. Once they were half way down, she pushed Matthew against the stone wall and pushed herself up on her toes and kissed him again. Matthew cupped her face with his hands. Once again, they separated after a few moments, Alice's arms around his shoulders. "We might have to keep this between us, you know."

Matthew frowned, licking his lips slightly. "W-why?" he asked a little breathlessly.

"I doubt it would win us any favours if Haskell got word of us, actually," said Alice bitterly. "Or at least until the whole situation between us dies down..."

"And Fred would make fun of us." said Matthew, the end of his mouth twitching.

Alice huffed lightly. "Yes, that too."

"But i can still hold your hand under tables or behind books, right?" said Matthew, leaning in and brushing his nose against Alice's.

"Oh yes, and i'll sneak you quick kisses when we're alone." said Alice, rubbing her nose against his.

Matthew smiled as Alice pulled his face closer to hers. "You know, i think i can work with that." he said before she locked her lips with his once again.

* * *

><p>"So, <em>how<em> exactly did you get this thing to sing exactly?" asked Fred, his back leaning against the tall bookcase, turning the Golden Egg in his hands, flicking it here and there with his thin fingers as if it would start singing to him.

Harry turned away from his thick, yellow-stained looking textbook which was propped up against another large set of books he already riffled through. "I told you already, Cedric told me "Go take a bath with it-'"

"Very romantic." said Rose, slapping Fred's hand away from opening the Egg. Fred pouted and stuck his tongue out at her.

"That's not what i mean," snapped Harry, rolling his eyes. "But that's not the point, i put it under the water and it started _singing_ to me..."

"But it doesn't when it's not in water?" asked Ron, flicking the Egg with with his own fingers. "I can't say that noise it made was very lovely, actually."

"Honestly, you two," muttered Hermione impatiently, slapping Ron's hand away. "Do you want the whole library to be full with screeching?"

"_Maybe_." said Ron flatly.

"It's like our duty," said Fred, poking at the Egg with his fingers. "To make this little lady sing for us, now innit?"

"No." said Rose scratchily.

Hermione huffed at Fred. "Well, shouldn't _you_ be snogging your girlfriend right about now?"

"We do other things beside snogging," said Fred, smiling despite himself at the word 'girlfriend'. "Plus, there's no way could do that, we can't breath out of our ears, unfortunately."

"Not like you two haven't tried." said Rose, sounding slightly bitter. Fred gave a confused look to her annoyed face and went to retort when Harry cut across saying, "That hardly matters now, does it? How am i supposed to survive against whatever else is in the Black Lake?"

"Is there other things in there _besides_ the Giant Squid?" asked Ron.

"Oh well, besides the damn mermaids," said Harry sarcastically. "That's why the Egg only can sing underwater, that's what mermaids do, Myrtle told me."

"You took a bath with_ Moaning Myrtle_?" asked Fred, looking away from Rose and sniggering.

"No!" said Harry indignantly, blushing red. "She snuck in on me-"

"You mean _floated_ in." Ron pointed out, grinning.

"Whatever, but what am i supposed to do? I can't breath underwater, especially not with mermaids are chasing after me!" said Harry.

"Oh come, mermaids aren't _that_ bad," said Fred, yanking the Egg out of Hermione's range of grabbing, cradling it like a precious child in his arm.

"How would you know that, _Frederick_? I've never seen you taking a dip in the Lake." said Rose smartly, raising an eyebrow at him, her arms crossed over her chest.

"I dunno, aren't mermaids all pretty and sing about how cool it is to live under the water?" asked Fred uncertainly.

"That's a kids movie, you idiot," said Rose, smacking him on the arm, which made his flinch. "And for your information, the original story didn't let the mermaid marry the Prince in the end, she turned into sea foam."

Fred's mouth turned towards in an exaggerated frown. "_Seriously_? What kind of way is that to go?"

"Not a fun one." mumbled Ron.

"Sea foam aside, there _must_ be something," Hermione muttered, moving towards Harry and looking over his shoulder at the tiny print of _Olde and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charms _that he was pouring over.

"Well how about this then," said Ron. "Harry, just go down to the lake tomorrow, right, stick your head in, yell at the merpeople to give backwhatever they've nicked, and see if they chuck it out. Best you can do, mate."

"There's a way of doing it!" Hermione said crossly. "There just has to be!"

"I should've learned to be an Animagus like Sirius." yawned Harry, rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah, you could've turned into a goldfish any time you wanted." mumbled Ron.

"Or a frog." added Fred, snickering.

"Hardly, Professor McGonagall told us you've got to _register_ yourself with the Improper Use of Magic Office, what animal you become, and your markings, so you can't abuse it..." said Hermione, squinting at Harry questioningly.

"Hermione, I was joking," said Harry wearily. "I know I haven't got a chance of turning into a frog by tomorrow morning..."

"Don't say that, Harry!" said Fred dramatically, racing up behind Harry and grabbing his shoulder tightly with his free, non-Egg holding hand. "You've got to believe!"

Someone from the other side of the bookcase went "_SSH_!".

"Sorry!" whispered Fred, still holding to Harry's shoulder. "This is why i should be in bed, i get loud past nine."

"Are there times were you're _not_ loud?" asked Rose.

"Ah, well, i wasn't necessarily _quiet_ when Chair stabbed me with a fork in Transfiguration class last week..." started Fred weakly.

"Very stable girl, isn't she?" said Harry sympathetically.

"Oh this is no use," Hermione said suddenly, snapping shut _Weird Wizarding Dilemmas _and them out of their conversation. "Who on earth wants to make their nose hairgrow into ringlets?"

"I wouldn't mind," said Fred Weasley's voice. "Be a talking point, wouldn't it?"

They looked up looked up to see the Weasley Twins looking at them from around the bookcase.

"What're you two doing here?" Ron asked.

"Looking for you," said George. "McGonagall wants you both." He pointed to both Ron and Hermione.

"Why?" said Hermione, looking surprised.

"Like she'd tell us," said his twin, frowning. "We're supposed to take you down to her office."

Ron and Hermione looked at each other in puzzlement. "We'll meet you back in the common room," said Hermione anxiously, looking at Harry. "Bring as many of these books as you can, okay?"

"Right." said Harry uneasily.

"TRY NOT TO DIE!" yelled Fred after them as they got farther away from them with the Twins.

"_Fred_!" snapped Rose angrily as the others disappeared from view. "That's not funny!"

"What?" said Fred innocently. "I'm just wishing them good luck, is all."

"All the more to them then, because this sure isn't helping." said Harry mournfully, putting his face down on his own opened book. "I'm _doomed_."

"Way to be a drama queen," sniggered Fred, patting him on the back. "I'll get you something."

"Like what?" asked Harry, his voice muffled as he was still face down in the pages of the book. "Gonna _Accio_ some Aqualungs for me? I doubt most muggles would be accustomed to seeing them flying through the air, though."

"Hardly," said Fred. "I'll just _slip_ into our dad's stores, grab something, and slip _right_ out."

"Isn't that stealing," said Rose, making it sound more like a statement than a question. "Dad won't like that."

"It's not stealing if it helps our precious Harry alive, now is it?" said Fred matter-of-factly. "It's more like _borrowing_."

"Unless i have to eat whatever it is," said Harry's muffled voice. "Then i wouldn't think he'd want it back."

* * *

><p>The last February sky was grey with overcast, it made the black splotch of the Lake look all the more intimidating.<p>

"Seriously, how do you do it?" said Zachary, his blue and bronze scarf wrapped tightly around his neck.

"What do you mean?" asked Evan, his feet making sloppy noises on the grass as they and the other students made their way towards the Black Lake to watch the next Task.

"You know, you and Ina..." said Zachary, his pale cheeks going pink.

"Oh," said Evan, getting what Zachary was implying. "Well, i don't really know, it just sorta, _happened_, you know? Though i would have liked it if it hadn't been so damn depressing, but we make due."

"No, i don't," said Zachary, frowning. "How can you get someone you like to requite the feeling back?"

"What, you mean like with you and Rose?" asked Evan, smiling. "I should have known! Have you hinted at least?"

"If i hinted anymore, i'd just tell her." muttered Zachary.

"Do that then." said Evan, waving his hand at him.

"What? No way! It'll just make it weird between us!" said Zachary, his face flushed.

"Hardly, have you seen her lately? She's _bitter_." said Evan in an undertone.

Zachary furrowed his brows. "What for?"

"Have you ever had your younger sibling start relationships before _you_ did?" asked Evan. "It must be driving her up a wall."

"I don't have any younger siblings, so don't think i have anything say on the matter." said Zachary in a drone.

Evan rolled his eyes. "Well, i bet you can tell it isn't exactly the best of situations to be around..."

"Because we live in a whole institution where we think the eldest born gets everything major in life before the others, but obviously this is not the case?" said Zachary quickly.

Evan took a moment to register what Zachary said. "..._Yes_."

"Good to know we're at the same point then." said Zachary sarcastically, smirked at Evan's slightly dumbfound face.

"Shut up, you talk too fast..." said Evan scratchily.

They reached the others in the stands as they talked, sounding like they were questioning Fred for whatever he did now.

"What the hell is that thing?" asked Ina, her nose crinkled at the wiggling mass of green tinged tentacles in Fred's hand.

"Gillyweed." he said happily. "I got it from dad's stores."

"What for?" she asked.

"For Harry, of course," said Fred. "I'm not gonna let him _die_-"

"Well he can't any outside help." said Alice matter-of-factly, her hand brushing against Matthew's.

Fred grinned at her slightly. "Like rules ever stopped _me_."

"Spoken like a true friend." said Evan, walking up and patting him on the back. "Speaking of which, you might want to go find him, the Task starts in a few minutes."

"Does it really? I'll be right back then." said Fred with a mischievous grin on his face. He bent his neck down and quickly pecked Sam on the cheek before getting up and departing.

"Sam, i love you, but i really have no idea what you see in him." said Rose, shaking her head as Fred disappeared from the stands and into the crowd near the Lake's edge.

"Oh come now, Rosie, we all know what they say about boys with big noses." said Evan, sitting down next to her and nodding his head.

"Nice one." giggled Matthew.

"You're disgusting." said Alice as Sam and Rose slapped Evan in the arms at the same time.

"_What_?" said Evan, acting like he was innocent. "It's not like i know from experience! Sam on the other hand..."

"How's my little Champion doing?" asked Fred as he walked up behind Harry and rubbed his drooping shoulders before facing him. Admittedly, Harry looked much paler than usual.

"F-fine, i guess." gulped Harry. His eyes glanced at the green wiggling ball grasped in Fred's hand. "What's _that_?"

"Gillyweed, duh." said Fred as if Harry would know.

"That's not for me, is it?" asked Harry, obviously sounding like he hoped it wasn't.

"No, it's your hair, it's unmanageable. Yes, it's for you." said Fred sarcastically, holding it out to him.

Harry gave him an apprehensive look and grabbed it hastily. It wiggled in his fingers. "Er - i appreciate the thought, but what do i - uh - _do_ with it?"

Fred frowned. "You eat it."

"_WHAT_?" said Harry a little too loudly, causing the other anxious Champions to look at him. "I'm _not_ eating this." he said in a whisper.

"I read up on it, if you must know. It gives you gills." said Fred, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What, really?" asked Harry, looking at the tentacle ball in his hand.

"Yes, really. Now you better plug your nose and shallow that thing before i force it down myself." said Fred sternly, sounding almost explicitly like his father. Harry went to retort when Bagman's voice boomed over them.

"Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, . . . two . . . _three_!"

"We'll be rooting for ya'." said Fred in an undertone, slapping Harry on the shoulder and dashing towards the stands.

The whistle echoed shrilly in the cold, still air; the stands erupted with cheers and applause. Harry gulped down the odd tentacle ball and went into the icy water after the others.

"What do we do now?" asked Evan, his arm around Ina's shoulder.

"We want until they pop back up," said Fred, appearing behind them in the seat behind them. "Though after what i gave Harry, he might be a little _too_ comfortable with the water."

After an uneventful hour of watching the slightly uncalm Lake's surface and Fleur being pulled out for some reason or another, the Champions popped out of the water one-by-one, Cedric bringing up the lead, a shaken looking Cho in his arms. Viktor was soon after him, holding Hermione up by his broad arm. Harry appeared later, grasping a coughing Ron and a small, silvery-haired girl. Fleur, of course, after being pulled out for what they now knew to have been attacked by Grindylows, was in last place.

"After much deliberation," boomed Bagman's voice over the cheering crowds. "We have decided to award Mister Potter's valiant efforts for not just recusing Mr Weasley, but Ms Delacour as well, we have decided to award him the Second ranking place in this Task, for outstanding moral fibre!"

"_'Outstanding moral fibre_,'" repeated Fred, shaking his head and whispering towards Evan. "How am i _not_ surprised by this?"

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"<p>

"As much as i'd love to have another chat with dear Snuffles, _i_ have a date."

Rose huffed. "You and Sam have been inseperatable for the past two months, how does a little 'date' at Hogsmeade prove anything?"

"It's traditional, hello." said Fred, crossing his arms and frowning at Rose. She rolled her eyes and looked down the damp walkway towards Hogsmeade. Harry waved towards her, his schoolbag looking lumpy due to the food he carried secretly in there to bring to Sirius, who he had contacted to meet up with.

"Fine, but do try to not embarrass yourself or Sam while we're gone, alright?" said Rose.

Fred cocked an eyebrow at her, smirking, and leaned against the archway they stood under. "People laugh with me, not _at_ me."

"Keep telling yourself that." said Rose smartly before turning on her heel and heading towards Harry. Rose looked over her shoulder and yelled, "Alice! You coming?"

Alice's dark-haired head popped out around one tall tree, a towering Matthew in front of her. He whispered something to her as she whsipered back before departed towards Rose.

"You know," said Fred as his two sisters left with the others and Matthew strolled over, his hands in his robes. "If i didn't know any better, i'd think you two had something going on between you both."

Matthew's cheeks went slightly pink. "What gives you idea?"

Fred shrugged. "_Intuition_."

Matthew's eyes went wide as Fred said, "But really, what's the chances of _that_ happening? Our dad would rip you quicker than you can say 'Oh god, _have mercy_!'"

"Thanks a lot." said Matthew, relaxing a little but frowning.

"I love you too, Greenbean." smiled Fred.

"So, how exactly did you get Sirius to meet up here anyway?" asked Rose, her hand clenched around Alice's as they headed out of the more populated Hogsmeade area into the larger, more airy countryside surrounding the village.

"Well, uh, i wrote him saying my scar was hurting and he insisted on meeting up-" said Harry, a bit awkwardly.

"Wait, Harry, your scar is hurting? Why haven't you said anything about this?" asked Hermione rather shrilly.

"My scar hurts all the time, it really doesn't matter-" said Harry, slouching.

"Yes it does!" said Hermione. "It means You-Know-Who's getting closer-"

"Oh _yeah_, he's getting a Butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks right now." said Ron sarcastically, pointing his thumb back at village. "Wanna go grab one with him? He might not kill Harry after a few good drinks in his system."

Hermione gave him a seething look as they pressed onwards.

The cottages out in the wilder countryside of Hogsmeade were fewer here, and their gardens were much larger, overflowing with the starting signs to new plants. They walked toward the foot of the mountain in whose shadow Hogsmeade lay. Then they turned a corner and walked down towards at the very end of the lane. Waiting for them was a very large, shaggy black dog carrying some newspapers in its mouth and looking very familiar, except to Alice, of course.

"Hello, Sirius." said Harry, grinning. When they had reached the creature it sniffed Harry's bag eagerly, wagged its tail once, turned and began to trot away from them across the scrubby patch of ground that rose to meet the rocky foot of the mountain.

Following him without question, they climbed over the stile and led them to the very foot of the mountain, where the ground was covered with boulders and rocks. It was easy for him to walk about,with his four paws and all, but the others were soon out of breath, trying not to fall face down onto the rocks themselves.

They followed Sirius higher and higher up onto the mountain. It was nearly half an hour that they climbed until they reached a steep, winding, and stony path, following Sirius's wagging tail, sweating in the sun. The shoulder straps of Harry's bag cutting into him and, at last, Sirius slipped out of sight, and when they reached the place where he had vanished, they saw a narrow fissure in the rock.

They squeezed into it and found themselves in a cool, dimly lit cave. Tethered at the end of it, one end of his rope around a large rock, was Buckbeak the hippogriff. Buckbeak's fierce orange eye flashed at the sight of them. They bowed low to him, and after regarding them imperiously for a moment, Buckbeak bent his scaly front knees and allowed Hermione to rush forward and stroke his feathery head. However, the others were looking at the black dog, which had just then turned into his ragged grey robes; the same ones he had beenwearing when he had left Azkaban.

His black hair was as untidy and matted as it has always been since his stay in Azkaban, and he looked quite thin.

"Chicken!" he said hoarsely after removing the old_ Daily Prophets_ from his mouth and throwing them down onto the cave floor. Harry handed him his bag which Sirius grabbed excitedly. Sirius yanked it open and pulled out a bundle of chicken legs and bread.

"Thanks," said Sirius, grabbing a drumstick, sitting down on the cave floor, and tearing off a large chunk with his teeth. "I've been living off rats mostly. Can't steal too much food from Hogsmeade; I'd draw attention to myself." He grinned up at Harry, but Harry returned the grin only reluctantly.

Alice pressed against Rose's side, looking a bit fearful and making a tiny noise in her throat. Sirius turned towards them and swallowed his mouthful of food. "Oh, sorry 'bout that," He put a kind twist on his grin. "And who might this little lady be?"

"A-Alice, sir." said Alice in a tiny voice, holding onto Rose's robe sleeve.

"_Sir_? Well, i don't know about _that_ one," said Sirius, shaking the chicken leg at her. "Sirius Black, falsely accused mass-murderer and loveable fiend. You're Elvendork's little sister, right?"

"By a minute." said Alice scratchily, getting her voice back.

"Ah, as i suspected!" said Sirius. "You look like your mum" He took another bite out of the chicken. "'Ou were muchpth 'inier the lapst time i spaw 'ou. 'Ou were 'arely _twhis_ 'ig."

Sirius swallowed and made a two inch increment with his forefinger and thumb. "Give or take a few inches, of course."

Ron snickered as Sirius went on. "Where is my dear Elvendork anyway?"

"He's on a _date_." said Hermione, smirking slightly while rubbing a spot on the backside of Buckbeak's head.

"Aw, with who? Would i know 'em?" asked Sirius, ripping a piece of bread and chewing on it.

"Dunno, did anyone named Balavan go to Hogwarts while you did?" asked Rose.

Sirius thought for a moment, wiping off his mouth. "I think there was one, named Damien..."

"That's her dad!" said Alice, wagging her finger knowingly.

Sirius grinned. "Is he? I shouldn't be surprised, he was in his last few years when i got there. Strange fellow, actually, but i guess that's his thing-"

"Well the one _Elvendork's_ dating Has blue hair." said Rose.

"She dyes it?" asked Sirius.

"No, she can change it at will." shrugged Rose.

"_Ah_."

Harry cleared his throat loudly and said suddenly, "What're you doing here, Sirius?"

"Fulfilling my duty as godfather," said Sirius, gnawing on the chicken bone in a very doglike way, looking back him. "Don't worry about it, I'm pretending to be a _loveable_ stray."

He was still grinning, but seeing the anxiety in Harry's face, he said more seriously, "I want to be on the spot. Your last letter ... well, let's just say things are getting fishier. I've been stealing the paper every time someone throws one out, and by the looks of things, I'm not the only one who's getting worried."

He nodded at the yellowing Daily Prophets on the cave floor, and Ron picked them up and unfolded them to read. Harry, however, continued to stare at Sirius. "What if they catch you? What if you're seen?"

"Only you lot and Dumbledore are the only ones around here who know I'm an Animagus," said Sirius, shrugging, and continuing to devour the chicken. He nudged Harry and passed him the _Daily Prophet_s. There were two: The first bore the headline '_Mystery Illness of Bartemius Crouch.' _, the second, '_Ministry Witch Still Missing.'_

_"'Hasn't been seen in public since November', 'house appears deserted,' 'St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injurie sdecline comment,"... 'Ministry refuses to confirm rumors of critical illness...',_" mumbled Harry aloud, reading the newspaper.

"Way to make it sound like he's dying." said Rose.

"But he can't be that ill if he managed to get up here..." said Harry slowly, his brows furrowed.

"My brother's Crouch's personal assistant," Ron informed Sirius. "He says Crouch is suffering from overwork."

"Mind you, he did look ill, last time I saw him up close, i mean," said Harry, still reading the story. "The night my name came out of the goblet..."

"Getting his comeuppance for sacking Winky, isn't he?" said Hermione, an edge to her voice. She was stroking Buckbeak, who was now crunching up Sirius's chicken bones. "I bet he wishes he hadn't done it now — bet he feels the difference now she's not there to look after _him_."

"Hermione's obsessed with house-elfs," Ron muttered to Sirius, casting Hermione a dark look.

Sirius, however, looked interested ."Crouch sacked his house-elf?"

"Yeah, at the Quidditch World Cup," said Harry, and he launched into the story of the Dark Mark's appearance, and Winky being found with Harry's wand clutched in her hand, and Crouch's fury. When Harry had finished, Sirius was on his feet again and had started pacing up and down the cave.

"How and why would a house-elf steal a wand anyway?" asked Alice quietly. "They have their own branch of magic as it is, why need a wand for?"

"Let me get this straight," said Sirius after a while, brandishing a fresh chicken leg. "You first saw the elf in the Top Box. She was saving Crouch a seat, right?"

"Right," said Harry.

"But Crouch didn't turn up for the match?"

"No," said Harry. "I think he said he'd been too busy."

Sirius paced all around the cave in silence. Then he said, "Harry, did you check your pockets for your wand after you'd left the Top Box?"

"Erm..." Harry thought hard. "No," he said finally. "I didn't need to use it before we got in the forest. And then I put my hand in my pocket, and all that was in there were my Omnioculars."

He stared at Sirius. "Are you saying whoever conjured the Mark stolemy wand in the Top Box?"

"It's _possible_," said Sirius, frowning.

"Winky _didn't_ steal that wand!" Hermione insisted angrily.

"The elf wasn't the only one in that box," said Sirius, his brow furrowed as he continued to pace. "Who else was sitting behind you?"

"Loads of people," said Harry. "Some Bulgarian ministers, Cornelius Fudge, the Malfoys..."

_"The Malfoys!"_ said Ron suddenly, so loudly that his voice echoed all around the cave, causing Buckbeak tossed his head nervously. "I bet it was Lucius Malfoy!"

"Anyone else?" said Sirius, ignoring Ron's outburst.

"No one," said Harry.

"Yes, there was, there was Ludo Bagman." Hermione reminded him.

"Oh yeah..."

"I don't know anything about Bagman except that he used to be Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps," said Sirius, still pacing. "What's he like?"

"He's okay," said Harry. "He keeps offering to help me with the Triwizard Tournament."

"Does he?" said Rose, frowning. "I wonder why he'd do that?"

"Says he's taken a liking to me." said Harry.

Sirius was silent, looking thoughtful.

"We saw him in the forest just before the Dark Mark appeared," Hermione told Sirius. "Remember?" she said to Harry and Ron.

"Yeah, but he didn't stay in the forest, did he?" said Ron. "The moment we told him about the riot, he went off to the campsite."

"He sounds very responsible then." muttered Alice in an undertone.

"How d'you know?" Hermione shot back at Ron. "How d'you know where he Disapparated to?"

"Come off it," said Ron incredulously. "Are you saying you reckon Ludo Bagman conjured the Dark Mark?"

"It's more likely he did it than Winky." said Hermione stubbornly.

"Told you," said Ron, looking meaningfully at Sirius, "She's obsessed with house —" But Sirius held up a hand to silence Ron. "When the Dark Mark had been conjured, and the elf had been discovered holding Harry's wand, what did Crouch do?"

"Went to look in the bushes," said Harry. "But there wasn't anyone else there."

"Of course," Sirius muttered, pacing up and down. "Of course ,he'd want to pin it on anyone but his own elf, and then he sacked her?"

"Yes," said Hermione in a heated voice. "He sacked her just because she hadn't stayed in her tent and let herself get _trampled_ —"

"Hermione, will you give it a rest with the elf!" snapped Ron.

Sirius shook his head and said, "She's got the measure of Crouch better than you have, Ron. If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."

He ran a hand over his unshaven face, evidently thinking hard. "All these absences of Barty Crouch's ... he goes to the trouble of making sure his house-elf saves him a seat at the Quidditch World Cup, but doesn't bother to turn up and watch. He works very hard to reinstate the Triwizard Tournament, and then stops coming to that too ... It's not like Crouch. If he's ever taken a day off work because of illness before this, I'll eat Buckbeak."

"D'you know Crouch, then?" asked Harry.

Sirius's face darkened. He suddenly looked as menacing as he had the night when they had first met him, the same night they still believed Sirius to be a murderer.

"Oh I know Crouch all right," he said quietly. "He was the one who gave the order for me to be sent to Azkaban — without a trial."

"_What_?" said Ron and Hermione together.

"You're kidding!" said Harry.

"No, I'm not," said Sirius, taking another great bite of chicken."Crouch used to be Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, didn't you know?"

They shook their heads.

"He was tipped for the next Minister of Magic," said Sirius. "He's a great wizard, Barty Crouch, powerfully magical — and power-hungry. But never a Voldemort supporter," he added, reading the look on Harry's face. "No, Barty Crouch was always very outspoken against the Dark Side. But then a lot of people who were against the Dark Side, well, you wouldn't understand, you're too young. . . ."

"That's what my dad said at the World Cup," said Ron, with a trace of irritation in his voice. "Try us, why don't you?"

A grin flashed across Sirius's thin face. "All right, I'll try you."

He walked once up the cave, back again, and then said, "Imagine that Voldemort's powerful now. You don't know who his supporters are, you don't know who's working for him and who isn't; you know he can control people so that they do terrible things without being able to stop themselves. You're scared for yourself, and your family, and your friends. Every week, news comes of more deaths, more disappearances, more torturing . . . the Ministry of Magic's in disarray, they don't know what to do, they're trying to keep everything hidden from the Muggles, but meanwhile, Muggles are dying too. Terror everywhere . . .panic . . . _confusion_ . . . that's how it used to be."

"Well, times like that bring out the best in some people and the worst in others. Crouch's principles might've been good in the beginning — I wouldn't know. He rose quickly through the Ministry,and he started ordering very harsh measures against Voldemort's supporters. The Aurors were given new powers — powers to kill rather than capture, for instance. And I wasn't the only one who was handed straight to the dementors without trial. Crouch fought violence with violence, and authorized the use of the Unforgivable Curses against suspects. I would say he became as ruthless and cruel as many on the Dark Side. He had his supporters, mind you —plenty of people thought he was going about things the right way,and there were a lot of witches and wizards clamoring for him totake over as Minister of Magic. When Voldemort disappeared, it looked like only a matter of time until Crouch got the top job. But then something rather _unfortunate_ happened..."

Sirius smiled grimly. "Crouch's own son was caught with a group of Death Eaters who'd managed to talk their way out of Azkaban. Apparently they were trying to find Voldemort and return him to power."

"Crouch's son was _caught_?" gasped Hermione.

"Crouch has a son?" mumbled Ron.

"Yep," said Sirius, throwing his chicken bone to Buckbeak, flinging himself back down on the ground beside the loaf of bread, and tearing it in half. "Nasty little shock for old Barty, I'd have spent a bit more time at home with his family, shouldn't he? Ought to have left the office early once in a while, gotten to know his own son, know what i mean?"

He began to wolf down large pieces of bread.

"Was his son a Death Eater?" said Rose.

"No idea," said Sirius, still stuffing down bread. "I was in Azkaban myself when he was brought in. This is mostly stuff I've found out since I got out. The boy was definitely caught in the company of people I'd bet my life were Death Eaters — but he might have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, just like the house-elf."

"Did Crouch try and get his son off?" asked Alice weakly.

Sirius let out a laugh that was much more like a bark. "Crouch let _his son_ off? I'd think you lot would have had the measure of him by now! Anything that threatened to tarnish his reputation had to go; he had dedicated his whole life to becoming Minister of Magic. You saw him dismiss a devoted house-elf because she associated him with the Dark Mark again — doesn't that tell you whathe's like? Crouch's fatherly affection stretched just far enough to give his son a trial, and by all accounts, it wasn't much more than an excuse for Crouch to show how much he _hated_ the boy. Then he sent him straight to Azkaban."

"He gave his own son to the dementors?" asked Harry quietly.

"That's right," said Sirius, and he didn't look remotely amused now. "I saw the dementors bringing him in, watched them through the bars in my cell door. He can't have been more than took him into a cell near mine. He was screaming for his mother by nightfall. He went quiet after a few days, though. they all went quiet in the end... except when they shrieked in their sleep..."

For a moment, the dead look in Sirius's eyes became more pronounced than ever, as though shutters had closed behind them.

"So he's still in Azkaban?" Harry said.

"No," said Sirius dully. "No, he's not in there anymore. He died about a year after they brought him in."

"He _died_?"

"He wasn't the only one," said Sirius bitterly. "Most go mad in there, and plenty stop eating in the end. They lose the will to could always tell when a death was coming, because the dementors could sense it, they got excited. That boy looked pretty sickly when he arrived. Crouch being an important Ministry member, he and his wife were allowed a deathbed visit. That was the last time I saw Barty Crouch, half carrying his wife past my cell. She died herself, apparently, shortly afterward. Grief. Wasted away just like the boy. Crouch never came for his son's body. The dementors buried him outside the fortress; I watched them do it."

Sirius threw aside the bread he had just lifted to his mouth and instead picked up the flask of pumpkin juice from Harry's bag and drained it.

"So old Crouch lost it all, just when he thought he had it made," he continued, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "One moment, a hero, poised to become Minister of Magic, next, his son dead, his wife dead, the family name dishonored, and, so I've heard since I escaped, a big drop in popularity. Once the boy had died, people started feeling a bit more sympathetic toward the son and started asking how a nice young lad from a good family had gone so badly astray. The conclusion was that his father never cared much for him. So Cornelius Fudge got the top job, and Crouch was shunted sideways into the Department of International Magical Cooperation."

There was a long silence.

"Moody says Crouch is obsessed with catching Dark wizards." said Harry after awhile to Sirius. "He told me before the First Task, i mean."

"Yeah, I've heard it's become a bit of a mania with him," said Sirius, nodding. "If you ask me, he still thinks he can bring back the old popularity by catching one more Death Eater."

"And he sneaked up here to search Snape's office!" said Ron suddenly, looking at Hermione.

Rose and Alice frowned. "Since _when_?"

"Harry told us." said Hermione, pointing at Harry. Rose and Alice looked at him, his face stricken. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Harry's face burned red. "Well, _er_, i was just walking back from taking that bath in the Prefect's bathroom and i just happened to notice his name on the Map, i didn't want to make a big deal out of it-"

"Because obviously we couldn't have told our father that someone was sneaking into his own office?" snapped Rose, her hair crackling with what looked like electricity.

Harry looked a bit frightened as Sirius said, "_Honestly_, why would Crouch avoid the Tournament but have enough energy to go into a professor's office?"

"Because, no offence to Rose or Alice, but Snape is damn well terrifying and he might be trying to steal some of his secrets as how to do so." said Ron half-heartedly. Rose and Alice rolled their eyes at him.

"Yes, well, dear Sev has his tricks, but as intimidating as he is, he's _not_ a Dark Wizard. Plus, Lily would rip him a new one if he was." said Sirius.

"Only mum gets to call him that." snickered Rose.

The end of Sirius's mouth twitched. "I think he'll let me off just this once."

"Crouch going into his office aside, Karkaroff's been acting weird too..." added Harry. "He tried to ask Snape about something at the Ball, actually. Something about 'seeing the signs' and stuff like that..."

Sirius thought for a moment. "What did he say? Severus, i mean."

"He said he'd have nothing to do with it and that he's going to tell Dumbledore about everything he told him." said Harry.

"Ah, as he should. Karkaroff's been accused of being a Death Eater before, went to trial for it even but got off for telling all the secrets he knew about You-Know-Who and his inner circle. I reckon if the 'signs' he's seeing are correct, it's no surprise he'd be trying to get as much help as possible." said Sirius.

"Why would he ask our dad then?" asked Alice, frowning.

Sirius shrugged. "He probably thinks the most - ah - _strictest_ teacher there might get what he's going through. Of course, being Headmaster to a school where they have a no Muggle-born students policy and the fact that the one he's looking for help from just happens to be completely _devoted_ to his Muggle-born wife is probably one of his many not-so-well thought out plans."

Rose and Alice beamed at Sirius's comment as Harry added, "Besides being a Death Eater?"

"Yes, besides that." said Sirius.

"What about Crouch though?" asked Hermione weakly. "Is he really even ill? If he is, why did he make the effort to drag himself up to Snape's office? And if he's not . . . what's he up to? What was he doing at the World Cup that was so important he didn't turn up inthe Top Box? What's he been doing while he _should_ have been judging the tournament?"

Sirius went into silence, staring at the cave wall. Buckbeak was ferreting around on the rocky floor, looking for bones he mighthave overlooked. Finally, Sirius looked up at Ron."You say your brother's Crouch's personal assistant? Any chance you could ask him if he's seen Crouch lately?"

"I can try," said Ron doubtfully. "Better not make it sound like I reckon Crouch is up to anything dodgy, though. Percy _loves_ Crouch."

"And you might try and find out whether they've got any leads on Bertha Jorkins while you're at it," said Sirius, gesturing to the second copy of the _Daily Prophet._

"Who's that?" asked Rose.

"Some Ministry worker who has been missing for a few months now," explained Sirius grimly. "Really suspicious..."

"Bagman told me they hadn't," said Harry.

"Yes, he's quoted in the article in there," said Sirius, nodding at the paper. "Blustering on about how bad Bertha's memory is. Well, maybe she's changed since I knew her, but the Bertha I knew wasn't forgetful at all — quite the reverse. She was a bit dim, but she had an excellent memory for gossip. It used to get her into a lot of trouble; she never knew when to keep her mouth shut. I can see her being a bit of a liability at the Ministry of Magic, maybe that's why Bagman didn't bother to look for her for so long..."

Sirius heaved an enormous sigh and rubbed his shadowed eyes."What's the time?"

"It's half past three." said Hermione.

"You'd better get back to school," Sirius said, getting to his feet.

"Now listen," He said, looking particularly hard at Harry. "I don't want you lot sneaking out of school to see me, all right? Just send notes to me here. I still want to hear about anything odd. But you're not to go leaving Hogwarts without permission; it would bean ideal opportunity for someone to attack you. Yes, even you." added Sirius, looking at Alice's expecting expression. "Tell Elvendork to send me some too, i've missed out on a few key developing years to model him in my image."

"He's been doing just fine without the added help, actually." said Rose.

"No one's tried to attack me so far, Sirius, except a dragon and a coupleof grindylows," Harry said.

Sirius scowled at him. "I don't care, I'll breathe freely again when this tournament's over, and that's not until _June_. And don't forget, if you're talking about me among yourselves, call me Snuffles, okay?"

He handed Harry the empty napkin and flask and went to pat Buckbeak good-bye. "I'll walk to the edge of the village with you," said Sirius. "See if I can scrounge another paper." He transformed into the great black dog before they left the cave, and they walked back down the mountainside with him, across the boulder-strewn ground, and back to the stile. Here he allowed each of them to pat him on the head, before turning and setting off at a run around the outskirts of the village.

"I like him, he's not anything like the WANTED posters make him out to be." said Alice to Rose as they made their way back into Hogsmeade and up toward Hogwarts.

"Wonder if Percy knows all that stuff about Crouch?" Ron said as they walked up the drive to the castle. "But maybe he doesn't care, it'd probably just make him admire Crouch even more, Percy _loves_ rules. He'd just say Crouch was refusing to break them for his own son."

"Percy would never throw any of his family to the dementors." said Hermione severely.

"I don't know," said Ron. "If he thought we were standing in the way of his career. Percy's _really_ ambitious, you know..."

They walked up the stone steps into the entrance hall, where the delicious smells of dinner wafted toward them from the Great Hall."Poor old Snuffles," said Ron, breathing deeply. "He must really like you, Harry. Imagine having to live off _rats_."

Ron and Harry felt two long, lanky arms wrapped themselves over each other's shoulders.

"Guys, i think i'm in love," said Fred dreamily, grinning from ear to ear. "Actually, i take that back, i _am_ in love."

"Good date then?" asked Harry, patting him on the back and glancing up at him.

"More so. If i could i would just propose to her now and spend the rest of our school years planning the wedding and the kids' names i would do it in a heartbeat." said Fred, tightening his grip on Ron and Harry's shoulders.

"How many kids do you plan on having then?" asked Ron.

Fred shrugged. "I reckon we could try going for what your family did."

Ron cocked an eyebrow at him. "Six boys _and_ a girl?"

"Hardly, i imagine that given my constant begging for a little brother, i'll be blessed with a whole ton of daughters." said Fred, still grinning.

"I don't envy you if that happens." sniggered Harry.

"I wouldn't think so, i'm making you lot Godfathers to all of them." said Fred happily, leading them into the Great Hall.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry for such a long time between updates! A lot of family issues have come up and it's been keeping me away. Thanks for sticking by, though. :)<strong>


	44. He's Back

**AN: As i assume most of you have already read Goblet of Fire, i'm just going to sum it up now, as i really want to start Order of the Phoenix this week.**

* * *

><p>Crouch goes missing, Winky goes into hysterics anytime someone mentions him, Percy insists that nothing is 'seriously' wrong with his boss, Harry has a strange dream about Voldemort torturing Wormtail (which Harry, in normal circumstances, would be happy about as that little rat-faced git sold him parents out to Voldemort himself, but lets not go there) and upon trying to talk to Dumbledore about it, falls into some odd, pool-like device where you have re-visit old memories (A Pensieve, Harry believed it was called), showing Crouch putting his terrified son away while his wife sobbed next to him. Who knew he was in the same league as the people who tortured Neville's poor parents, wherever they were now? Not to mention that Cedric and Cho were completely infatuated with each other as of late, another layer to the dung pile that is Harry Potter's life.<p>

Springtime came and went, and before they knew it, June had arrived. At least this stupid tournament would be over soon enough.

"A Maze! How are we supposed to watch now?" asked Fred mournfully as they made their way towards the Quidditch Pitch, which had been transformed into a wild, overly-tall hedge.

"Like it matters, i heard from Cedric that there's man-eating plants in there," said Evan. "It'll eat them _ALIVE_!"

Evan grabbed Harry's shoulders from behind and shook him. Harry's eyes bulged and he almost feel over. "Not funny!"

"Oh come on, it's a little funny." said Evan, grinning.

Evan and Fred went up to join the others in the stands as Harry stood behind, looking at the other champions all the while. Their parents came to see the final Task (Mrs Weasley and Bill had came to cheer Harry on, and oddly enough Harry couldn't help but notice that Fleur kept sneaking glances at the eldest Weasley son from the corner of her eye) but it was Cedric's parents that really caught his attention.

Harry had met Mr Diggory at the Quidditch World Cup that earlier summer, and he hadn't particularly rubbed him the right way, seeing as he kept bragging about his son beating Harry at Quidditch (god forbid that a Dementor almost sucked his soul out for the fifth time, right?) but as of now they only had eyes for their son, who was a shoo-in to win the Tournament all together. If Harry even wanted to win, which he really didn't, something drastic would have to happen to Cedric. But it's not like he'd just drop _dead_, would he?

"Are you sure you don't want me to write 'Diggory' on your forehead, Rose?" asked Evan sweetly, rubbing two horizontal lines of red face paint on the top of his freckled cheeks.

"No, thanks." said Rose a bit sheepishly. She didn't exactly know why, but she had an awful feeling in the pit of her stomach all day. She barely even heard Bagman's voice over the cheering crowds before the Champions disappeared from view into the Maze itself.

"Hogwarts! Hogwarts! Hogwarts!" chanted the crowd, seeing as they had two Champions. Some of the Beauxbatons yelled, "Delacour!" while the Durmstrangs grunted "_KRUM_!"

"Who do you reckon is going get it then?" asked Matthew, half-yelling over the crowd and leaning down to talk to Ron.

"Harry all the way, come on!" yelled Ron back. "Who else would get it?"

"Cedric maybe?" said Hermione loudly. "He's still in the competition too!

No more than a half hour later, a stricken Fleur came back into view, being pulled out of the maze by a few professors and towards her parents.

"She got Stunned!" said Evan towards the others. "I just heard them talking to her parents."

"How do you have such good of hearing?" asked Ina, her brows raised.

"Information passes fast through this lot." said Evan knowingly, waving his hands towards the lower stands in front of their row. "Very gossipy."

"And we appreciate them for it!" said Fred happily, patting a Second year Ravenclaw on the head who sat in front of him. The Second year looked over their shoulder and gave Fred an annoyed look.

"Don't give me that look," said Fred, frowning at the Second year. "Appreciate me appreciating you, damn-it!"

Soon afterwards, Krum staggered out of the Maze, even more dazed looking than Fleur was.

"Stunned _again_?" yelled Fred. He stood up and said, "WHAT THE _HELL_ IS GOING ON IN THERE?"

"_Fred_! Sit down!" Rose said in a half-yell, yanking Fred down by the sleeve roughly.

"Well, at least Hogwarts is going to win either way now!" said Ron bracingly to Hermione.

It was some time later until Evan got tired of waiting.

"Wake me up when Harry and Cedric get back, alright?" said Evan, pouting and putting his face on Ina's shoulder.

As he snuggled up to her side, a brilliantly bright flash of white and blue light went off, and surely enough, there was Harry and Cedric laying face-down in grass where the flash went off in front of the stands, the Triwizard Cup clenched in Harry's hand.

The crowd cheered, Ron's voice ringing out saying, "Harry got it!"

But there was something wrong, _very_ wrong. Harry was shaking on the ground, his robes were ripped apart at his arms and as the professors came over to help him, he refused to let go of Cedric. He was yelling something but no one could hear what it was over the crowd.

Finally, Moody ripped Harry off of Cedric and lead him away, causing Cedric to flip over onto his back. A moment later, somewhere, maybe it was Cho or even Fleur, there was screaming.

Was he Stunned? They couldn't tell from where they sat, but Cedric's grey eyes stared up into the dark, starry sky, unblinking and glassy. He looked ghostly pale and he wasn't moving.

Evan straightened up and stared ahead, his eyes wide. He mumbled something under his breath.

"What?" asked Matthew, looking confused towards him.

"He's dead." said Evan quietly.

"Who's dead?" aked Fred, looking questioningly at him.

"He's dead! Cedric's dead!" said Evan, pointing towards the body on the ground. "I would know that look anywhere, my mum looked just like that when-"

But he was cut off as a wild range of noises went on around them, screaming for Cedric.

"He's dead!"

"Cedric Diggory! Dead!"

"What's happened?"

"What's wrong with him?"

"Diggory's dead!"

Rose threw her hand over her mouth in shock as the crowds started pressing towards the field, screaming and kicking for a better view. Looking again, they could see that Cedric's father was now over his son's body, shaking and sobbing into his dead son's unmoving chest. A loud _BANG_! went off and the whole crowd went silent.

"_SILENCE_!" yelled Severus into the frozen crowd, looking vivid and paler than usual. "No one is to get closer or you'll get the consequences!"

"P-please sir! I want to see h-him!" said a shaking voice over the crowd. Upon looking around for who said it, they realised that it was Cho, who was being held back by a friend with blond, curly hair, with tear streaks going down her face and trying to get closer to Cedric's body.

After he called for other professors to take his post as he followed after McGonagall up to castle, Alice looked around and poked Rose in the shoulder. "Where's Fred?"

"What?"

"Fred! He's gone!" said Alice, sounding worried.

Rose looked around, that damn lanky git wasn't anywhere to be seen. Where'd he get off to now at a time like this?

They, of course, did not know that their dear Fred had snuck out of stands after his father and Professor McGonagall as they both trailed behind a timid looking Dumbledore towards the castle. He didn't exactly know _why_, but seeing Moody drag Harry away from that sort of situation didn't seem like a very Mad-Eye thing to do.

He tried to keep up with them, but whatever they were racing to reach must have been important, as he almost lost track of them when they reached the Entrance Hall. Fred was lost for a few moments until an extremely loud _BANG_! went off somewhere and led him up the stairs and down towards Moody's now blasted open office. Fred pressed himself against the wall that the un-hinged door laid upon. He could bluntly hear Dumbledore's angry voice speaking to the others.

"Severus, please fetch me the strongest Truth Potion you possess, and then go down to the kitchens and bring up the house-elf called Winky. Minerva, kindly go down to Hagrid's house, where you will find a large black dog sitting in the pumpkin patch. Take the dog up to my office, tell him I will be with him shortly, then come back here."

Admittedly, standing next to the blasted-open door was not one of Fred's more well-thought out hiding places, seeing as when his father stepped over the threshold to follow out the task Dumbledore set him out to do, he saw him standing there immeadiantly.

"What the-? Fred, what are are you doing here?" said Severus, looking bemused.

"Oh, _you know_," said Fred half-heartedly, pointing to the smoking hinges of the loose door. "_Hanging_ out."

Severus lowered his eyelids half-way over his eyes in an unamused expression that Fred was so accustomed to receiving and stared at Fred.

Fred gave him a sheepish smile until Severus said, "Pray tell, you've been down to the kitchens before, haven't you?"

Fred looked puzzled. "Uh, yeah, Evan brings me down there sometimes..."

"And you must have heard what the Headmaster just said, didn't you?"

"The last bit of it, yeah."

"Well, seeing as you shouldn't even be here in the first place," said Severus cooly. "I _could_ let you off if you got that house-elf for me."

"So the fact that i'm your flesh-and-blood doesn't get me off instantly?" said Fred sweetly.

Severus stared at him. "Dont push your luck, Frederick."

"Alright, alright, I'm going." said Fred in fake defence of himself, speeding off away from his father and down, below the Great Hall, and towards the painting of the bowl of fruit. He tickled the green pear like Evan showed him how to and leaped into the kitchens when it swung open.

"Oi! Is there a house-elf named "Winky" in here?" asked Fred loudly over the rushing water and steaming tea kettles that the house-elves were working on.

By this point in his life, Fred knew he towered over almost everyone within non-Hagrid height (He was barely within three inches of his father's height, actually) but compared to the tiny house-elves, he almost felt self-concsious about his frame.

"T-that would be m-me, s-sir." said a squeaky voice. Fred looked down and saw a big-eared, brown-eyed female house-elf staring up at him, her nubby hands twisting her dirty skirt's fabric in anxiousness.

"Oh, uh, would you mind coming with me, please?" said Fred a little too politely.

Winky stared up at him questioningly. "W-what for, sir?"

"Uh, Professor Dumbledore wants you, didn't say why though." said Fred, shrugging.

A few house-elves gave small spats of laughter as Winky's terrfied eyes glanced at her counterparts. She probably wasn't very popular in there.

Fred didn't know what to do, so he held his hand expecting Winky to grab it, but Winky ignored it and Fred, feeling a bit insulted, led them out of the kitchens and back towards Moody's office a few floors up, Winky staying close to his ankles all the while.

By the time he got back, his father and McGonagall where already back. Fred saw Harry sitting on an ill-made stool, looking shaken and confused. Fred had to resist the urge to look at the gnarled, bloody slits that ran down Harry's left forearm.

Oddly enough, you'd think Moody would be there too, wouldn't he? That's not who was there in his clothes, however. Looking extremely scrawny in his overcoat, a pale, freckled young (okay, maybe not _that_ young) man with fair, almost brown hair laid dishevelled on the ground, looking filthy.

"Good _heavens._" said Professor McGonagall, staring down at the man on the floor. Winky peered around Fred's legs. Her mouth opened wide and she let out a piercing shriek. "Master Barty, Master Barty, what is you doing here?"

She flung herself forward onto the young man's chest. "You is killed him! You is killed him! You is killed Master's son!"

"He is simply Stunned, Winky," said Dumbledore simply. "Step aside, please. Severus, you have the potion?"

Severus handed Dumbledore a small glass bottle of completely clear liquid. Fred remembered being younger and his father would threaten to use that particular potion on him incase something wrong happened and all the signs pointed to Fred causing it. Of course, it never happened, mum would never let him use Veritaserum on their son.

Dumbledore bent over the man on the floor, and pulled him into a sitting position against the wall. Winky remained on her knees, trembling, her hands over her face. Dumbledore forced the man's mouth open and poured three drops inside it. Then he pointed his wand at the man's chest and said, "_Rennervate_."

The man opened his eyes. His face was slack, his gaze unfocused. Dumbledore knelt before him, so that their faces were level.

"Severus," said Dumbledore, not averting his gaze from the fair man. "If you may please excuse your son from this, he'd wouldn't understand most of it anyway, and i'm sure Mr Potter will fill the others in as soon as we get to the bottom of this."

Fred frowned at his father's knowing glance towards him and Fred headed out of the room and down towards Entrance Hall. When he got there, the other students filled into the Hall, looking more mature than he'd ever seen them.

It was only a few moments when he walked into the crowd that he felt a pair of arms wrapped around his torso.

"It's awful, isn't it?" said Sam sadly, her forehead pressed against his chest. Fred frowned and wrapped his arms around her, staying silent. Rose and Alice pushed their way through the crowd towards them.

"It's true then?" he asked when Rose got closer.

Rose nodded, her eyes redder than usual. "They took his body away, didn't want any of the younger kids to see it anymore, i think."

"Sprout's with his parents." said Alice quietly. "It was awful, his dad wouldn't let go of him, everyone could hear him crying..."

"Does that mean Harry won the Tournament then?" asked Fred, rubbing a hand through Sam's now oddly dark brown hair.

"I suppose he does now," said Rose, wiping her eye. "Did you see him? Is he alright?"

"He's talking to Dumbledore the last time i saw him," said Fred. He remembered something. "Have any of you heard anything about Crouch having a kid?"

Rose looked confused. "I remember Snuffles saying that he had a son a few months ago..."

"Why do you ask?" said Alice.

Fred's mouth went thin. "Because i think i just saw him in Moody's clothes..."

* * *

><p>The Memorial for Cedric was a very somber affair, full of silent tears from either close friends and Housemates alike. Dumbledore, of course, didn't blame anything on Harry, as he was an innocent stand-byer to what happened to Cedric. But it was strange, how could he have been killed, surely Harry wouldn't have done <em>that<em>. Once again, Dumbledore filled in the clue for them all.

Simply put, it was Voldemort. He was back, stronger and on the move.

An accompanied silence met the Headmaster's words, surely _He_ wasn't back, after so many years...

As you can guess, they asked Harry, they had to.

Harry shuddered, the bright summer sunlight shining on his face from the train's windows. "He just came out of the smoke, more terrifying than i'd think he'd ever be..."

"What'd he look like?" asked Fred, a hint of scared excitement in his voice. Rose shot him daggers and he hastily added. "I mean, if you want to say..."

Harry gulped, rubbing the bandages that were wrapped around his forearm. "He looked like a snake, no hair and only had slits for nostrils, not to mention his red eyes..."

A shiver shot down their spines. "Do you reckon he's going to hunt you down now?" asked Ron quietly, looking worried beyond belief.

"Not if Dumbledore has anything to say about it," said Fred. "He can't touch when Dumbledore's around, we all know that."

The arrive back to Platform 9¾ came all too soon, seeing as Harry wouldn't be seeing any of them for another two months.

"You'll write, won't you?" said Hermione earnestly, clutching a jar with an odd, almost gem-like beetle inside of it.

"You know i won't." said Ron, a hand running through his red hair.

"Everyday." said Harry, half-smiling.

The Weasley Twins walked past him, winking and ruffling his hair. "We'll be seeing you in no time, alright?"

Harry looked at them in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, you'll see." smiled George. "C'mon, Freddie."

The Twins departed, their arms over each other's shoulders and talking about something. Hermione shot them questioning looks when Ron said, "Hermione, why do you have a beetle for?"

Hermione, for some reason, smiled devilishly at him. "Won't you like to know?"

Ron sighed, grinning slightly. "I think Frederick's been having too much of an effect on you, Hermione."

"Which one?" said Harry. Ron and Hermione laughed as they departed back towards the Muggle world.

Even with the lingering fact that a new Wizarding War was upon them, the fact that Hermione had gotten Rita Skeeter into her unregistered Animagus form was a bit too funny not to laugh at.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry this is so short, i'll make it up for the next part i swear! :(<strong>


	45. Back in Commission

Alice never dawned anyone as a particularly "girly" person, but _damn_, her room was way too pink to focus properly in.

"I'll tell you this," said Fred seriously, flicking at the sheer curtains that were pulled back around Alice's cushy bed. "If that Haskell kid ever bothers you again, i'll _end_ him."

"Frederick, we've barely been home for a week and you're _already_ bringing up bad memories?" snapped Alice, glancing away from her _"Darkest Wizards of the Last 100 Years"_ book.

"Well, i'm just saying..." said Fred, crossing his arms over his chest and plopping down on her bed. A cloud of vanilla and lilac scents filled his nose like an old woman opening up her carpetbag too close to him. "Good _god_ woman, did you _perfume_ your bed?"

"Like it matters," said Alice smartly. "Now shut it and listen to this,"

Alice cleared her throat and read aloud, _"Back in his prime, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was feared not only in his native England, but all over the world, including even regions where most wouldn't dare dwell unless they had some magical help to sustain their life in such hard living conditions,"_

"What? Like there are wizards in Antarctica?" asked Fred, staring up at the pink-tinged ceiling. "Do you reckon they use penguins instead of owls to deliver their mail?"

"Very funny," said Rose scratchily, sitting on the swivel chair next to Alice's desk. "Continue Alice, if you'd please."

"Thank you," said Alice, straightening her back and reading again, _"Why anyone would choose to live in such areas is unknown, though it is speculated that these wizards and witches retreated to this destinations in hope that He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named wouldn't reach them. If you ask us, the frost-bite was more likely to defeat them than the end of You-Know-Who's wand."_

"Why does this book sound like i wrote it?" asked Fred, flipping over on his stomach and looking over at the book. "Did i publish this in my sleep or something?"

Fred tried to take the book out of Alice's hands, which was a raging battle, when a loud clicking noise snapped them out of it.

They turned their attention to Alice's closed bedroom window, where an angry-looking Horned owl stared at them with its fiery eyes, a letter clenched in its sharp beak. Even from a distance, they could see that Fred's name was written on it in purple ink and in an overly-exaggerated cursive style.

"Why is Sam sending you letters now?" asked Alice before she took a heavy huff and ripped the book out of Fred's loosen grip. "You just saw each other a few days ago!"

"I don't think this is from her, actually." said Fred, pushing himself up and walking over to the window and opening it. He tried to take the letter out of the owl's beak, but it wouldn't budge. After some tugging on his part, it finally loosened its tight grip.

"Urgh, thank you _so_ much." said Fred sarcastically, the ruffled letter in his grip. He waved his hand at it to say it could leave now, but when his fingers got close to it, the owl bit him.

"_Ow_! What was that for?" asked Fred, sucking on his now bleeding finger. The owl stared at him with annoyed eyes before flying off.

"Is the Animal Kingdom annoyed at you too now?" asked Rose, trying to fight back her laughter.

"Oh ha _ha_," said Fred in an unamused tone, ripping the envelope open. He took out the letter and read the first line of it and moaned, "Oh come _on, really?_"

"What does it say?" asked Alice, perking up and closing the book, looking attentive.

"Yeah, what?" asked Rose, grinning.

Fred sneered. "Do you really wanna know?"

"Oh yes." said Rose and Alice in unison.

Fred sighed, knowing they would keep bugging until he read it, and straightened out the paper and started to read aloud.

"'_Dear Frederick Big-nosed-git Snape,'"_

"Nice name." giggled Alice.

"Will you let me read my hate mail, please?" snapped Fred. He gave her an annoyed grimace at her smiling face before continuing.

_"'As i'm sure you're wondering, i've sent you this letter to clear some questions up, as i'm sure you're just happy as a bee in springtime with that blue-haired nitwit, i'd just like to say that i do not care what you and she do from now on. In fact, if you two end up having eight kids and living in the British countryside together with your little brats, who i'm sure will all inherit that maggot log you call a nose, i shall not give a damn whatsoever. I would just like you to know that i, the one you could have REALLY been happy with, hate you with all of my being. Shocking, i know, as i'm a very loving person. Consider this my warning now, Frederick, i will make your life HELL._

_'Hope you are doing horribly, _

_Charisse Cynthia Wargrave._

_P.S. I've sent this letter along with my dear owl Morgana, as she has an excellent tracking ability, and one nasty bite, as i've instructed her to give you. Happy Holidays!'"_

"_Wow_," said Rose as Fred ripped the letter apart. "She's really messed up in the head, isn't she?"

"You can say that again," said Fred, tossing the scraps of the letter in Alice's wastebasket. "If only she went to somewhere else _besides_ Hogwarts, then maybe i wouldn't have the threat of being stabbed repeatedly in my sleep hanging over my head. Plus, why send me a letter about it? I think I got the hint last year when she started charming forks to try to stab me in the leg!" He absentmindedly rubbed his thigh.

"Please, imagine if your kids somehow met her kids and they're enemies just like you two." said Alice, her face leaning on her palm.

Fred frowned and stared at her. "Yeah, _well_, what if you have a daughter, right, and Haskell has a son and they both fall in love and marry each other?"

Alice narrowed her eyes at him angrily. "Now you know how i feel." said Fred mournfully, flopping back onto her bed, face-down. "Jesupth Chrispf-," said Fred's muffled voice from Alice's bedsheet a moment later. "Lightpth upth onf the perfumpth!"

The door clicked and it opened, showing their father's figure entering the room. "Ah, there you are."

"Damnitpth, " said Fred's muffled voice. "He caughpth us beforpth we leftph the countpth-!"

"Frederick isn't trying to sufforcate himself, is he?" asked Severus, frowning at Fred's face-down form.

"Nope, just being as over-dramatic as usual." said Rose, shrugging.

"Ah," said Severus, looking unsurprised. "Well, i'm just up here to make sure you haven't unpacked completely..."

"What, why?" asked Alice, looking perplexed.

Severus sighed, looking at her. "We're - how do i say this? - _Changing_ our residence for the time being."

Fred lifted his head up, looking at him. "We're _moving_?"

"Hardly," said Severus, waving his hand lazily at him. "We're just staying somewhere else for the summer, is all."

"Since when?" asked Fred, lifting himself up by the arms.

"Since The Order came back into commission." said Severus simply.

They looked at him in confusion. "What's 'The Order'?" asked Rose.

"Gather up your things for next year," said Severus, his hand resting on the doorknob. "And you'll find out in _no_ time."

* * *

><p>With a rough kick, Fred flopped onto the dusty ground of the hidden house in the prime location inside of semi-suburban London. He coughed as Rose stepped over him.<p>

"Rose, you little-" said Fred. He felt a hand grab him around the collar and he was yanked up back into a standing position.

"Sorry 'bout that," said Rose, sounding completely un-sorry. "Just a slip of the foot is all-"

"A slip to the back of my _shin_?" snapped Fred, waving her hand off of him. "You could have killed me!"

"Oh stop being a baby," said Alice, walking past them into the web-infested hall. She crinkled her nose. "Couldn't we have stayed somewhere a little less _dirty_?"

"Trust me, after almost a decade without any use, this is the best it could look." said a voice. They turned on the spot and saw a similar, wild mangle of black hair and raggedy appearance of Sirius standing in the doorway of what looked like a downstairs living room.

"Elvendork!" said Sirius happily, throwing up his arms and walking over to Fred, ruffling his hair and causing it to go over his eyes. "Long time no see!"

"Nice seeing you too, Snuffles." said Fred, brushing his hair out of his line of vision.

"Please, you can call me 'Sirius' here," said Sirius with a wink. "But be quiet about it, my mum's portrait _hates_ guests..."

The front snapped shut as Lily crossed over the threshold and Severus yawned, as he had to drag the three of their school trunks in when they rushed towards the then-magically appearing door to Number 12, Grimmauld Place. Eowyn's orange and brown tinged tail flicking on his nose. Why their cat insisted on relaxing on his shoulders he'd never know. "Eowyn, really..."

"Oh, who's this pretty little girl?" said Sirius happily, picking the cat off of Severus's shoulders and cooing at it. He cradled the cat in his arms and looked at Severus. "Sev, doesn't Elvendork have a dog as well? Where's he?"

"With my mother," said Severus. "And _only_ Lily can call me that."

"_Please_, i've been calling you that since before this three were even born!" said Sirius with a grin. He let go of Eowyn by placing her on the ground. "Try not to get lost, Sev here will kill me. Now, let's not linger down here, i'm sure Kreacher will start spewing more insults before long, so let's get you lot into your rooms. If you'd follow me, please."

Sirius pulled his wand out and flicked it, causing their things to hover in mid-air. He stepped down the hallway, keeping as quiet as he could, and onto the stairs and led them towards one of the many upper layers.

"Is this place bigger on the inside?" asked Fred, looking up at the railing towards the upper levels.

"Something like that, yeah." said Sirius, hovering the trunks in front of him.

Alice backed away at the plaques of decapitated house-elf heads on the wall and stayed close to Rose.

Finally, Sirius led them towards a dark-stained door. "Until the others get here, this'll be the boys' room."

"What about us?" asked Rose.

"Right down the hall, of course." said Sirius simply. "But due to your raging hormones, everyone below the consented age will be sleeping in different rooms."

"But not mum and dad?" asked Fred, already knowing the answer.

"Oh, definitely not." said Severus slyly, pecking Lily on the cheek. Fred stuck his tongue out at them.

"Who else is coming?" asked Rose.

"Ah, the Weasleys later today," said Sirius. "A few others maybe, if we're lucky."

"Are we having a big sleepover then?" asked Fred as Sirius lowered the trunks onto the ground.

"If you look at it in that way, why not?" said Sirius. He twisted the doorknob and let the three children in.

"Now, as for _you_ two," said Sirius as he spoke to Severus and Lily. Rose and Alice crawled onto one bed while Fred jumped onto another across from them in the room. "You'll be on the upper level, and seeing as it's _you_ two, we might have to sound-proof your room-"

"We're still listening!" called Rose to them as Alice starting giggling into her hand. Fred's hands flew over his ears tightly and he was making a loud humming noise to tune them out.

"Why must you _always_ try to corrupt their minds like that?" said Severus seriously as Sirius led them up the next set of stairs.

"Shut up, i haven't had that much fun since '81!" laughed Sirius.

* * *

><p>Rose slapped the bed cover with a large textbook, causing a grey puff of dust to poof off of it.<p>

"Boooored." said Fred in an exaggerated tone, curled up on the bed opposite of Rose with his eyes shut.

"Oh come now," said Alice, fllpping through her Transfiguration book, sitting on the ground. "It's only been two hours."

"_BOOOOOOORED_." repeated Fred more loudly, obviously not caring about what his twin just said. "Bored, bored, bored, _bored_-"

Fred went on with that until the door started clicking. He opened his eye the smallest he could when it creaked open and a familiar figure stepped into view...

"Freddie!" said Sam happily, dropping her bag onto the ground and throwing her arms wide. Fred shot straight up into a sitting position, his face beaming, as Sam ran to him and tackled him onto the bed, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him all over his face.

"And the lovebirds are back in full swing." said Alice nonchalantly, not looking up from her book.

Rose stared at the two of them, who were completely immersed with each other to even notice her, and frowned.

It wasn't like she wasn't happy for them, because she really was, it's just that an irking feeling of jealously went over her body whenever she saw them like this. Since when couldn't she get a kiss from someone she loved? Hell, even having a kiss would be nice, as she's never gotten one before!

Fred separated from Sam and put his hands on either side of her face, his skinny fingers brushing against her bright blue hair. "Are you staying here too?"

"My parents joined something called 'The Order of the Phoenix', whatever that is, and they said you guys were staying here, i had to come along as well!" said Sam, smiling down at him.

"Are you really?" asked Fred with a raised eyebrow. "Well then-"

He lowered his hands to her upper arms and through whatever force he could muster, flipped her over and onto her back, himself hovering over her on his knees, his hands going to rest on either side of her head. "We'll just have to get reacquainted with each other with this new found time, then won't we?"

Everyone knew he'd never pull anything too serious in a house full of parents and the fact that Rose and Alice were still there, but Sam still giggled as Fred lowered his face down to hers, his soft breathing on her lips as the door opened again and a lanky, bony figure stepped into the doorway.

"Sam, what in the world are you doing?" asked Damien Balavan, his bushy brows shooting upwards at the sight in front of him. Fred turned to the left and saw him and his eyes widened. "Oh _bolloc-_"

Fred rolled off of her and,over-shooting it, off the bed itself. He landed on the hard ground in a grey cloud of dust and coughing.

"Dramatic exit there, Frederick." smiled Rose as Alice started laughing. Sam covered her face in embarrassment.

"Urgh," moaned Fred, pushing himself back into a sitting position and wiping dust off of him. "This place is _filthy_-"

"Is it now? Well, I think Frederick has figured out why we brought them along." said Severus coolly, poking his head around Damien's shoulders.

Fred looked at them questioningly. "Woah, wait a minute, what about that Order and stuff? You mean _we're_ the clean-up crew?"

Severus shrugged. "Well, you can't attend the meetings anyway seeing as none of you are seventeen, so why not make this place liveable again?"

"Uh huh, no way, i don't clean," said Fred, crossing his arms over his chest. "I _make_ the mess."

"Trust me, I know, I'm the one who had diaper-duty for you when you were a baby, if you must know." said Severus.

"_And_," said Damien smartly. "After what i just saw, i think you are in no position to be making the descions here, now are you?"

Rose and Alice giggled as Fred's face went into his last resort, which was his best puppy-dog begging look, which worked to no avail against the two fathers.

"Honestly, what do you think we had you anyway?" asked Severus sarcastically, smirking.

"You love us and wanted to share in the experience in making a new life?" said Sam, looking over at them.

"The Johnny broke?" asked Fred sweetly, smiling at them.

Judging by the rolling of the eyes from the two of them, Fred didn't think his joke worked at all.

* * *

><p>"...And by what Dumbledore has told us, we, as of now, should try and not let You-Know-Who's name strike fear into us, as he's going to try to kill us anyway."<p>

"Well that's not a very good moral booster, now is it?"

"Nymphadora, I'm just repeating what Dumbledore told me, don't get mad at me-"

The young woman's spiky purple hair turned a violent shade of red suddenly. "Remus! I told you already! Don't call me Nymphadora! It's _Tonks_."

Remus put his hands up in fake defence of himself. "Sorry, I forgot..."

"Dont worry yourself about her, Remus, we're related, it runs in the family." smiled Sirius, patting Remus on the back.

"Alright, alright, stop yer' flirtin' already and get on with, will you?" snapped Moody, his beady eye staring at Remus, while his magical blue eye spun around to take in the whole room. After being stuck in a trunk for nine months, he was more short-tempered than usual.

"Right, well, as you all know," said Remus, looking around at all the assembled Order members. "We still need to recruit any new members that we can get. Your sons are trying to pass the word around with their co-workers, aren't they, Arthur?"

Their attention went to the skinny, bald-headed Weasley, his glasses a little lopsided. "Of course, Bill should be back in London by the next meeting, if his time opens up."

"Excellent," said Remus. "Now as for what the Ministry expects to do about any of this is up for debate but-"

A loud cat meow cut him off. They turned towards the door out to the hall, where a bow-legged, ginger cat stood, his rear-end in the air and his tail flicking around.

"Oi, who let Hermione's cat in here?" asked Sirius. He made a clicking noise with his tongue. "C'mon over here, Crookshanks..."

Crookshanks didn't move, instead they noticed that his paw was clawing at something, which by the looks of it, was _under_ the door itself.

Sirius sighed and got up from his seat, walking over to the cat and picking him up, even though Crookshanks made an annoyed noise when he was lifted into the air.

"Now who's a good boy?" cooed Sirius, rubbing Crookshanks's furry head. Sirius turned around and before taking another saw Severus had suddenly appeared next to him.

"Son of a-" said Sirius, looking startled. "Since when could you magically appear next to people?"

"He walked over when you were fondling the cat, you berk." said Tonks, smiling smugly.

Sirius stuck his tongue out her childishly as Severus opened the door and stuck his head out into the hall. He looked upwards and saw two identical, freckled faces looking down at him, grinning from ear to ear.

"Good evening, sir!" said The Weasley twins in unison, George's hands clutched tightly to each other. "Having a good night?"

Severus rolled his eyes at them before snapping the door shut again.

They sighed in relief when the door clicked shut. "That was a close one!" whispered Fred Weasley.

"Ah, but so worth it." George whispered back, unrolling the flesh-coloured sting he held in his hands, where an ear was dangling off it. "Ready for another round of 'Listen in on the Meeting'?"

"Always." said his twin with a grin.

* * *

><p>"So when is Harry supposed to get here anyway?" asked Fred, laying on one of the beds, Sam laying across his back and playing with his hair, her feet kicked up in the air.<p>

"Dunno," said Ron, sitting on the one across from him and sorting through his trunk. "I remember mum saying something about him getting here in a few weeks..."

"So we're here while he's stuck with the muggles?" asked Ginny, frowning.

"Pretty much." said Ron absentmindedly. He threw one of his old Herbology books back into his trunk. "What do you reckon they're talking about down there?"

_"Oooh, they're talking about your failings gradeees, Ronald, be scareeeed."_ said Fred in fake intimdation, wigging his fingers at him pretending to be a muggle's idea of a ghost.

"Don't say that!" said Hermione, sitting on the edge of another bed with Rose and Ginny, her voice getting a bit high. "But he has a point, you know. You should _really_ be worrying about the O.W.L. exams..."

"Hermione!" said Ron, turning his head towards her. "Those aren't even until June!"

"We still need to study!" snapped Hermione earnestly. "It determines almost every aspect of our future!"

Fred snickered. Hermione turned her head and shot him an annoyed glance. "What's so funny?"

He grinned at her. "_Well_, i doubt any test results i get will effect any job i get into, actually."

"And what job to plain on getting into, Frederick?" asked Rose, raising an eyebrow at him.

He shrugged. "At this rate, _Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes_ is just _calling_ my name..."

"But that's just some silly mail-order business, you can't make a living off of _that_." said Hermione smartly.

"Hardly," said Ron. "They're natural born salesmen, they'll have a shop in Diagon Alley by next year, if they have anything to say about it."

"How?" asked Alice, looking confused. "Where'd they get the money for all of it, i mean."

Ron squared his shoulders. "No idea, but i know that when i got home that they got me a new set of dress robes. Real nice ones, mind you, but i don't think they'd do anything illegal to get the funds from..."

"You realise these is our _brothers_ we're talking about, right?" asked Ginny, smiling.

"Point taken." said Ron.

There was a knock at the door and a small boy with a curly mop of black hair poked his head in. "Uh, Ginny?"

"Yeah, Jules?" asked Ginny, looking kindly at him. Sam's little brother, Julian, was in the same year as her and in Hufflepuff, and he was dead shy.

"Your mum says dinner's ready, you can head down there." said Julian. He glanced over at sister bending her neck and kissing Fred on teh ear before snapping the door shut.

"He's not gonna be dead scared of Harry when he gets he, will he?" asked Ron, looking over at the door when Julian snapped it shut. "We have to share a room with him..."

"Nah, he's just shy is all." said Sam, running her hands through Fred's hair. "Now come on, we need to eat now."

"That's the best thing i've heard all day." said Ron, his stomach giving a loud rumble.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I know this might be a bit random but do Fred and Sam dawn you as a couple who'd have eight children? Because we're seriously debating about it. <strong>


	46. Screaming Portraits

"Alright, on the count of three. One ... two ... _three_!"

Tonks and Sam shut their eyes tight and, after a moment, opened them again, revealing them in different looks. "Ha!" said Tonks happily, pointing to Sam's now curly, honey blond hair. "I like this one! What do you think, Freddie?"

Fred looked up from his card game with Ron and the Weasley Twins. "Very nice."

"Thank you." said Sam, scrunching up her nose slightly and turning it back to a dark green colour.

"Honestly, maybe you two could give me some hair tips, as mine really does not want to work with me." said Sirius, his feet propped against the kitchen table while a charmed brush went trhough his mangled hair. "Ow!" he snapped, turning to look over his shoulder and at the floating brush. "Take it easy, won't you? I didn't get enough time in Azkaban to keep with appearances!"

"Sirius, you're talking to a hairbrush, i think you have bigger problems than your hair." said Severus, walking down the length of the table towards him. He glanced over at Fred's cards and whispered something to him from the corner of his mouth before heading towards Sirius again.

Fred grinned mischievously and laid his cards down on the table. "Royal Flush, boys."

"_Damn,_" muttered George, frowning at his set as his twin flipped his cards down on the table. "I fold."

"Oi, you had your dad help! That doesn't count!" said Ron, putting his own cards down.

"Yeah, and your lot's dad is here too, now isn't he? Mine was just going to my advantage," said Fred happily. He sighed. "It feels good winning."

"It feels better when it's the Quidditch Cup." smiled George. Fred grimaced and the Twins when they and Ron laughed at Slytherin's obvious losing streak against Gryffindor for the past four years.

The door clicked and opened, Moody walked in, his clawed foot clucking against the stone ground and mumbling to himself. "I swear, i'll wring his scrawny neck-"

"Who're you attempting to assassinate now, Mad-Eye?" asked Tonks nonchalantly, picking at her spiky pink hair.

"Who' do 'ya think? That little Dung-head Fletcher." growled Moody, taking the unoccupied seat next to her.

"What's Mundungus do now?" asked Sirius, waving the brush away from him. Severus looked on, looking semi-curious.

"Ah well," started Moody. "Kingsley only told me the bare details for now, but Potter's got a new problem on his hands, i'm afriad."

"Like _what_?" asked Sirius, putting his feet back down on the ground and straightening his back, looking more alert than ever.

Moody rubbed his eye irritably. "Damn scum, wearing this for months without cleaning it." he mumbled. "Urgh, Kingsley said somethin' 'bout him and his cousin, what ever his name is-"

"Darius?" piped up Ron. "I remember Harry talking about him."

"I think that's the one. Anyway, the Ministry got the report that he was making a Patronus in front of him, but they haven't got a clue why, though."

"I doubt Harry would do that to show off," said Sirius, frowning. "Did Kingsley say anything else?"

Moody huffed. "Somethin' 'bout him getting expelled..."

"_Expelled_?" they said in unison.

"No way, he can't be expelled, it's just a misunderstanding..." said Sirius, trying to not look angry, a muscle moving in his jaw.

"_Well_," added Moody. "Kingsley went on saying that Dumbledore got through to them, gonna give him a proper hearin' for it.."

"What? A hearing for accidental magic? That's ridiculous, why'd they do that for?" asked Tonks.

"Hardly, it might not have been accidental at all..." said Moody grimly. "It's not unheard of for Dementors to attack away from their posts at Azkaban..."

"Dementors?" asked Sirius. "You mean to tell _Dementors_ attacked him and his cousin?"

"I'm not sayin' they didn't, if that's what you mean." said Moody roughly. "Give 'em something they want and they'll go right for it, no matter who it is."

"This is what happens when You-Know-Who comes back," said Fred Weasley mournfully. "Everything goes to hell and back."

"Then back again." added George, nodding.

* * *

><p>They didn't know how long it would take for some of the Order members (or as they liked to call themselves, the "Advance Guard") to arrive back to Grimmauld Place with Harry, so they waited in almost eager tenseness for Harry to show up while the rest of Order went on with their meeting downstairs. They had no idea whether the letters, which were lacking in any sort of information, for suffice at all after a month separated from him. Ron's and Fred's tiny owls, Pigwidgeon and Sarah, respectfully,, twittered around the room excitedly, even more so as the room's door started to click and open. They started squeaking louder when an even louder shriek filled the room due to Hermione as the familiar, messy haired form of Harry appeared, almost being pushed to the ground by Hermione's almost rib-breaking hug.<p>

"HARRY! God! We didn't hear you arrive! Oh, how are you? Are you all right? Have you been furious with us? I bet you have, I know our letters were useless — but we couldn't tell you anything, Dumbledore made us swear we wouldn't, oh, we've got so much to tell you, and you've got to tell us — the dementors! When we heard — and that Ministry hearing — it's just outrageous, I've looked it all up, they can't expel you, they just can't, there's provision in the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Sorcery for the use of  
>magic in life-threatening situations —"<p>

"Give him some air, Hermione." said Ron, snapping the door shut behind him.

Hermione, still beaming, let go of Harry, but before she could say another word there was a soft whooshing sound and something white  
>soared from the top of a dark wardrobe and landed gently on Harry's shoulder.<p>

Hedwig, Harry's snowy owl clicked her beak and nibbled his ear affectionately as he stroked her feathers.

"She's been in a right state," said Rose, sitting on one of the beds and looking tensely at Harry. "Pecked us half to death when she brought your last letters, Harry."

"Yeah," said Ron. "Look at this —"

He showed Harry the index finger of his right hand, which sported a half-healed but clearly deep cut.

"Oh yeah," Harry said. "Sorry about that, but I wanted answers, you know. . . ."

His eyes glanced over to the bed Sam sat on, where what looked like a black mass was resting on one pillow, but he did not ask what it was.

"We wanted to give them to you, mate," said Ron. "Hermione was going spare, all of the girls were-"

"Shut up, Ron." snapped Rose in an undertone.

"-kept saying you'd do something stupid if you were stuck all on your own without news, but Dumbledore made us —" continued Ron.

"— swear not to tell me," said Harry. "Yeah, Hermione's already said."

There was a strained silence in which Harry stroked Hedwig automatically, not looking at either of the others.

"He seemed to think it was best," said Hermione rather breathlessly. "Dumbledore, I mean."

"Yeah, he was really set on it too." said Rose, frowning at Harry's cold glare that was in his eyes.

"Right," said Harry. He noticed that her hands too bore the marks. In fact, they all did, Harry didn't feel particularly sorry about it, either.

"I think he thought you were safest with the Muggles —" Ron began.

"Yeah?" said Harry, raising his eyebrows. "Have any of you been attacked by dementors this summer?"

"Well, no," said Alice quietly, who was next to her sister. "But that's why he's had people from the Order of the Phoenix tailing you all the time —"

"Didn't work that well, though, did it?" said Harry, doing his utmost to keep his voice even, though a snide hint of anger was apparent. "Had to look after myself after all, didn't I?"

"He was so angry," said Hermione in an almost awestruck voice. "Dumbledore, i mean. They told us that he found out Mundungus had left  
>before his shift had ended. He was scary."<p>

"Well who lets a crook like him be in the Order anyway?" snapped Sam.

"Well, I'm glad he left," Harry said coldly. "If he hadn't, I wouldn't have done magic and Dumbledore would probably have left me at  
>with my dear Aunt all summer."<p>

"But, aren't you worried about the Ministry of Magic hearing?" said Hermione quietly, looking confused.

"No," Harry said defiantly, though they could almost explicitly tell that he was lying through his teeth. He walked away from them, looking around, with Hedwig nestled contentedly on his shoulder, but the gloom and shabbiness of the room was not likely to raise his spirits. It was dank and dark. A blank stretch of canvas in an ornate picture frame was all that relieved the bareness of the peeling walls and as Harry passed it he thought he heard someone lurking out of sight snigger.

"So why's Dumbledore been so keen to keep me in the dark?" Harry asked, still trying hard to keep his voice casual. "Did you — _er_ — bother to ask him at all?"

"Of course we!" said Rose, looking extremel;y worried. "But nothing we said persuaded him-

"Yeah, we told Dumbledore we wanted to tell you what was going on," added Ron. "We did, mate. But he's really busy now, we've only seen him twice since we came here and he didn't have much time, he just made us swear not to tell you important stuff when we wrote, he said the owls might be intercepted —"

"He could still've kept me informed if he'd wanted to," Harry said shortly. "You're not telling me he doesn't know ways to send messages  
>without owls."<p>

Hermione glanced at Ron and then said, "I thought that too. But he didn't want you to know anything."

"Maybe he thinks I can't be trusted." said Harry, glaring at them.

"Don't be thick, mate, he'd never think that." said Ron, looking highly disconcerted.

"Or that I can't take care of myself —"

"Of course he doesn't think that!" said Hermione anxiously.

"So how come I have to stay at with the muggles who hate me, especially now that our precious oaf of son is all loopy because of the Dementors almost Kissing him, while you lot get to join in everything that's going on here?" said Harry, the words tumbling over one another in a rush, his voice growing louder with every word. "How come you are allowed to know everything that's going on — ?"

"We're not!" Ron interrupted. "Mum won't let us near the meetings, she says we're too young —"

But despite their pleads otherwise, Harry was shouting almost a split-second later.

"SO YOU HAVEN'T BEEN IN THE MEETINGS, BIG DEAL! YOU'VE STILL BEEN HERE, HAVEN'T YOU? YOU'VE STILL BEEN TOGETHER! ME, I'VE BEEN STUCK WITH THE ONLY LIVING RELATIVES IN MY FAMILY FOR A MONTH! AND I'VE HANDLED MORE THAN YOU ANY OF YOU EVER MANAGED AND DUMBLEDORE KNOWS IT — WHO SAVED THE SORCERER'S STONE? WHO GOT RID OF RIDDLE? WHO SAVED AT LKEAST HALF OF YOUR SKINS FROM THE DEMENTORS?"

Every bitter and resentful thought that Harry had had in the past month was pouring out of him, finally bursting from their boundaries. Hedwig took fright at the noise and soared off on top of the wardrobe again; the two tiny owls twittered in alarm and zoomed even faster around their heads.

"WHO HAD TO GET PAST DRAGONS AND EVERY OTHER FOUL THING LAST YEAR? WHO SAW HIM COME BACK? WHO HAD TO ESCAPE FROM HIM? ME!"

They watched him, looking positively frightened as Harry went on.

"BUT WHY SHOULD I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON? WHY SHOULD ANYONE BOTHER TO TELL ME WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING?"

"Harry, we wanted to tell you, we really did —" Hermione began, her eyes looking like she about to cry.

"CAN'T'VE WANTED TO THAT MUCH, CAN YOU, OR YOU'D HAVE SENT ME AN OWL, BUT DUMBLEDORE MADE YOU SWEAR —"

"Well, he did —" said Sam quietly

"FOUR WEEKS I'VE BEEN STUCK IN PRIVET DRIVE, NICKING PAPERS OUT OF BINS TO TRY AND FIND OUT WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON —"

"We wanted to —" added Rose.

"I SUPPOSE YOU'VE BEEN HAVING A REAL LAUGH, HAVEN'T YOU, ALL HOLED UP HERE TOGETHER —"

The black mass on the pillow gave a snort and it lifted itself upwards, revealing it was actually a very drowsy looking Fred, stopping Harry mid-rant. Fred turned towards Sam, strands of his hair in his eyes. "Oh my god, you guys, i had the _weirdest_ dream that a yeti was yelling their head of about dragons and stuff."

Fred turned to look over his shoulder and spotted a red-faced Harry. "Oh, when did Harry get here?"

Despite himself, Harry gave a short snicker, cooling himself down slightly, but not completely. They gave him anxious looks along with their own tiny bursts of laughter.

"How in the hell did you just sleep through that?" asked Alice, looking stricken from Harry's yelling and shaking her head at him.

Fred looked confused. "What'd i miss...?"

"Harry, we're really sorry!" said Hermione desperately, her eyes now sparkling with tears and ignoring Fred completely. "You're absolutely right, Harry — I'd be furious if it was me!"

Harry glared at her, still breathing roughly, then turned away from them again, pacing up and down. Hedwig hooted glumly from the  
>top of the wardrobe. There was a long pause, broken only by the mournful creak of the floorboards below Harry's feet.<p>

"I feel like i missed something..." said Fred, looking confused and yanking the bedsheets off him, which went up to the base of his neck.

"What is this place anyway?" he said suddenly.

"Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix." said Ron at once.

"Is anyone going to bother telling me what the Order of the Phoenix — ?"

"It's a secret society," said Hermione quickly. "Dumbledore's in charge, he founded it. It's the people who fought against You-KnowWho last time."

"Who's in it?" said Harry, coming to a halt with his hands in his pockets.

"Quite a few people, actually." said Sam.

"— we've met about twenty of them," said Ron. "But we think there are more..."

Harry glared at them. "Well?" he demanded, his voice flaring up again.

"Er," said Ron. "Well _what_?"

"Voldemort!" said Harry furiously, causing them to wince. "What's happening? What's he up to? Where is he? What are we doing to stop him?"

"We've told you, the Order don't let us in on their meetings," said Hermione nervously. "So we don't know the details — but we've got a general idea —" she added hastily, seeing the look on Harry's face.

"Fred and George have invented Extendable Ears, see..." said Ron.

"They're really useful, if i do say so myself." said Fred happily, sitting up.

"You would." said Rose smartly.

Harry glanced at him. "Extendable — ?"

"Ears, yeah," said Ron. "Only we've had to stop using them lately because Mum found out and went berserk, which is funny, because their dad almost caught them the first night we got here,"

Ron pointed towards Rose and Alice, who looked a bit timid. "Fred and George had to hide them all to stop Mum binning them," continued Ron. "But we got a good bit of use out of them before Mum realized what was going on. We know some of the Order are following known Death Eaters, keeping tabs on them, you know —"

"— some of them are working on recruiting more people to the Order —" said Rose.

"— and some of them are standing guard over something," said Hermione. "They're always talking about guard duty."

"Couldn't have been me, could it?" said Harry sarcastically.

"Hardly, if anyone would be doing guard duty for Harry, i'd take it up with no questions." said Fred proudly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Now, you'd do that to keep Harry safe or get a good whack at his cousin?" asked Sam, looking at him with a slight grin.

Fred shrugged. "A little of both, i suppose."

Harry snorted. "I appreciate the thought." He walked around the room again, looking around at the dull walls. "So what have you been doing,  
>if you're not allowed in meetings? You said you'd been busy."<p>

"We have." said Hermione quickly.

"Yeah," said Rose. "We're, as Frederick likes to call it, the 'clean-up crew.'"

"Are you?" asked Harry, facing the wall adjacent to her.

"Well, this place hasn't be used in years, so we've been trying to get a little bit liveable again-"

Hermione was cut off and gave a loud squeak as two loud cracks sounded, and The Weasley Twins, bearing the same grins on their identical faces, had materialized out of thin air in the middle of the room. Pigwidgeon and Sarah twittered more wildly than ever and zoomed off to join Hedwig on top of the wardrobe.

"Stop doing that!" Hermione said weakly to the twins, looking flustered.

"Hello, Harry," said George, beaming at him. "We thought we heard your dulcet tones."

"You don't want to bottle up your anger like that, Harry, let it all out," said his twin, also beaming. "There might be a couple of people fifty  
>miles away who didn't hear you."<p>

"You two passed your Apparation tests, then?" asked Harry grumpily, looking at the Weasley Twins.

"With distinction," said Fred Weasley, who was holding what looked like a piece of very long, flesh-colored string.

"It would have taken you about thirty seconds longer to walk down the stairs." said Ron.

"Time is Galleons, little brother," said George. "Anyway, Harry, you're interfering with reception. Extendable Ears," he added in response to  
>Harry's raised eyebrows, his twin holding up the string, which Harry now saw was trailing out onto the landing. "We're trying to hear what's going on downstairs."<p>

"You want to be careful," said Ron, staring at the ear. "If Mum sees one of them again..."

"It's worth the risk, that's a major meeting they're having." said Fred Weasley with a wink.

The door opened again and a long mane of red hair appeared.

"Oh hello, Harry!" said Ginny brightly. "I thought I heard your voice."

"i think everyone in England could hear him, actually." said Fred, rubbing his eye.

"Looks who's talking." said Rose, cocking an eyebrow at him.

Ginny turned to her older Twin brothers and said, "It's no go with the Extendable Ears, she's gone and put an Imperturbable Charm on the kitchen door."

"How d'you know?" said George, looking crestfallen.

"Tonks told me how to find out," said Ginny. "You just chuck stuff at the door and if it can't make contact the door's been Imperturbed I've been flicking Dungbombs at it from the top of the stairs and they just soar away from it, so there's no way the Extendable Ears will be able to get under the gap."

Harry sank onto an unoccupied bed, looking at them. "Is Bill here?" he asked. "I thought he was working in Egypt."

"He applied for a desk job so he could come home and work for the Order," said Fred Weasley. "He says he misses the tombs, but," he smirked,  
>"there are compensations..."<p>

"What d'you mean?"

"Remember old Fleur Delacour?" said George. "She's got a job at Gringotts to eemprove 'er _Eeenglish_ —"

"— and Bill's been giving her a lot of private lessons." sniggered his twin.

"Charlie's in the Order too," said George, "but he's still in Romania, Dumbledore wants as many foreign wizards brought in as possible, so Charlie's trying to make contacts on his days off."

"Couldn't Percy do that?" Harry asked. The last he had heard, the third Weasley brother was working in the Department of International Magical Cooperation at the Ministry of Magic.

At these words they all exchanged darkly significant looks.

"Whatever you do, don't mention Percy in front of Mum and Dad," Ron told Harry in a tense voice.

"Why not?"

"Because every time Percy's name's mentioned, Dad breaks whatever he's holding and Mum starts crying." George said seriously.

"It's been awful." said Ginny sadly.

"I think we're well shut of him," said Fred Weasley with an uncharacteristically ugly look on his face.

"What's happened?" Harry said.

"Percy and Dad had a row," explained George. "I've never seen Dad row with anyone like that. It's normally Mum who shouts..."

"It was the first week back after term ended," said Ron. "We were about to come and join the Order. Percy came home and told us he'd  
>been promoted."<p>

"You're kidding?" said Harry.

"Yeah, we were all surprised," said George. "because Percy got into a load of trouble about Crouch, there was an inquiry and everything. They said Percy ought to have realized Crouch was off his rocker and informed a superior. But you know Percy, Crouch left him in charge,  
>he wasn't going to complain..."<p>

"So how come they promoted him?"

"That's exactly what we wondered," said Ron, who seemed very keen to keep normal conversation going now that Harry had stopped  
>yelling. "He came home really pleased with himself — even more pleased than usual if you can imagine that — and told Dad he'd been<br>offered a position in Fudge's own office. A really good one for someone only a year out of Hogwarts — Junior Assistant to the Minister. He expected Dad to be all impressed, I think."

"Only Dad wasn't." said Fred Weasley grimly.

"Why not?" said Harry.

"Well, apparently Fudge has been storming round the Ministry checking that nobody's having any contact with Dumbledore." said  
>George.<p>

"Dumbledore's name's mud with the Ministry these days, see," said Fred. "They all think he's just making trouble saying You-Know-Who's back."

"Dad says Fudge has made it clear that anyone who's in league with Dumbledore can clear out their desks," said George. "Trouble is, Fudge suspects Dad, he knows he's friendly with Dumbledore, and he's always thought Dad's a bit of a weirdo because of his Muggle obsession —"

"But what's this got to do with Percy?" asked Harry, confused.

"I'm coming to that. Dad reckons Fudge only wants Percy in his office because he wants to use him to spy on the family — and Dumbledore."

Harry let out a low whistle. "Bet Percy loved that."

Ron laughed in a hollow sort of way. "He went completely berserk. He said — well, he said loads of terrible stuff. He said he's been having to struggle against Dad's lousy reputation ever since he joined the Ministry and that Dad's got no ambition and that's why we've always been — you know — not had a lot of money, I mean —"

"What?" said Harry in disbelief, as Ginny made a noise like an angry cat.

"I know," said Ron in a low voice. "And it got worse. He said Dad was an idiot to run around with Dumbledore, that Dumbledore was  
>heading for big trouble and Dad was going to go down with him, and that he — Percy — knew where his loyalty lay and it was with the<br>Ministry. And if Mum and Dad were going to become traitors to the Ministry he was going to make sure everyone knew he didn't belong  
>to our family anymore. And he packed his bags the same night and<br>left. He's living here in London now."

Harry swore under his breath.

"Mum's been in a right state," said Ron. "You know — crying and stuff. She came up to London to try and talk to Percy but he slammed  
>the door in her face. I dunno what he does if he meets Dad at work — ignores him, I s'pose."<p>

"Git." mumbled Fred under his breath.

"But Percy must know Voldemort's back," said Harry slowly. "He's not stupid, he must know your mum and dad wouldn't risk everything without proof —"

"Yeah, well, your name got dragged into the row," said Ron, shooting Harry a furtive look. "Percy said the only evidence was your word and.. I dunno ... he didn't think it was good enough."

"Percy takes the Daily Prophet seriously," said Hermione tartly, and the others all nodded.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, looking around at them all. They were all regarding him warily.

"Haven't — haven't you been getting the Daily Prophet?" Hermione asked nervously.

"Yeah, I have!" said Harry.

"Have you — er — been reading it thoroughly?" Hermione asked still more anxiously.

"Not cover to cover," said Harry defensively. "If they were going to report anything about Voldemort it would be headline news, wouldn't it!"

The others flinched at the sound of the name. Hermione hurried on, "Well, you'd need to read it cover to cover to pick it up, but they — um — they mention you a couple of times a week."

"But I'd have seen —"

"Not if you've only been reading the front page, you wouldn't," said Hermione, shaking her head. "I'm not talking about big articles. They just slip you in, like you're a standing joke."

"What d'you — ?"

"It's quite nasty, actually," said Hermione in a voice of forced calm. "They're just building on Rita's stuff."

"But she's not writing for them anymore, is she?"

"Oh no, she's kept her promise — not that she's got any choice," Hermione added with satisfaction. "But she laid the foundation for what they're trying to do now."

"Which is what?" said Harry impatiently.

"Okay, you know she wrote that you were collapsing all over the place and saying your scar was hurting and all that?" asked Rose.

"Yeah," said Harry, who was not likely to forget Rita Skeeter's stories about him in a hurry.

"Well, they're writing about you as though you're this deluded, attention-seeking person who thinks he's a great tragic hero or something," said Hermione, very fast, as though it would be less unpleasant for Harry to hear these facts quickly. "They keep slipping in snide comments about you. If some far-fetched story appears they say something like 'a tale worthy of Harry Potter' and if anyone has a funny accident or anything it's 'let's hope he hasn't got a scar on his forehead or we'll be asked to worship him next —'"

"I don't want anyone to worship —" Harry began hotly.

"I know you don't," said Hermione quickly, looking frightened. "I know, Harry. But you see what they're doing? They want to turn  
>you into someone nobody will believe. Fudge is behind it, I'll bet anything. They want wizards on the street to think you're just some stupid boy who's a bit of a joke, who tells ridiculous tall stories because he loves being famous and wants to keep it going."<p>

"I didn't ask — I didn't want — Voldemort killed my parents!" Harry spluttered. "I got famous because he murdered my family but  
>couldn't kill me! Who wants to be famous for that? Don't they think I'd rather it'd never —"<p>

"We know, Harry." said Rose earnestly.

"And of course, they didn't report a word about the dementors attacking you," said Hermione. "Someone's told them to keep that quiet. That should've been a really big story, out-of-control dementors. They haven't even reported that you broke the International Statute of Secrecy — we thought they would, it would tie in so well with this image of you as some stupid show-off — we think they're biding their time until you're expelled, then they're really going to go to town — I mean, if you're expelled, obviously," she went on hastily, "you really shouldn't be, not if they abide by their own laws, there's no case against you."

"Uh-oh." said the Weasley Twins in unison.

Fred Weasley gave the Extendable Ear a hearty tug; there was another loud crack and he and George vanished. Seconds later, Mrs Weasley appeared in the bedroom doorway.

"The meeting's over, you can come down and have dinner now, everyone's dying to see you, Harry. And who's left all those Dungbombs outside the kitchen door?"

"Crookshanks," said Ginny unblushingly. "He loves playing with them."

"Oh," said Mrs Weasley, "I thought it might have been Kreacher, he keeps doing odd things like that. Now don't forget to keep your  
>voices down in the hall. Ginny, your hands are filthy, what have you been doing? Go and wash them before dinner, please."<p>

Ginny grimaced at the others and followed her mother out of the room.

"Who's Kreacher?" Harry asked as they stepped over the threshold and onto the hard floor outside the bedroom.

"The house-elf who lives here," said Ron. "Completely nutter. Never met one like him."

Hermione frowned at Ron. "He's not a nutter, Ron —"

"His life's ambition is to have his head cut off and stuck up on a plaque just like his mother," said Ron irritably, snapping the door shut behind them. "Is that normal, Hermione?"

"Well — well, if he is a bit strange, it's not his fault —"

Ron rolled his eyes at Harry.

"Hermione still hasn't given up on spew —"

"It's not 'spew'!" said Hermione heatedly. "It's the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare, and it's not just me, Dumbledore says we should be kind to Kreacher too —"

"Yeah, yeah," said Ron. "C'mon, I'm starving."

They stepped onto the stairs downwards, Harry ending up in front of Ron and Hermione and next to Rose.

"Where's your owl?" he asked. Rose glanced at him from the corner of her eye and said, "She's out delivering a letter to Zachary, if you must know."

Harry heard a snicker come from Fred, who was in front of him with his arm around Sam's shoulders. "They've been sending little love notes to each other for a whole month, i'll be expecting the engagement announcement soon."

Rose's cheeks went red as Harry said, "Well, wouldn't he been here too? I'd think his parents would want to be in on this whole Order business as well..."

"Zachary wrote and said they're all for this Order," said Rose, her cheeks still a bit pink from Fred's comment. "But they're focusing on his education for the time being, seeing as it's our O.W.L. year and all."

Alice and Ginny tip-toed down the hall when they reached the ground floor long before the rest of them, talking in whispers, followed by Fred and Sam, her head resting on his chest. Harry glanced to his right and saw a thin piece of flesh-coloured string descended in front of Harry's eyes. Looking up he saw The Weasley Twins on the landing above, cautiously lowering the Extendable Ear toward the dark knot of people. A moment later, however, they began to move toward the front door and out of sight.

"Dammit." Harry heard one of them whisper, as they hoisted the Extendable Ear back up again.

They heard the front door open and then close.

"Most of them don't eat here." said Rose in a quiet voice.

"Don't forget to keep your voice down in the hall, Harry." Hermione whispered.

As they passed the row of house-elf heads on the wall they saw Lupin, Mrs. Weasley, and Tonks at the front door, magically sealing its many locks and bolts behind those who had just left.

"We're eating down in the kitchen," Mrs Weasley whispered, meeting them at the bottom of the stairs. "Harry, dear, if you'll just  
>tiptoe across the hall, it's through this door here —" <em>CRASH<em>.

"Tonks!" cried Mrs Weasley exasperatedly, turning to look behind her.

Strangely enough, Ron, Hermione, and Rose all put their fingers in their ears, confusing Harry.

"I'm sorry!" wailed Tonks, who was lying flat on the floor. "It's that stupid umbrella stand, that's the second time I've tripped over —" But the rest of her words were drowned by a horrible, earsplitting, bloodcurdling screech of a voice.

The moth-eaten velvet curtains, which were hanging on the hallway wall, flew apart, revealing what looked like a window behind which  
>an old woman in a black cap was screaming and screaming as though she was being tortured — then upon realisation it was simply a life-size portrait, the most realistic, and the most unpleasant one you could find.<p>

The old woman's portrait screamed on and on, waking the other paintings and making them scream as well, until Lupin and Mrs Weasley darted forward and tried to tug the curtains shut over the old woman, but they would not close and she screeched louder than ever, brandishing clawed hands as though trying to tear at their faces.

_"Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt and vileness! Half-breeds, mutants, freaks, begone from this place! How dare you befoul the house of my fathers —"_

Tonks apologized over and over again, at the same time dragging the huge, heavy troll's leg back off the floor. Mrs. Weasley abandoned  
>the attempt to close the curtains and hurried up and down the hall, Stunning all the other portraits with her wand. Harry, his hands now clapped tightly over his ears, looked over at the other three, who looked almost bored, himself finally getting why they had so suddenly put their fingers in their ears. Harry couldn't hear, but Rose looked to be humming to herself, tapping her foot against the floor, distracting herself from the screeching portrait as if their was a normal occurrence. Of course, it might have been, they were there a month before he was, after all.<p>

Then a man with long black hair came charging out of a door facing Harry.

"Shut up, you horrible old hag, shut UP!" he roared, seizing the curtain Mrs Weasley had abandoned.

The old woman's face blanched. "_Yoooou_!" she howled, her eyes popping at the sight of the man. _"Blood traitor, abomination, shame of my flesh!"_

"I said — shut — _UP_!" roared the man, and with a stupendous effort he and Lupin managed to force the curtains closed again.

The old woman's screeches died and an echoing silence fell.

Panting slightly and sweeping his long dark hair out of his eyes, Sirius turned to face Harry.

"Hello, Harry," he said grimly, looking lost for breath. "I see you've met my mother."

"Your mother-?" asked Harry, unclasping his hands over his ears. The others did the same.

"My dear old mum, yeah," said Sirius. "We've been trying to get her down for a month but we think she put a Permanent Sticking Charm on the back of the canvas. Let's get downstairs, quick, before they all wake up again."

"But what's a portrait of your mother doing here?" Harry asked, bewildered, as they went through the door from the hall and led the way down a flight of narrow stone steps, the others just behind them.

"Hasn't anyone told you? This was my parents' house," said Sirius. "But I'm the last Black left, so it's mine now. I offered it to Dumbledore  
>for headquarters — about the only useful thing I've been able to do." He sounded bitter.<p>

Sirius let them to the bottom of the stairs and through a door leading into the basement kitchen. It was scarcely less gloomy than the hall above, a cavernous room with rough stone walls. Most of the light was coming from a large fire  
>at the far end of the room. A haze of pipe smoke hung in the air like battle fumes, through which loomed the menacing shapes of heavy iron pots and pans hanging from the dark ceiling. Many chairs had been crammed into the room for the meeting and a long wooden table<br>stood in the middle of the room, littered with rolls of parchment, goblets, empty wine bottles, and a heap of what appeared to be rags.

Rose's parents sat at one end, talking to a pin-thin woman Harry did not recognised. A bony man, who Harry did know as Sam's father, was sitting a few seats from them, drinking some golden liquid from his glass, leaving a small line of white form on his bushy moustache whenever he lowered the glass away from his mouth. Mr Weasley and his eldest son, Bill, were talking quietly with their heads together at the end of the table.

Mrs Weasley, who was unloading dishes from one of the cabinets against one wall, cleared her throat loudly. Her husband, a thin, balding, redhaired man, who wore horn-rimmed glasses, looked around and jumped to his feet.

"Harry!" Mr Weasley said, hurrying forward to greet him and shaking his hand vigorously. "Good to see you!"

Over his shoulder Harry saw Bill, who still wore his long hair in a ponytail, hastily rolling up the lengths of parchment left on the table.

"Journey all right, Harry?" Bill called, trying to gather up twelve scrolls at once. "Mad-Eye didn't make you come via Greenland, then?"

"He tried," said Tonks, striding over to help Bill and immediately sending a candle toppling onto the last piece of parchment. "Oh no — _sorry_ —"

"Here, dear," said Mrs Weasley, sounding exasperated, and she repaired the parchment with a wave of her wand: In the flash of light caused by Mrs. Weasley's charm, Harry caught a glimpse of what looked like the plan of a building.

Mrs Weasley had seen him looking. She snatched the plan off the table and stuffed it into Bill's heavily laden arms. "This sort of thing ought to be cleared away promptly at the end of meetings." she snapped.

Bill took out his wand, muttered "_Evanesco_!" and the scrolls vanished.

"Sit down, Harry," said Sirius. "You've met Mundungus, haven't you?"

The thing Harry had taken to be a pile of rags gave a prolonged, grunting snore and then jerked awake. At the same time, Fred walked into view, nibbling on a bun. "Oh, top o' the mornin' top ya', Dungy."

"Some'n say m' name?" Mundungus mumbled sleepily. "I 'gree with Sirius..."

He raised a very grubby hand in the air as though voting, his droopy, bloodshot eyes unfocused. Rose giggled as Fred shook his head, taking another bite of his bun.

"The meeting's over, Dung," said Sirius, as they all sat down around him at the table. "Harry's arrived."

"Eh?" said Mundungus, peering balefully at Harry through his matted ginger hair. "Blimey, so 'e 'as. Yeah...you all right, 'arry?"

"Yeah." said Harry.

Mundungus fumbled nervously in his pockets, still staring at Harry, and pulled out a grimy black pipe. He stuck it in his mouth, ignited the end of it with his wand, and took a deep pull on it. Great billowing clouds of greenish smoke obscured them in seconds.

"Owe you a 'pology," grunted a voice from the middle of the smelly cloud.

There was loud coughing, followed by Severus spatted "Do you _mind_?" from down the table. "For the last time, Mundungus," called Mrs Weasley, her voice billowing through the smoke. "Will you _please_ not smoke that thing in the kitchen, especially not when we're about to eat!"

"Ah," said Mundungus. "Right. Sorry, Molly." The cloud of smoke vanished as Mundungus stowed his pipe back  
>in his pocket, but an acrid smell of burning socks lingered.<p>

"And if you want dinner before midnight I'll need a hand," Mrs Weasley said to the room at large. "No, you can stay where you are, Harry dear, you've had a long journey —"

"Me too," said Fred, swallowed the last of his bun and wiping his mouth. "I went from the bedroom to down here, i'm _famished_."

He took the empty seat between Harry and Mundungus, smiling cheekily at Mrs Weasley, who frowned at him.

"What can I do, Molly?" said Tonks enthusiastically, bounding forward.

Mrs Weasley hesitated, looking apprehensive. "Er — no, it's all right, Tonks, you have a rest too, you've done  
>enough today —"<p>

"No, no, I want to help!" said Tonks brightly, knocking over a chair as she hurried toward the dresser from which Ginny was collecting cutlery.

Soon a series of heavy knives were chopping meat and vegetables of their own accord, supervised by Mr Weasley, while Mrs Weasley  
>stirred a cauldron dangling over the fire and the others took out plates, more goblets, and food from the pantry.<p>

"Had a good summer so far?" asked Sirius. They heard a purring and Crookshanks leaped onto Sirius's lap.

"No, it's been lousy." said Harry.

Something like a grin flitted across Sirius's face. "Don't know what you're complaining about, myself."

"What?" said Harry incredulously.

"Personally, I'd have welcomed a dementor attack. A deadly struggle for my soul would have broken the monotony nicely. You think you've had it bad, at least you've been able to get out and about, stretch your legs, get into a few fights... I've been stuck inside for a month."

"How come?" asked Harry, frowning.

"Because the Ministry of Magic's still after me, and Voldemort will know all about me being an Animagus by now, Wormtail will have  
>told him, so my big disguise is useless. There's not much I can do for the Order of the Phoenix, or so Dumbledore feels." said Sirius bitterly.<p>

"At least you've known what's been going on." he said bracingly.

"Yeah, but not being able to act on it? All i have to look forward to is cleaning." said Sirius.

"What cleaning?" asked Harry.

"Trying to make this place fit for human habitation," said Sirius, waving a hand around the dismal kitchen. "No one's lived here for  
>ten years, not since my dear mother died, unless you count her old house-elf, and he's gone round the twist, hasn't cleaned anything in ages —"<p>

"Sirius?" said Mundungus, who did not appear to have paid any attention to the conversation, but had been minutely examining an empty goblet. "This solid silver, mate?"

"Yes," said Sirius, surveying it with distaste. "Finest fifteenth century goblin-wrought silver, embossed with the Black family crest."

"That'd come off, though." muttered Mundungus, polishing it with his cuff.

"Fred — George — NO, JUST CARRY THEM!" Mrs. Weasley shrieked.

Sensing danger, they dived away from the table. The Twins had bewitched a large cauldron of stew, an iron flagon of butterbeer, and a heavy  
>wooden breadboard, complete with knife, to hurtle through the air toward them. The stew skidded the length of the table and came to a<br>halt just before the end right in front of a bemused looking Severus, leaving a long black burn on the wooden surface, the flagon of butterbeer fell with a crash, spilling its contents everywhere, and the bread knife slipped off the board and landed point down and quivering ominously, exactly where Sirius's right hand had been seconds before.

"FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!" screamed Mrs. Weasley. "THERE WAS NO NEED — I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS — JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ALLOWED TO USE MAGIC NOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO WHIP YOUR WANDS OUT FOR EVERY TINY LITTLE THING!"

"We were just trying to save a bit of time!" said George, hurrying forward and wrenching the bread knife out of the table. "Sorry Sirius, mate — didn't mean to —"

Fred put his arm around Harry's shoulders, bent over in laughter, Harry and Sirius joining in. Mundungus, who had toppled backward off his chair, was swearing as he got to his feet. Crookshanks had given an angry hiss and shot off under the dresser, from whence his large yellow eyes glowed in the darkness.

"Boys," Mr Weasley said, lifting the stew back into the middle of the table. "Your mother's right, you're supposed to show a sense of responsibility now you've come of age —"

"— none of your brothers caused this sort of trouble!" Mrs Weasley raged at the Twins, slamming a fresh flagon of butterbeer onto the table and spilling almost as much again. "Bill didn't feel the need to Apparate every few feet! Charlie didn't Charm everything he met! Percy —"

She stopped dead, catching her breath with a frightened look at her husband, whose expression was suddenly wooden.

"Have you met everyone, Harry?" asked Sirius suddenly, noticing the look on Mrs Weasley's face. "I assume you've met Mr Balavan?"

Mr Balavan, who seemed to be zoning out to most of them, snapped out of it and turned towards Harry, smiling kindly.

"Harry, i want you to get a full view of this," said Fred, his arm still around Harry's shoulders and waving his other hand at Mr Balavan. "Look at that facial hair, it's majestic, i wish i could grow one."

"You're not just kissing up to me because i saw you and Samantha at it again, are you?" asked Mr Balavan, raising a bushy eyebrow at him.

"This place needs to invest in some locks," said Fred in an undertone to Harry. "Or everyone needs a refresher course in _knocking_."

"Until you have your children to put rules upon, you get no say in the matter." said Severus smartly.

"Good to you too, professor." said Harry, looking away from Fred's red face and towards Severus. "As to you, Mrs Snape."

Lily smiled and Sirius said, "And Eileen Snape?"

He waved towards the pin-thin woman Harry noticed earlier but did not get a clear image of. She was as pale as her son, her nose was straight and her lips were thin, which given her air of shrewdness made her all the more intimidating. A large streak of silvery hair went through her dark hair, which was pulled back into a tight knob at the base of her neck. Nevertheless she smiled at him. "It's Prince, Sirius."

"Right," said Sirius. "Keep forgetting that one. She's Severus's mother, if you could not tell."

"I had my suspicions." said Harry.

"_Wait_," said Fred, looking confused. "If _you're_ here, where's Eccleston?"

"I told you he'd ask," said Eileen, adressing Severus. She looked back at her grandson. "I brought him along, he's missed you _so_ dearly."

Fred's face lit up slightly. "Really? Where is he?" he asked excitedly.

His question was answered as a scratching noise went against the kitchen door out to the stairway. Ginny, looking bemused, walked over to the door and opened it, revealing a fat, white bulldog with brown spots standing there, his pink tongue flopping out of the jagged line that was his mouth.

"Eccleston!" said Fred, speeding past Sirius and crouching down onto his knees, his arms extending out to the dog. Eccleston flopped his tongue back into his mouth, bending downwards as if he was preparing to attack, his rear-end shooting straight into the air, his little stub of a tail wagging wildly before suddenly spiriting forward Fred and jumping onto him, nearly pushing him to the dusty ground.

Fred stood back up, cletching the wiggling dog in his arms as it licked him all over his face and nose. "Who's my good fat boy? You are! Yes you are!"

Fred scracted him behind the ear and walked over to Harry. "Hey Eccleston, say hi to Uncle Harry."

"No, really, that's okay-" said Harry, but that didn't stop Eccleston from being lifted down to his face's level, where he started licking him on the face, his tail wagging wildly with so much new people to kiss.

"_Argh_," said Harry as Fred pulled Eccleston away from him. Harry spat. "I think he just slipped me the tongue!"

The others laughed as Fred turned to his dog and said seriously, "Eccleston! We don't give the tongue until we've brought them dinner first! I taught you better than that!"

"_Excuse_ me?" said Mr Balavan, his eyes wide. Fred looked slightly embarrassed as the others walked in with the rest of the food.

"Oh thank god," said Ron, his eyes drowsily looking at the food as he set his platter down. "Let's eat, please." He turned and saw Fred with Eccleston. "What's with the dog?"

"That's Elvendork's." said Harry.

"Ah."

Fred lifted Eccleston to Ron's level and the dog licked him on the ear. Ron flinched and glared at the him. "Do you mind?"

Eccleston stared at Ron and stuck his tongue out again, giving Ron a tiny lick on the tip of his nose, his beady eyes looking innocent. Ron blinked at him slowly. "_Fine_, i'll forgive you for now."

"He's a little Charmer, isn't he?" asked Sirius, rubbing the dog behind his ears.

"He learned from the best." said Fred smugly.

* * *

><p>Sometime later after dinner was long over with, and after much arguing on their parts, the other children, besides The Weasley Twins and Harry were send to bed. Sirius, of course, insisted on letting Harry hear what's been going on, and while so did the others, their parents refused unless they planned on joining the Order right then and there, but due to the fact that none of them were seventeen, that was a no go. The Weasley Twins were only allowed to stay to hear just for their age, actually.<p>

Fred tried talking to Sam's little brother while they waited for Harry to show, but Julain seemed more focused on writing a letter to someone than listen to him.

"Who're you writing to anyway?" asked Fred, laying stomach-down across his bed and looking at the youngest Balavan child, who was sitting hunched over on the bed next to his.

"No one." said Julian quietly, his quill writing furiously.

"Is it that Dahlia Whitney?" asked Fred, grinning. "I saw you two last year, you get that look on your face that you wanna give her a kiss."

Julian's olive-toned face blushed red. "No, i don't."

"Oh yes you too," said Fred happily, kicking his ankles back and forth. "I should know, i had that look on my face for about half of last year."

"That was a very good Christmas for you." said Ron, searching for a package of Owl Treats. Fred smiled at his comment. "Which one is Whitney?" asked Ron.

"She's in our year," said Fred, pointing to himself and Julian. "Hufflepuff. She's got short blond hair and she's _squeaky_."

Ron looked thoughtful for a moment. "Yeah, i think i've seen her around. She's not bad, don't be embarrassed with you like her, Jules."

Julian blushed red. "Well, do _you_ like anyone? Go on, tell us! It won't be embarrassing at all!"

Ron's ears went red. "I do like someone, but i'm not telling you two."

"Oh come on," said Fred sweetly. "We wouldn't tell, what happens in the bedroom, _stays_ in the bedroom."

Ron stared at him. "I think you needed to re-think how to say that one, mate."

They heard clicking and the door opened, Harry walking in with Ron's mother right behind him. "Try not to stay awake all night, we have a busy day tomorrow." she said. She bid them goodnight and she closed the door behind Harry with a sharp snap.

Harry put on his pyjamas, took off his glasses, and climbed into his chilly bed while Ron threw the last few Owl Treats up on top of the wardrobe to pacify Hedwig and Pigwidgeon, who were clattering around and rustling their wings restlessly.

"We can't let them out to hunt every night," Ron explained as he pulled on his maroon pyjamas, noticing Harry's face. "Dumbledore doesn't want too many owls swooping around the square, thinks it'll look suspicious. Oh wait, Fred, we still need to lock the door."

"On it." said Fred, pushing himself up and heading towards the door, bolting it shut.

"What're you doing that for?" asked Harry as Fred slipped back into his bed across from Harry's.

"Kreacher," said Ron as he turned off the light. "First night we was here he came wandering in at three in the morning. Trust me, you  
>don't want to wake up and find him prowling around your room. Anyway..."<p>

He got into his bed, settled down under the covers, then turned to look at Harry in the darkness. His outline was easily seen by the moonlight filtering in through the grimy window. "What d'you reckon?"

"Well, they didn't tell us much we couldn't have guessed, did they?" said Harry. "I mean, all they've really said is that the Order's trying to stop people joining Vol —"

There was a sharp intake of breath from Ron.

"— demort," said Harry firmly. "When are you going to start using his name? Sirius and Lupin do, they even said the other Order members started using it too."

"It's weird," said Fred, sitting up in his bed. "We went our whole lives being scared of his name, we're not used to saying it."

"All the more reason to say it," said Harry. "You don't give his name power."

There was a loud _CRACK_! and Ron saying "_OUCH_!" into the darkness.

"Keep your voice down, Ron, or Mum'll be back up here."

"You two just Apparated on my knees!"

"Yeah, well, it's harder in the dark —"

The blurred outlines of Fred and George leaped down from Ron's bed. There was a groan of bedsprings and Harry's mattress descended a few inches as George sat down near his feet.

"So, got there yet?" said George eagerly.

"The weapon Sirius mentioned?" said Harry.

"Let slip, more like," said Fred Weasley with relish, now sitting next to Ron. "We didn't hear about that on the old Extendables, did we?"

"What d'you reckon it is?" said Harry.

"Could be anything," said George.

"You-Know-Who's got a weapon?" piped up Julian, who the others turned to face.

"That's what they said, at least." said Harry.

"Oh wow..." he said, trailing off.

"But there can't be anything worse than the Avada Kedavra curse, can there?" said Ron. "What's worse than _death_?"

"Maybe it's something that can kill loads of people at once." suggested George.

"Maybe it's some particularly painful way of killing people." said Ron fearfully.

"He's got the Cruciatus Curse for causing pain," said Harry. "He doesn't need anything more efficient than that."

"So who d'you thinks got it now?" asked Fred.

"I hope it's our side." said Ron, sounding slightly nervous.

"If it is, Dumbledore's probably keeping it," said George.

"Where?" said his twin asked quickly. "Hogwarts?"

"Bet it is!" said George. "That's where he hid the Stone, isn't?"

"A weapon's going to be a lot bigger than the Stone, though!" said Ron.

"Not necessarily," said George.

"Yeah, size is no guarantee of power," said his twin. "Look at Ginny."

"What d'you mean?" said Harry.

"You've never been on the receiving end of one of her Bat-Bogey Hexes, have you?"

"Shhh!" said Fred Weasley, half-rising from the bed. "Listen!"

They fell silent. Footsteps were coming up the stairs again.

"Mum," said George, and without further ado there was a loud crack and Harry felt the weight vanish from the end of his bed. A few  
>seconds later and they heard the floorboard creak outside their door;<p>

Mrs. Weasley was plainly listening to see whether they were talking or not.

The three owls hooted dolefully. The floorboard creaked again and they heard her heading upstairs to check on the Twins.

"She doesn't trust us at all, you know," said Ron regretfully.

"Well, she has a good reason not to..." said Julian quietly.

"Honestly, Jules, when i marry into your family, we're going having to fix this problem of yours." said Fred seriously.

"What problem?" asked Julian, sounding confused.

"You're too safe," said Fred. "I need to loosen you up, release the inner wild side in ya'."

Judging by the anxious squeak he gave out, it didn't sound like Julian was looking forward to whatever Fred had in store for him.

* * *

><p>"I am <em>not<em> wearing that."

Harry had only just then wrapped a cloth around his nose and mouth when Mrs Weasley had insisted on Fred to wear his dark hair back, as it went to his shoulders.

"Listen, you're the one who wants your hair this long," said Mrs Weasley, holding up a hair-tie to him by her finger. "Doxies don't care whether you like it or not, they want something to grab onto."

"Well _i'm_ not wearing it." said Fred, crossing his arms over his chest.

"And why is that?" asked Mrs Weasley, who had to look up, as Fred towered over her.

"I'll look like a _girl_." said Fred simply.

Rose and Alice giggled, their mouthes covered by their own pieces of cloths as Mrs Weasley shot him an annoyed look. The door clicked and Sirius and Severus walked in, talking in low tones and Sirius carrying a blood-stained sack while Severus carried his own, non-stained one.

"Oh thank goodness," said Mrs Weasley, turning as they walked in. "Severus, please talk some sense in your son."

Severus looked at Fred, dropping the bag he had onto one of the empty chairs, which the Weasley Twins eyes followed attentively. "What'd he do now?"

"He doesn't want to pull his hair back." giggled Alice.

"Says he'll look like a girl." added Rose.

"You won't look like a girl, Frederick, just do what Mrs Weasley says." said Severus.

Mrs Weasley beamed as Fred huffed, looking a bit defeated. "But dad-!"

Severus gave him a stern look at Fred said, "Well, you've never had to wear one of those stupid things, have you?"

"I did once, for a dinner party at your mum's parents' house..." said Severeus slowly.

"_See_?" said Mrs Weasley, banishing the hair-tie at him. "I told it would be just-"

"-_Except_," added Severus. "Right after dinner Lily yanked me outside and we snogged in her dad's garden shed and she ripped the hair-tie off."

"Acid-Green, since when was your dad really cool?" asked Ron as the others laughed. Sirius pat Severus on the back and said, "Me and James had too much of an effect on him. Now come along, we have to go feed Buckbeak." which explained the sack he had in his hands. "Have fun cleaning!"

They left, leaving a bemused Mrs Weasley staring after them. She turned back and saw that Fred had quickly tied his hair back. "Change of heart then?"

"Well, we don't have a garden shed here, but i reckon me and Sammie can use a closet just fine." said Fred happily, wrapping his own cloth around his mouth and nose. "Now come on, these doxies won't kill stun themselves."

"Mrs Weasley," said Rose innocently. "If you ever feel the need to whack our dear brother upside the head, please know that we're right behind you."

"I might have to take you up on that offer." said Mrs Weasley in an undertone.

* * *

><p>After spending the whole morning stunning the little fairylike and hairy creatures named doxies from the sitting room's curtains, Mrs Weasley finally tired herself out, allowing the others to take a break along with her.<p>

"I think we'll tackle those after lunch." said Mrs Weasley, pointing at the dusty glass-fronted cabinets standing on either side of the mantelpiece. They were crammed with an odd assortment of objects: a selection of rusty daggers, claws, a coiled  
>snakeskin, a number of tarnished silver boxes inscribed with languages, and what look like an ornate crystal bottle with a large opal set into the stopper, full of what was surely blood.<p>

The clanging doorbell rang again. Everyone looked at Mrs. Weasley. "Stay here," she said firmly, snatching up the bag of rats as Mrs.  
>Blacks screeches started up again from down below. "I'll bring up some sandwiches."<p>

She left the room, closing the door carefully behind her. As soon as she left, Ron dashed over to the window to look down onto the doorstep.

"Ah, Mundungus has a whole ton of cauldrons with 'em." said Ron to them, his long nose pressed against the grimy glass. "Wonder what he's doing with them..."

He received his answer as his mother's angry voice boomed downstairs yelling at Mundungus for stolen goods, only to be shortly washed out by Mrs Black's portrait's screaming.

"I love it when mum screams at someone else for once." said Fred Weasley dreamily. George nudged him in the shoulder and his eyes pointed towards the bag Severus had left there earlier. They grinned mischievously at each other.

Sam yanked the hair-tie out, making Fred's hair fall against his face once again. "You know, i like this look, it's cute."

"I'm cute, it's a proven fact." grinned Fred as Sam pecked on the lips. Rose, Harry, and Hermione flopped onto the worn-out sofa, ripping their own cloths off their faces. "I never want to clean again." said Harry, looking tired.

"It's bracing." said Hermione, turning her head towards him, her frizzy hair hitting him in the face.

"Whatever you say, Hermione." said Harry, waving her hair of his mouth.

They sat there in silence, Mrs Weasley's and Sirius's mother's screams sounding dully against the walls, when the Weasley Twins' stiffened laughter filled the room.

They glanced over at them, both sitting closely on the armchair near the door and giggling at a leather-bound book they were looking at, giggling even more as they flipped onto the next pages, pointing here and there on the pages they were looking at.

"What's so funny?" asked Harry, looking around Hermione and at the laughing Twins.

"Oh nothing," said George, snickering. "But i reckon Sam should see this, for future reference."

Sam, looking a bit puzzled, walked over to them on the armchair, and when she got close enough to see what they were looking at, her face twisted into a wide smile. "Oh my _god_-"

"What?" asked Fred, looking confused.

"Never you mind." giggled George. "Now look at this one-"

His twin flipped the page and Sam let out a loud laugh.

Fred looked at the book they were looking at suspiciously. Then it clicked. His eyes widened. "Please tell me that isn't what i think it is..."

"Dunno, but i think the pictures of you as a three month old were just _precious_." said Fred Weasley happily.

Almost as if he was shocked, Harry jumped up from his seat and towards the Twins, having absolutely every urge to now see whatever they were looking at. Harry reached them and upon seeing what the book held, gave out a snort of laughter. It was Fred's baby book, complete with various pictures, ranging from sickeningly cute to a little too embarrassing. Harry personally liked the one of what must have been a then one-year old Fred, bare-naked and his little pink rear end facing the camera.

"I hate you guys." said Fred, covering his face as the others crowded around the Twins and laughed more and more at the progressing pictures.

"Ah, just think Sam," said Ginny, looking over Hermione's shoulders. "At least you'll have an idea as to what your future kids will look like."

"They'll have cute bums." said Sam. Her comment made Fred feel a little better, making him lower his hands ever so slightly so only his eyes were seen.

George urged his twin to flip to the next page, which he did, and they let out another loud laugh. "Oh my god, are those _overalls_? Too cute!"

Well, at least Fred was right that the nagging feeling he got when he was younger that his mother dressing him up would come back to haunt him eventually.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Oh god i just noticed that i have to have Umbridge in the next chapter. Maybe i should have Fred and Harry making fun of her instead...<strong>


	47. Prefect Badges

**AN: SORRY THIS IS SO SHORT. I will try to have another chapter up today.**

* * *

><p>The desk in the far corner of the sitting room gave a violent shudder. Ginny eyed it apprehensively and moved farther away from it, stuffing an old music box, which gave out a sinisterly sounding tune before she slammed it shut earlier, into one of the sacks they were planning to get rid of later.<p>

"Hmm, Harry, you don't reckon this Charlus fellow is your grandfather, is he?"

Harry looked away from the cabinets they were sorting through to see Fred and Rose crouched over the large family tapestry, going back to the Middle Ages, of the Black Family. It was torn and frayed here and there, and it was as grimy as anything else in the house, yet the golden threads that connected any two or so names still shined brightly in the gloom. Harry dropped the crystal bottle of blood he couldn't open into a sack for tossing and walked over to them.

"Which one is he?" asked Harry, looking around Rose's hair.

"This one," said Fred, pointing to a finely printed 'Charlus Potter' on the tapestry. A golden thread connected his name to 'Dorea Potter' and a single golden thread descended from both of their names. However, their one child's name, and their own family, which produced only one child as well, was covered by a thick coating of muck.

"You don't think-?" asked Fred excitedly. He tried scratching the muck off of where he believed Harry's name to be to no avail. "Man, how am i supposed to whether you're Sirius's third-cousin, twice removed or something now?"

"Dunno," shrugged Harry. His eyes glanced around the tapestry. "Are you guys on this?"

"As if," said Rose scratchily. "Remember what Sirius told us earlier? Only pure-blood or higher, half our family are muggles, they'd _hate_ us on this."

"Plus," added Rose, straightening herself out. "I'd think we'd only be on this if grandmum married a pure-blood wizard, but she married a muggle so..."

"So you're half?" asked Harry.

"Pretty much." said Fred, trying to scratch the muck off again. "Someone get me a hammer, i'll smash this off."

"You don't have to be so primeval about it, Frederick." said Hermione, not looking over at him and stuffing a broken mirror into a sack.

"Urgh, look at this." said Alice suddenly, causing the three of them to look at her direction. She sat on the ground with Ginny and Hermione, shuffling through more Black heirlooms. She held up a thick chained necklace with a large, oval-shaped locket at the end. It, like everything else, was filthy with hardened grey dust and grime.

"You want a necklace?" asked Alice, handing Harry the locket. "I can't open it anyway." The locket was very heavy and cold to the touch. Harry tried prying it open, but it's opening didn't budge.

"Rose, you got longer nails than mine, please open it." said Harry, handing her the locket. She grabbed it and tried opening it as well. Like Harry, it was frozen shut.

"Here, let me do it." said Fred, grabbing the locket from her hands and twirling it around. "I'll just hit against the wall _and_-"

"Oh c'mon," said Rose, grabbing the locket mid-swing and yanking the locket back. "None of us can open, let's just chuck it."

"Aw, but look!" said Fred, pointing to it, tracing a finger on the face of the locket. "It's got a 'S' on it, we can make it our heirloom!"

"A heirloom we can't even open? Why would we even need it for?" asked Rose.

Fred shrugged. "Dunno. I usually just go by the opposite of whatever you want."

Rose grimaced at him and yanked the locket of Fred's hand, walking over to one of the sacks. She opened it and threw the locket in lazily. "Look at that, now it's gone."

"Not if Kreacher has anything to say about it," said Ron, eyeing the sack. "I could have sworn i saw him sleeping with an old picture of Sirius's mum a few days ago..."

* * *

><p>"For goodness sake, someone please control your children!" demanded Mrs Weasley shrilly, her red hair crackling as she tried to clean up after dinner.<p>

Sirius waved his hand at her, _ssh_-ing her. "Wait, wait, this'll be a good one!"

He gave Rose a nod of the head, which she returned. She positioned herself at one end of the kitchen, an awful stale bun in her hands. "You ready, Freddie?"

Her brother stood at the half-way point of the kitchen, just behind where Tonks was now sitting at the table with his hands around a long candlestick, holding it like a bat. "Ready as I'll ever be."

Rose nodded and yanked her arm back and, stepping forward on her opposite foot with as much force as she could muster, snapped her arm forward, making the stale bun a flash of pale brown as it shot through the air towards him. When it got within his range, Fred tightened his grip on the candlestick and whacked the bun all the way to the other side of the kitchen. Ginny, who was going to get hit face-first by the bun, was spared as Harry's quick Seeker reflects caught it before it got with an inch of her freckled nose.

"Ha!" said Sirius happily, clapping his hands together. "Look at the arm on Red! And Elvendork! He's got the making of being a great Beater!"

"Damn right I do," said Fred smugly, twirling the candlestick in his hand until it smacked him on the side of his head. "Ow."

"What 'bout you, Red? Ever thought of being a Chaser?" asked Sirius as Rose made her way back to the table.

She looked a bit puzzled. "Not really..."

"Well, if you _ever_ do, you've got our support." said Sirius.

"Please, what about Acid-Green being a Beater? Gryffindor-Fred verus Slytherin-Fred; the battle on the Quidditch Pitch!" said Fred Weasley sitting next to his twin at the table.

"Is that a challenge?" asked Fred, holding out his candlestick like a sword.

"Maybe it is!" said Fred Weasley, grabbing one of the spare candles from the holder on the table and imitating his name-twin's pose.

"Well, count this as my acceptance!"

The two of them went into a dueling pose with their candlesticks when both of their fathers promptly walked past both of them and slipped the candles out of their hands quickly and placing them back into their holders before taking their own seats at the table, not acknowledging their son's half-shocked, half-amused faces and acting as if they didn't do anything.

"Oh come on, did you plan that?" asked Fred, his long arms at his sides.

"Father's inistincts, we can't control it." said Severus simply.

"Which reminds," said Mr Weasley. "Harry, would you mind coming over here, please?"

Harry glanced over at Ginny, who shrugged at him before Harry walked over to the table. "What's up?"

Mr Weasley adjusted his lopsided glasses on the bridge of his nose and said slowly, "Well, as i'm sure you know, your hearing is tomorrow..."

Harry gulped sonorously. By that point he had only gotten there merely a week or so before, but given the whole cleaning and trying to get any information besides what Sirius told them, he had completely forgotten.

"Now," continued Mr Weasley, putting a much more gentler tone in his voice, noticed Harry's anxious face. "I'll be bringing you along with me tomorrow, don't want you getting lose to your hearing, after all!"

Harry didn't laugh at the ill-placed joke and Mr Weasley pressed on, "Anyway, we'll make sure to find Damien when we get there, as he got us the hearing date in the first place-"

"Wait," interjected Harry, glancing over at Sam's father, who was near the Weasley Twins. "_You_ got me my hearing? I thought Dumbledore-"

"Well," said Mr Balavan, cutting off Harry and shrugging. "I work in the higher position of the Improper Use of Magic Office, so i may or may nor have - _ah_ - convinced some of the others to hear you out. Of course, having Dumbledore backing me up definitely makes all the difference."

Fred gave a short clap before Mr Balavan shot him a questioning look from the corner of his eyes and he stopped abruptly.

"But Harry," said Mr Weasley earnestly, giving him a fatherly look. "I just want you to know that they have no case against you, it'd be foolish for them to expel you with what little they actually know or bother to look at in this situation."

"Or look at this way," said Sirius. "If you _do_ get expelled, you can live here with me!"

Harry didn't know whether to be happy or extremely worried by that plan.

* * *

><p>"Do you really wanna see my 'natural' look?" asked Sam, sitting on one of the chairs at the middle of the kitchen table, crossed-legged.<p>

"Why not?" Fred asked, sitting right next to her. "You're not like a man-eating lizard, right?"

Sam giggled. "Of course i'm not! Fine, hold on-"

She shut her eyes and furrowed her blue brows, which slowly turned a dark auburn colour, just like her hair was. She opened her eyes a few moments later, which were a dark green colour, her hair now below her ears and looking very curly. "How do i look?" she said uncertainly.

"Oh my _god_," said Fred, taking a few moments to soak in her 'natural' look. "You're _gorgeous_."

Sam giggled as Fred put his hands on either side of her face and pushed their faces together, kissing lightly between them laughing. Rose eyed them from across the wooden surface, her face against the palm of her propped up arm, looking a bit red in the face and tapping her fingers on the table in annoyance. Admittedly, waiting for Harry to come back from his hearing was more boring than she anticipated. She had a half a mind to yell at Fred for snogging one of her best friends in front of her for what seemed like the fifth hundred time when the kitchen door started to click open.

"He got off!" shouted Mr Weasley happily as the door flew open and Mr Balavan pushed a beaming Harry through the threshold.

"Oh thank god." said Mrs Weasley breathlessly as the others spirited forward and crowded around Harry, giving him congratulations and relieved sighs.

Rose and Hermione garbbed him into tight hugs before Ron pried them off him. "Let him breath, jeez."

The Weasley Twins and Ginny chanted a sort of tribal song of "He got off" as Sirius went over to Harry to give him his own congrats, though he looked a bit sad about it, but not all that much.

"I told you they wouldn't get him," whispered Lily to Severus, who were at the other end of the kitchen with mrs Weasley, watching the others.

"C'mon everyone," said Fred happily as he and Ron put their arms around Harry's shoulders. "Let's celebrate! Someone get the Firewhiskey!"

"You're not getting drunk anytime soon, young man." said Severus dangerously.

"Dad, you're ruining the mood!" said Fred, his mood not dampened in the slightest.

* * *

><p>"So, how'd you do it?" asked Ron, his head propped up against his bed's pillows. After the night's many congrats to Harry getting off, they all seemed a bit restless. The boys were wide awake much past their appointed bedtime and they all sat up in their beds, looking attentively at Harry.<p>

"What do you mean?" asked Harry. The only light of the room came from the grimy window letting in moonlight and a few lit candles.

"You know," said Ron slowly. "How'd you get off?"

"Ah," said Harry understandingly. "Well, it was a bit nerve-wracking getting there, and by the time we got to the lifts to go down to where the hearing was, some bloke went up to your dad," Harry looked at Ron. "and said they changed the hearing's time, so i was technically late by the time i got there."

"Those gits!" snapped Fred. "They did that on purpose!"

"Of course they did," said Harry bitterly. "Anyway, Fudge was the head Judge and he had the whole Wizengamot there,"

"For a hearing on underage magic?" asked Ron. "Isn't that a _bit_ extreme?"

"I bet they just wanted it to look more 'official' if they got him," said Fred. He looked at Harry. "Go on."

"Yeah, and they were barely through reading off my 'crimes' when Dumbledore came around-" said Harry.

"Dumbledore?" piped up Julian, his eyes glistening in the candlelight. "Wow..."

"What'd he do?" asked Ron.

"He gave me some moral support and got my old babysitter, Ms Newton, to be witness for me," said Harry. "'cause she saw most of the attack happen anyway Dumbledore told her to keep a close eye on me."

"Is she a witch?" asked Fred.

Harry shook his head. "She's Squib, but she described the dementor attacks pretty spot on so..."

"Wait," said Ron, looking confused. "Squibs can't see dementors, can they?"

Harry shrugged. "Dunno, but it helped my case a lot. Dumbledore started giving me more proof of my innocence when some frog lady started calling him out because dementors _never_ go out of Ministry control-"

"Frog lady?" asked Ron. "What do you mean?"

"I mean she looked just like a frog," explained Harry bluntly. "Plus, i could see her nasty pink jumper from under her robes, i reckon she thinks she's still a twelve-year old at heart."

"Sounds lovely." said Fred sarcastically.

"You can say that again," said Harry. "But Dumbledore being there helped a lot, and there were these two Heads of the Law Enforcement office, a woman and man, who were completely on my side. I reckon all the ones who voted for my innocence were influenced mostly by those two."

"Well bully then!" said Ron happily, grinning. "Now all we have to sweat over it whether we pass or fail or O.W.L. exams this year!"

"Oh Harry," said Fred, jumping off his bed and looking under his bed. "How ugly was this frog lady's jumper?"

"Really ugly," said Harry with a laugh. "Looked like she shredded a wooly pink sheep and was wearing it."

"Well look at this one," said Fred, appearing again with a fuzzy pink cardigan in his hands.

"Oh my god," laughed Ron as Fred wiped the dust off it and sat back on his bed. "Where'd you get that from?"

"Good ol' Grandmum Violet made this lovely thing for Alice," said Fred. "Of course, she's more of the painting type than knitting, but Alice keeps trying to hide it. She must have put this under there when we first got, thinking Kreacher might want it or something. Look at this-"

Fred clipped the cardigan open and put it on. Harry and Ron bursted into laughter at how ridiculous the tiny pink cardigan looked on him. The sleeves barely went to his elbows.

_"Oh Mister Pott-ah,"_ said Fred in an exaggerated tone. _"You make us look the fool all day and night! To Azkaban to you for existing!"_

"No, no," said Harry, stifling his laughter. "You gotta add this stupid cough she has."

"Like what?" asked Fred.

"Hold on," said Harry, adjusting himself. He blanked his face of emotion and went _"hem, hem"_ in an extremely girly tone, making them laugh even harder.

"If you insist," said Fred. He cleared his throat and went _'hem, hem"_ and they laughed again, it sounding even more ridiculous coming from him.

Fred strutted around the room, waving his hands around foolishly and sounding almost exactly like how the frog lady sounding to Harry.

_"I can't get a date and i like to imprison children! Would you like an ugly sweater with that?"_ said Fred in a sugary tone. He broke his fake accent and said, "You know, i think i can work this look!" He popped the cardigan out and went into a silly pose, his hand on his hip and the other in his hair, acting as if he was a model. "Someone take a picture!"

Harry and Ron bent over in laughter, hitting their fists against the bed. Julian giggled as Fred went on. Someone walked next to their bedroom door and yelled, "GET TO SLEEP _NOW_!"

"Don't act like frog lady!" yelled Fred as Harry and Ron laughed even louder.

* * *

><p>"You know, these really bring the colour out of your eyes, Harry."<p>

Harry adjusted the green-lined Slytherin robe of Fred's they 'borrowed', looking down at his chest. "You think so?"

"Oh yeah," said Ron, adjusting his own 'borrowed' robes. "If Slytherin was full of snobby toerags, i reckon we could _totally_ work these."

"_Hey_," said Fred, lying on his on his back, reading a magazine. "We're not all that bad."

"We'll take your word for it," said Ron. He walked over and cocked his head to the side, reading the title on the magazine Fred was reading. "'_Nargles: Out to ruin your baked goods?_' What the hell are you reading, Elvendork?"

"_The Quibbler,_ duh." said Fred simply. Ron looked over at Harry, as if he'd have any idea what that was. Harry just looked bemused. "Never heard of it." said Ron, looking back at the magazine's cover.

"Of course you wouldn't, this is a purely non-_Prophet-like_ articles." said Fred, flipping over onto his stomach. He flipped the pages until he reached the table of contents, reading them off. "'_Page Four: Toadstools; Natural herb or wizard-made explosives?'; Page Sixteen: Floo Powder; Fantasic Dandruff remover?'_; Oh this one's my favourite, _'Page Thirty-Seven 'Dragons: Dangerous or SERIOUSLY misunderstood flying lizards?'_"

Ron stiffened a laugh. "Uh, no offence, but how much of that is actually - er - _true_?"

Fred shruggung his shoudlers. "No idea, but Luna is pretty convinced most of these things are true so..."

"Luna?" asked Harry.

"Lovegood," added Fred. "Her dad runs it. She's a friend of mine."

"In your year?" asked Ron.

"Yep, in Ravenclaw too." said Fred. He flipped the magazine onto his pillow. "I'll introduce you to her when the time comes."

"You mean in a week?" asked Harry. There was only a few days left before September rolled around. Of course, none of them had gotten their Hogwarts letters yet, which was strange.

"She doesn't actually think most of the stuff in there is true, does she? She just says it to be nice to her dad, _right_?" asked Ron, his brows furrowed.

Fred didn't answer.

* * *

><p>There was knock and Sam opened the door to the girls' room, carrying an thick stack of folded parchment on her hands. "The letters finally arrived!"<p>

"Oh thank _god_," said Hermione, looking worried. She was handed her letter, which was much heavy than she expected, as Sam gave out the other ones.

"Two for Alice," said Sam, handing Alice the two addressed to her. She turned to Rose. "And three for you..."

"Oh, Rose has a few admirers." giggled Ginny as Sam walked over and handed over her own letter.

"Very funny," said Rose, ripping open the first one, which was from Ina. She unfolded the golden-tinged parchment and started reading.

'Rose? How have you and the others been? Well, i hope, it's been awfully dull here unless Evan comes around, and even then my parents seem to just drag him around so i can hardly have any alone time with him, but i'll tell you about that later.'

'Have you gotten your Hogwarts letter this year yet? Because i just have and, can you guess it, i was made Prefect! Mother and father were so pleased about it, even if it's technically a Slytherin badge instead of a Ravenclaw one. I would have thought you'd have gotten it, seeing as you've got two professors for parents, but...'

Rose skimmed through the rest of it. So Ina was a prefect now, eh? Well, good for her, she deserves it, Rose wouldn't even use the position properly anyway, would she? She'd let everyone off easily and Ina would actually enforce the rules, unlike Rose, it's not like she wouldn't like it instead of Ina, of course but she was happy for her, she always is...

"Oh my god!" said Hermione shrilly, snapping Rose of thought. Hermione had a shining golden badge in her hands, a large 'P' on the front of a lion.

"You got Prefect?" asked Ginny, walking over and examining the badge. "No way!"

Alice moved closer to Rose. "Did you get one too?"

Rose sniffed and shook her head. "Oh," said Alice slowly. "Sorry..."

"Who sent you a letter?" asked Rose, trying to change the subject and pointing to the red-tinged parchement in Alice's hands. She blushed and said, "Oh, it's from Matthew..."

"Oh my, i have to go see-, Harry might have gotten it too," said Hermione urgently. She ran towards the door and flung it open, jumping out to the hall and running down the length of it saying "_HARRY_!"

The other letter to Rose was from Zachary. She didn't even have to read it all to know that he got the Prefect badge too.

At least his parents will happy about that one.


	48. Lovegood

**AN: RANDOM TIME LEAP AHOY. (Did i just say 'ahoy'?)**

* * *

><p>September 1st on the Hogwarts Platform was as mundane as any other day, however, it was more grey than they remembered from the past. Harry absentmindly scratched Sirius, or as he was called in his Animagus form, <em>Snuffles<em> behind the ear when someone said, "Cool dog, Harry!"

Harry turned to look over his shoulder and saw Matthew walking over, the ever-tall, now-sixth year Gryffindor. "Good summer?"

Matthew shrugged. "As good as it can be. When did you get the dog?"

"Oh, a long time ago," said Harry. Sirius wagged his tail as Matthew bent down and scratched his neck. "Where's Ron and Hermione?"

"Oh," said Harry, frowning slughtly. "They got Prefect duties so..."

"R- i mean - _they_ did?" asked Matthew, straightening himself out. "I would have thought you'd-"

"Well," said Harry, cutting him off suddenly. "_I_ have more important things to focus on this year than whether i have a special badge or not."

"Oh right," said Matthew knowingly. "It's your O.W.L. year, isn't it? Well, i give you all the luck in the world, they can be a serious killer,"

Harrys' eyes widened slightly, looking perplexed. "You're just saying that..."

"No, i'm not," said Matthew grimly. "I wouldn't take it lightly,"

"Now if you'll excuse me," said Matthew, looking around. "I have to go find Alice, have you seen her?"

"She went on the train last time i saw her," said Harry, pointing to the bright red train.

"Thanks, mate." said Matthew, patting him on the shoulder before dashing off.

* * *

><p>"-and i tell him, you can imagine, 'Well, i <em>may<em> have freckles, but at least i can actually levitate a feather!'. That's when he got all nippy at me and i just hexed the hell out of him." said Ginny nonchalantly, her back against the small sliver of wall separating two compartments. Alice went to speak when a set of defined arms wrapped around her shoulders. "How's my favourite Slytherin doing?"

"Oh just fine," said Alice, looking up and seeing Matthew's auburn waves. He placed his chin on her head and sighed. Ginny giggled until Fred came down the length of the train to where they stood, his hand around Harry's wrist and dragging him along, Sam and Neville, with an odd, cactus-looking plant in his hands, was trailing behind them.

"Move it, we're looking for Luna," said Fred, pushing his way through. "Damn, we need a bigger train-"

"You're looking for Luna?" asked Ginny. "Hell, i go with you-"

She moved out of the way and Fred looked over at Matthew, his chin on Alice's head. A thoughtful look went onto Fred's face. "You know what? I just thought up a new nickname for you two."

"And what might that be, Frederick?" asked Alice, her face going a pale pink shade.

Fred grinned. "Strawberry Shortcake."

He pointed to Matthew. "There's the Strawberry, _and_," he pointed to Alice. "_You're_ the Shortcake!"

"Oh _wow_," said Alice sarcastically as the others giggled. "How long did it take you to make that one up? Two hours?"

"Right off the top of my head, actually." winked Fred. "You comin' with?"

"Nah, i have to make sure she hasn't been skimping her Transfiguration practices." said Matthew, loosing one of his arms and pointing to Alice.

"Ah," said Fred understandingly. "Well, try not to take too long, I imagine Luna's got a whole new crazy creature to tell us about now. We'll see you in a bit then."

They departed, and as soon as they were far enough, Matthew loosened his other arm from Alice's shoulders. She grinned up at him and wrapped her fingers around his own. "Any spare compartments?"

"Follow me, m'lady." said Matthew, bringing her along. He led them to an empty compartment, where Matthew's school bag laid in.

"Did you have a good summer?" asked Alice, sitting down as Matthew pulled the curtains on the compartment doors' half-way down.

"As good as i could without havin' you visit," said Matthew, taking the seat next to her. "Mum and dad are _dying_ to meet you, i've told them all about you. Hell, even my brother is interesting in meeting you, for the most part, but they just reckon we're just _really_ close friends,"

"Besides," added Matthew. "I'm still repeating my O.W.L. marks in my head, it's a bit distracting..."

"Right," said Alice. "What did you get anyway? You never wrote them in the letters."

"Take a look," said Matthew, pulling his schoolbag open and slipping out a piece of parchment and handing it to her. "I could have done a whole lot better on the Ancient Runes _but_..."

Alice read down the list, her dark eyes darting back and forth to double-check what she was reading. "Oh come on, _ten_ O.W.L.s? You did great! What are you talking about?"

"Are you _kidding_?" asked Matthew, a slight laugh in his voice. "I got a horrible grade for Potions!"

"An 'Exceeds Expectations is passing, Matt." giggled Alice, handing him back the parchment. "I mean really, you never gives yourself enough credit for how smart you actually are! And an 'O' in History of Magic? Who else gets that unless it's Hermione?"

"Thanks a lot," Matthew said weakly.

"Well, i just _barely_ passed on Potion," said Matthew mournfully.

"Whatever you say, mister dramatic," Alice smiled.

Matthew gave a half-smile. "How am i supposed to suck up to your dad now if i can't be in his N.E.W.T class? He only takes "O's" and up."

Alice frowned slightly. "He _likes_ you, whether he wants to admit it or not. You're not like all the annoying prats that come out of Gryffindor. And what if you're not in his Advanced class? He doesn't even know we're dating!"

"I guess you're right," said Matthew. He thought for a moment. "Speaking of which, when are we ever going to bother to tell anyone we're an item? It gets quite frustrating not being able to walk down the hall and not hold your hand, or snog when we please."

"Because we want everyone watching us when we go at it?" asked Alice, cocking an eyebrow at him.

Matthew chuckled. "You knows that's not what i meant..."

Alice sighed, a few of her curls bouncing as she inhaled. "We'll tell them eventually..."

"I know, but what if Haskell starts harassing you again?" asked Matthew, looking a mixture of worried for her, and angry at Haskell. "He never seems to get the hint no matter how hard anyone tries..."

"Well, if he tries to pull anything, i'll just hex him into next year," said Alice simply. "Maybe then he'll - ah - '_get the hint_'."

"I love it when you're snarky." said Matthew dreamily.

"Oh _stop_." said Alice, batting her eyelashes jokingly. Matthew laughed and put his face close to hers. She out a finger out in front of his face, stopping him, until she pulled a random book out of his bag and opened it. "Okay, now you can go."

Alice giggled as Matthew, his and Alice's faces concealed from anyone passing by their compartment by the book, kissed tenderly.

Maybe they _should_ just tell everyone that they're together, sneaking off just to kiss was going to eventually get really silly.

Then again, so is having "Strawberry Shortcake" for a nickname.

Matthew pulled away after a few minutes of kissing, looking a bit worried. "You don't reckon Fred is on to us, do you?"

"Of course not," said Alice. "He's more focused on Sam then anything else at the moment, actually."

* * *

><p>Draco pounded on the door of a compartment of a few first years with his fist, scaring them. "Look alive! We only want the <em>best<em> in Slytherin!"

"Will you _stop_ it?" snapped Ina. She opened the door slightly and said, "Don't mind him, his mummy forgot to pack his favourite blankie into his trunk this morning."

The first years giggled as she closed the door with a snap. Draco narrowed his cold, grey eyes at her. "How did you get Prefect again?"

"Because i follow the rules?" said Ina, her own eyes narrowed at him, her silver badge glittering on her chest. "How'd _you_ get Prefect then, _Malfoy_? Definitely not on your charms, i can tell you that."

"You think so?" asked Draco scratchily. "Because i'd think little Miss Rosie Snape was going to get the badge, not _you."_

Ina gave him a twisted grin. "Why do you want Rose to be prefect so bad for, huh? You'd rather have some alone time with _her_ instead? Why is that? Do you _fancy_ her?"

Draco's pointed face blushed pink. "As if i'd like a filthy half-blood like _her_!"

Ina insiticively went for her wand, drawing it out and pointing it at Draco's dumb face. She was ready to give him a set of walrus tusks when someone pushed her arm down.

"Wow, wow, don't waste your energy on him, love," said Evan soothingly, his hand pushing Ina's wand arm down. He looked at Draco. "Though to be honest with you, Malfoy, you are a pretty annoying, rat-faced git so..."

"Shut it, honey-head." snapped Draco.

"Oh, you noticed my new hair routine? Thank you!" said Evan, patting up his curly blond hair. "The honey extract really adds shine, doesn't it?"

Draco sneered at them. "Is Wright going to stay with you?" Evan grinned cheekily "Damn right i am." "Fine, i'm cutting our patrolling session short for now." said Draco, his eyes narrowed at the pair of them.

"Fantastic." said Ina in a drone.

Draco turned on his heel to leave but looked over his shoulder at her. "Also, Zelena, try not to poke anyone's eye out, your nose is a bit _sharp_."

"What was that, Malfoy?" asked Evan, putting his hand behind his ear. "You want me to hex you until your great-grandfather can feel it? Don't mind if i do!"

Draco sprinted out of the area when Evan jokingly took his wand out and pointed it at him. When his platinum blond head was put of view, Evan pocketed his wand and put his arm around Ina's shoulders, shaking his head. "I wish we were in the same house, maybe then you wouldn't have to put with that ponce."

"I've put up with him for four years already, i think i'll last another few." said Ina, putting her head on Evan's shoulders. "Plus, i've never even been into the Hufflepuff common room before, I'd have no idea where to go..."

"Oh, well," explained Evan happily. "It looks all earthy, like the Shire or something out of Middle Earth, i'll bring you down there later."

"But i can't! Only people of that house can go into those common rooms!" said Ina.

"Hello? _You're_ a prefect," said Evan, pecking her on the cheek. "You not only have authority, you also have the excuse to do whatever you want!"

"Evan, that's not how it works." said Ina.

"Well, prefect or not, you can still kick Malfoy or anyone else's ass here if you wanted to." said Evan, nodding. Ina giggled as they pressed down the length of the train.

"Now ," said Evan solemnly. "Where in the seven hells is my brother?"

* * *

><p>Fred dragged them along the length of the train, Ginny now a new member on their voyage.<p>

"You know," said Fred as they reached the end of the train. "It might just be me, but do Matt and Alice seem a bit fonder of each other than I remember?"

"Come off it," said Harry, his wrist still being cletchened by Fred's hand. "You think they might be going at it?"

"I don't know!" said Fred dignifiedly. "Maybe?"

"No way, your dad would curse him a new one before he and Alice ever got together," said Ginny. They reached the end of the train, where there was only one last compartment where a girl sat alone, and Ginny said, "There she is."

Fred extended his arm and pulled open the door, putting his head in slightly and asking, "Oi, Luna, can we sit here with you?"

No verbal reply came and Fred pulled Harry inside the compartment, the others following just behind.

Harry sat down on the seat across from a girl holding her magazine upside-down. He tilled his head slightly and read that it was actually a more recent issue of that magazine Fred was reading at Grimmauld Place. Then suddenly, the magazine lowered and Harry tried his best not to look startled.

The first thing that struck Harry about the girl was her huge eyes. They were silvery grey, almost like crystal orbs, with wispy, pale eyebrows above them that looked almost nonexistent, giving her a permanently surprised look. Her dirty blond hair reached her waist and she kept some of it from her face by keeping back by her wand, which was resting right behind her left ear for safe-keeping. If that wasn't strange enough, she has radishes for earrings and what looked like butterbeer corks for a necklace.

"May I Introduce you to Luna Lovegood," said Fred, he and Sam taking the seats next to her and waving his hand at her. "Ravenclaw and Nature enthusiast, as you can tell by her earrings."

Ginny, who was sitting besides Neville, put her hand over her mouth to conceal her giggles from their bemused faces. They caught themslves for staring at the odd girl and looked a bit guilty for it afterwards.

"Good summer, Luna? asked Ginny.

"Yes," said Luna in a dreamy tone,

"You're Harry Potter," said Luna in a dreamy tone, causing Harry to look at her again, her pale eyes looking at him.

"I know i am." said Harry, his face feeling a bit hot. She kept staring at him. She turned from him finally and looked at Neville. "I don't know who you are."

"I'm nobody." said Neville in a small voice.

"Nonsense, said Ginny, waving him off. "Luna, this is Neville Longbottom, he's in Gryffindor with Harry and I."

Sam looked around Fred and said, "Luna, if i may, where did you get those earrings from?"

"I made them." said Luna, her voice just as dreamy as ever, her radish earrings bright red when the dull sunlight hit it just right .

"I would love a pair, if you make me some, i mean." said Sam sweetly. Luna just smiled at her slightly. Maybe that meant 'okay, sure' as Sam didn't press on.

Luna raised her upside-down magazine high enough to hide her face and fell silent. Harry and Neville looked at each other with their eyebrows raised. Ginny suppressed another giggle.

The train rattled onward, speeding them out into open country. Fred and Sam spoke about whatever they planned to do that year as Harry looked around in silence. The weather was odd, it was sunny one minute, cloudy and grey the next.

"Guess what I got for my birthday?" said Neville.

"Another Remembrall?" said Harry absentmindedly.

"No," said Neville, "I could do with one, though, I lost the old one ages ago."

He held up the plant in his hands and said proudly, "_Mimbulus mimbletonia_. It's really, _really_ rare," said Neville, beaming with pride for the stunted-plant. "I don't know if there's one in the greenhouse at Hogwarts, even. I can't wait to show it to Professor Sprout. My great-uncle Algie got it for me in Assyria. I'm going to see if I can breed from it."

"Does it — er — do anything?" Harry asked a bit awkwardly.

"Loads of stuff!" said Neville proudly. "It's got an amazing defensive mechanism — Wait, hold Trevor for me..."

Neville reached into his robe pocket and pulled out his slippery frog and dumped him into Harry's lap and took a quill from his  
>schoolbag.<p>

Luna's popping eyes appeared over the top of her upside-down magazine again, watching what Neville was doing. Fred and Sam weren't even paying attention, as they were now snogging, the backside of Fred's head pointing towards them.

Neville held the _Mimbulus mimbletonia_ up to his eyes, his tongue between his teeth, chose his spot, and gave the plant a sharp prod with the tip of his quill.

A thick, dark green and stinking liquid squirted from every boil on the plant in jets. It hit the ceiling, the windows, spattered Luna's magazine, and hit the backside of Fred's head. Ginny, who had flung her arms up in front of her face just in time, merely looked as though she was wearing a slimy green hat, but Harry, whose hands had been busy preventing the escape of Trevor, received a face full. It smelled like rancid manure.

There was a sort of sucking noise and Fred turning around and looked at them, his hand going to the back of his head and pulling back to show it was covered in the green goo. "Please tell this stuff would burn my hair off."

Neville, whose face and torso were also drenched, shook his head, wiping some of the worst of it from his eyes. "I d-don't think so, S-sorry," he gasped. "I haven't tried that before...Didn't realise it would be quite so... Don't worry, though, Stinksap's not poisonous," he added nervously, as Harry spat a mouthful onto the floor.

"Nice one." Fred giggled as he wiped some off of Sam's knees.

At that precise moment the door of their compartment slid open. "Oh - hello, Harry," said a nervous voice. "Um, is this a bad time?"

Harry wiped the lenses of his glasses with his Trevor-free hand. A very pretty girl with long, shiny black hair was standing in the doorway  
>smiling at him. Of course, anyone would know that was Cho Chang.<p>

"Oh... hi." said Harry blankly. Luckily (or maybe not so) he was covered in goo, his face must had been beet red at that moment.

"Um..." said Cho. "Well... just thought I'd say hello...'bye then."

She closed the door again, rather pink in the face, and departed.

Harry slumped back in his seat and groaned.

"Never mind that, Harry." said Fred bracingly, pulling out his wand from his pocket. "Hold on. _Scourgify_!"

The Stinksap vanished. Sam kissed him on the cheek as a thank you, making him scrunch up his nose and kiss her properly in return.

"Sorry," said Neville again, in a small voice.

* * *

><p>Rose, who had left her things with Ina's near the front, walked up and down train, lost in her thoughts. Ina seemed, for the most part, thrilled to be a prefect, and her and Evan were going as swimmingly as ever. She could hardly get Zachary alone, as Padma Patil wouldn't let any non-prefect or higher get in the way or their duties, so she left them alone, feeling extremely bitter that she hadn't ask the Sorting hat to put her in Ravenclaw instead.<p>

She walked on, the lights being lit before she knew it. She was passing a few crowded compartments of chatting students when a voice said, "Hey Rose!" and she stopped abruptly.

Rose turned and saw Dean Thomas leaning out of his compartment, a few of his friends laughing and talking. "Can i - uh - ask you something?"

Rose, looking puzzled, walked over. "What's up?"

Dean shifted his weight on the balls on his feet, looking a bit embarrassed. "I was wondering if you'd - er - _OI_," he looked over his shoulder, his friends laughing very loudly now over something Seamus said. "Will you be quiet for a minute _please_?"

They quieted down, biting their lips and snickering quietly, as Dean turned again to look at Rose. "I was wondering if you'd like to - um - go - on a date ... with _me_."

He looked at her expectantly, waiting for the worst, when Rose said, "Alright."

"What?" asked Dean, looked amazed. "_Really_?"

"Uh, yes?" asked Rose, looking a bit confused. Is that how asking one on a date worked out?

"I mean - uh - brilliant, how does the first Hogsmeade trip sound?" asked Dean, smiling.

"That sounds wonderful." said Rose, grinning back at him. Dean gave her a sincere thank you and went back into his compartment, his friends cheering and clapping for him silenced by the compartment's glass and walls.

"So, you got a date then?" asked a familiar voice behind her. Rose turned and saw Zachary behind her, looking at her blankly.

"Oh ... Zach, i didn't see you there.." said Rose awkwardly, her cheeks going pink.

Zachary gave her a small smile. "You don't have to be embarrassed, it's just a date."

"I know but.."

"Never mind that, did you have a good summer?" asked Zachary, trying to change the subject quickly. Rose's eyes darted at his bronze prefect badge before she looked at him in the eye. She always liked his eyes in particular, they were all different shades of blue, like the ocean if you ever just looked at it once in a while.

"G-good," said Rose, her cheeks still a little pink. "Anything new happen since our last letter?"

Zachary shrugged. "My parents are just really proud that my abilities are finally getting some recognition, i suppose."

"You don't need a badge to tell you that you're beyond brilliant, Zach." said Rose.

He blushed pink. "You think so?"

"I know so." said Rose.

Zachary blushed a deeper shade of pink when he noticed the light, or lack thereof, outside. "Oh damn, we're almost there, i still have to traffic all the first years to the docks." He looked at Rose. "You wanna help?"

"Won't Padma get mad at me?" asked Rose acidly.

"I'll give her a piece of my mind later, c;mon." said Zachary. Rose smiled and grabbed his hand. "Lead the way then, Mr Prefect."

Zachary grinned widely as they walked down the train towards the front,hand-in-hand.

* * *

><p>"All right midgets, this right here is my girlfriend Ina, that means we like to have a fine how-do-you-do's with our tongues on a semi-daily basis," said Evan, speaking to the crowd of tiny first years.<p>

"Evan!" snapped Ina, her cheeks going dark pink. "Don't tell them _that_!"

"What?" asked Evan innocently, turning to look at her. "They're going to start getting ideas sooner or later, i'm just giving them the low-down."

"Can we go to Hogwarts now?" asked someone in the back.

"SHUT IT MIDGET!" yelled Evan. "Now, where was i...?"

"Excuse me," said a stern-looking, dumpy old woman who Evan recognised as the teacher who'd take over for Care of Magical Creatures when Hagrid wasn't there, like now. "This lot has to get sorted."

"Oh right," said Evan sweetly. "Well, best of luck to you all, and if you're last name is the same as mine, you better be in Hufflepuff!" He winked at his younger brother, Jackson, who was near the back. He looked like Evan for the most part minus the massive mop of curls on his head. Jackson had dark, straight hair and eyes to match, though he still had the same nose and face as Evan.

Ina caught up with him and they departed towards the carriages, where the older students were to travel up to the school by. Ina saw Ron's bright red hair and they walked quickly over to them.

"...Harry," said Ron, sounding a bit nervous. "What are you talking about?"

"Hello?" said Harry, looking even more worried than Ron sounded. "Don't you see what's pulling the carriages?"

"Harry, nothing pulls the carriages, you know that." said Hermione, holding Crookshanks tightly to her.

Harry shuddered slightly as a dreamy voice said, "It's all right, you're not going mad or anything. I can see them too."

Harry turned on the spot and saw Luna standing there, looking at him with her silvery eyes. "Don't worry, you're just as sane as i am."

For some odd reason, that didn't make Harry feel better at all.


	49. Umbridge

"Okay" said Fred as they sat down at the Slytherin table, the starry ceiling of the Great Hall looking gloomier than usual. "How much do you wanna bet that the new Defence teacher is totally evil this time around?"

"Oh come," said Ina, brushing her hair back. "They weren't _all_ that bad..."

"Except for the fact that one had You-Know-Who on the back of his head, the other was a fruad, and the other wasn't even who he was." said Fred quickly.

"Oh, right." said Ina.

"Lupin was still the best one," said Sam. "He actually knew what he was doing and he wasn't out to kill Harry."

"Minus the whole 'being-a-werewolf' factor." said Fred.

"Well, which one is it then?" asked Alice, looking at the staff table near the front. "I don't think dad got it this time around-"

"_Again_." added Rose.

Sam and Ina looked confused. "What do you mean?" asked Ina.

"Our dad has been was the Defence post since before me or Alice were born," explained Fred, his cheek against his propped up arm. "But he just gets stuck with the Potions slot year after year, not like he isn't _completely_ brilliant at it, mind you."

"Mum says he buttered Dumbledore up because he just _happened_ to have me sitting in his lap at the time he was getting the job in the first place and my little baby face just reminded him that he had a family to feed so.." said Rose, grinning despite herself.

"Yes, your adorable baby face persuaded dad into his post, thank you for that one." said Fred. Rose stuck her tongue out at him and he did the same back.

"Who's that?" Alice said suddenly, pointing toward front.

They followed her finger. By instinct, their eyes lingered first upon Professor Dumbledore, sitting in his high-backed golden chair at the center of the long  
>staff table, wearing deep-purple robes scattered with silvery stars and a matching hat. Dumbledore's head was inclined toward the woman sitting next to him, who was talking into his ear. She was squat, with short, curly, mouse-brown hair in which she had placed a horrible pink Alice band that matched the fluffy pink cardigan she wore over her robes. She turned her face slightly to take a sip from her goblet, showing her pallid, toad-like face and a pair of prominent, pouchy eyes.<p>

"Bloody _hell_, it's Frog lady!" said Fred loudly, his eyes wide.

"I doubt that's her name, Frederick." said Alice, frowning at him.

"You know that's not what i mean. But there's no way that's not her, Harry told me about some lady at his trial. Looked like a frog and wore an awful pink cardigan! _That's_ her! I know it is!" said Fred, his face still perplexed.

"Wait," said Ina, her dark brows furrowed. "She was at _his_ trial? Wouldn't that mean she was working for Fudge?"

"I wouldn't doubt it." said Rose. The woman had an odd, overly-authoritative air about her.

"Too bad working at the Ministry doesn't approve her fashion sense." said Sam, smirking slightly.

Ina narrowed her eyes and scanned the staff table, muttering to herself.

"Ina, what are you-" asked Rose, but she was cut off as her attention had just been caught by the large doors from the entrance hall opened. A long line of scared-looking first years entered, led by Professor McGonagall, who was carrying a stool on which sat an ancient wizard's hat, heavily patched and darned with a wide rip near the frayed brim.

The buzz of talk in the Great Hall faded away. The first years lined up in front of the staff table facing the rest of the students, and Professor McGonagall placed the stool carefully in front of them, then stood back.

The rip near the hat's brim opened wide like a mouth and the Sorting Hat burst into  
>song, much like it did at their own Sortings:<p>

_In times of old when I was new,_  
><em>And Hogwarts barely started<em>  
><em>The founders of our noble school<em>  
><em>Thought never to be parted:<em>  
><em>United by a common goal,<em>  
><em>They had the selfsame yearning,<em>  
><em>To make the world's best magic school<em>  
><em>And pass along their learning.<em>  
><em>"Together we will build and teach!"<em>  
><em>The four good friends decided<em>  
><em>And never did they dream that they<em>  
><em>Might someday be divided,<em>  
><em>For were there such friends anywhere<em>  
><em>As Slytherin and Gryffndor?<em>  
><em>Unless it was the second pair<em>  
><em>Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?<em>  
><em>So how could it have gone so wrong?<em>  
><em>How could such friendships fail?<em>  
><em>Why, I was there and so can tell<em>  
><em>The whole sad, sorry tale.<em>  
><em>Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those<em>  
><em>Whose ancestry is purest."<em>  
><em>Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose<em>  
><em>Intelligence is surest."<em>  
><em>Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those<em>  
><em>With brave deeds to their name,"<em>  
><em>Said Hufflepujf, "I'll teach the lot,<em>  
><em>And treat them just the same."<em>  
><em>These differences caused little strife<em>  
><em>When first they came to light,<em>  
><em>For each of the four founders had<em>  
><em>A House in which they might<em>  
><em>Take only those they wanted, so,<em>  
><em>For instance, Slytherin<em>  
><em>Took only pure-blood wizards<em>  
><em>Of great cunning, just like him,<em>  
><em>And only those of sharpest mind<em>  
><em>Were taught by Ravenclaw<em>  
><em>While the bravest and the boldest<em>  
><em>Went to daring Gryffindor.<em>  
><em>Good Hufflepujf she took the rest,<em>  
><em>And taught them all she knew,<em>  
><em>Thus the Houses and their founders<em>  
><em>Retained friendships firm and true.<em>  
><em>So Hogwarts worked in harmony<em>  
><em>For several happy years,<em>  
><em>But then discord crept among us<em>  
><em>Feeding on our faults and <em>  
><em>The Houses that, like pillars four,<em>  
><em>Had once held up our school,<em>  
><em>Now turned upon each other and,<em>  
><em>Divided, sought to rule.<em>  
><em>And for a while it seemed the school<em>  
><em>Must meet an early end,<em>  
><em>What with dueling and with fighting<em>  
><em>And the clash of friend on friend<em>  
><em>And at last there came a morning<em>  
><em>When old Slytherin departed<em>  
><em>And though the fighting then died out<em>  
><em>He left us quite downhearted.<em>  
><em>And never since the founders four<em>  
><em>Were whittled down to three<em>  
><em>Have the Houses been united<em>  
><em>As they once were meant to be.<em>  
><em>And now the Sorting Hat is here<em>  
><em>And you all know the score:<em>  
><em>I sort you into Houses<em>  
><em>Because that is what I'm for,<em>  
><em>But this year I'll go further,<em>  
><em>Listen closely to my song:<em>  
><em>Though condemned I am to split you<em>  
><em>Still I worry that it's wrong,<em>  
><em>Though I must fulfill my duty<em>  
><em>And must quarter every year<em>  
><em>Still I wonder whether sorting<em>  
><em>May not bring the end I fear.<em>  
><em>Oh, know the perils, read the signs,<em>  
><em>The warning history shows,<em>  
><em>For our Hogwarts is in danger<em>  
><em>From external, deadly foes<em>  
><em>And we must unite inside her<em>  
><em>Or we'll crumble from within.<em>  
><em>I have told you, I have warned you. . . .<em>  
><em>Let the Sorting now begin.<em>

The hat became motionless once more; applause broke out, though muttering and whispers broke out soon afterwards.

"Do hats usually give out warnings?" asked Sam, clapping along with everyone else.

Fred shrugged. "Dunno, but that was really weird, wasn't it-?"

Professor McGonagall, who was waiting to read out the list of first years' names, was giving the whispering students a scorching look, and they fell silent once again. With a last frowning look that swept the four House tables, Professor McGonagall lowered her eyes to her long piece of parchment  
>and called out, "Abercrombie, Euan."<p>

A terrified-looking boy stumbled forward and put the hat on his head; it was only prevented from falling right down to his shoulders by his very prominent ears. The hat considered for a moment, then the rip near the brim opened again and shouted, "_GRYFFINDOR_!"

Of course the Gryffindor table, which was at the other side of the hall, cheered loudly as Abercrombie staggered to their table and sat down, looking beyond embarrassed.

Slowly the long line of first years thinned; They clapped respectfully for any new Slytherins who joined them, and Evan, at the Hufflepuff table, actually stood up from his seat and cheered louder than his housemates as Jackson swaggered over towards him, his similar face cracked into a wide grin. Finally, the last first year was sorted and Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and stool and marched them away as Professor Dumbledore rose to his feet.

"To our newcomers," said Dumbledore in a ringing voice, his arms stretched wide with a beaming smile on his face. "Welcome! To our old hands — welcome back! There is a time for speech making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"

They laughed and, as always, went straight into devouring the warm and filling food that the long house tables were now full of. In what felt like no time at all, the students had started to finish eating and the noise level in the hall was starting to creep upward again, Dumbledore got to his feet once more. Talking ceased immediately as all turned to face the Headmaster.

"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," said Dumbledore. "First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students — and a few of our older students  
>ought to know by now too." Fred gave a snort of laughter as Dumbledore continued.<p>

"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is _not_ permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door."

"We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was a round of polite but fairly unenthusiastic applause. "So her name is Umbridge, eh?" asked Fred, not clapping at all and looking at the toad-like woman in pink with narrowed eyes.

"Frederick, please try not to her on her bad side before classes even start." said Alice, looking a bit aspirated.

Fred didn't respond and stared straight ahead.

Dumbledore continued, "Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the —"

He broke off, looking inquiringly at Professor Umbridge. As she was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when  
>nobody understood why Dumbledore had stopped talking, but then Professor Umbridge said, <em>"Hem, hem,<em>" and it became clear that she had got to her feet and was intending to make a speech.

Fred's eye twitched at her little cough. _"I knew it."_ he said under his breath. His eyes broke away from the front and went towards the Gryffindor table. He caught Harry's perplexed eye before they both snapped out of it and stared back at the front of the hall once again.

Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a moment, then he sat back down smartly and looked alertly at Professor Umbridge as though he desired nothing better than to listen to her talk. Other members of staff were not as adept at hiding their surprise. Many of the  
>students were smirking; this woman obviously did not know how things were done at Hogwarts.<p>

"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those _kind_ words of welcome."

Her voice was high-pitched, breathy, and little-girlish. Rose must give Fred credit, there was something about the woman that made her loathe her more than she probably should. Umbridge gave another little throat-clearing cough _("Hem, hem")_ and continued: "Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!"

Rose noticed Fred looking around to see whether her statement was true or not. None of the faces he could see looked happy; on the contrary, they all looked rather taken aback at being addressed as though they were five years old.

However, he was a bit surprised to see a girl who he couldn't recognise (yet she looked oddly familiar in her own way) sitting only a few spaces away from him, staring up at Umbridge with an almost obsessive air about her. Her dark eyes twinkled with adoration. Fred turned away from her and looked once again at Umbridge.

"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be _very_ good friends!"

"That's likely." said Sam and Fred at the same time. They turned towards each other with matching grins.

Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again_ ("Hem, hem"),_ but when she continued, some of the breathiness had vanished from her voice. She sounded much more businesslike and now her words had a dull learned-by-heart sound to them.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of _vital_ importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the Wizarding community must be passed down through the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."

Professor Umbridge paused here and made a little bow to her fellow staff members, none of whom bowed back. Rose couldn't help but notice the seething look her mother had on her face, actually. Umbridge gave another little _"Hem, hem"_ and went on with her speech.

"Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation..."

Fred, being completely bored now, rolled his eyes and put his head down on the table, dozing off. Sam yawned and laid her own head next to his, their hair entwining with each other in blue and black, Fred's arm slinking around her shoulders. Rose glanced around the hall and saw that a good portion of the students, like Fred and Sam, were tuning Umbridge out, talking and giggling with their neighbours. She saw that Evan and his brother were doing some sort of hand game at the Hufflepuff table, not even looking towards the front. Zachary, however, sat at the Ravenclaw table, looking extremely alert, much like Hermione was at the Gryffindor table.

Professor Umbridge did not seem to notice the restlessness of her audience. The teachers, however, were still listening very attentively, and  
>Ina looked to be drinking in every word Umbridge spoke, though they were not at all to her taste, judging by the foul expression on her face.<p>

"...because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be _prohibited_."

She sat down. Dumbledore clapped. The staff followed his lead, though Rose noticed that several of them brought their hands together only once or twice before stopping. A few students joined in, but most had been taken unawares by the end of the speech, not having listened to more than a few words of it, and before they could start applauding properly, Dumbledore had stood up again.

"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," he said, bowing to her. "Now — as I was saying, Quidditch  
>tryouts will be held..."<p>

"Very illuminating," said Ina in a low voice, looking redder than usual.

"Hmm?" mumbled Fred, he and Sam both lifting their heads up to look at her sleepily. Fred looked around with a dazed expression on his face. "Is it over? I want to go to bed."

"You didn't think that enjoyable, did you?" asked Alice.

"I said _illuminating_, not enjoyable," said Ina sharply. "It explained an awful lot."

"Did it?" said Sam in surprise. "Sounded like a load of waffle to me."

"Well, there was some important stuff hidden in the waffle," said Ina bitterly.

"Was there?" said Rose blankly.

"How about 'progress for progress's sake must be discouraged'? How about 'pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited'?"

"What does that even mean?" asked Fred, rubbing his eyes.

"I'll tell you what it means," said Ina ominously. "It means the Ministry's interfering at Hogwarts."

There was a great clattering and banging all around them; Dumbledore had obviously just dismissed the school, because everyone was  
>standing up ready to leave the Hall. Ina jumped up suddenly and looked towards the Gryffindor table. "I'll see you in a bit, i have to ask Hermione something..."<p>

Ina sprinted off towards the table in red as Draco called out, "Where in the world are you going, Zelena? We have to direct the first years!"

Judging by the fact that she didn't turn back, Ina's prefect duties were far from her mind at the moment.

* * *

><p>"So," asked Rose the next morning, hard rain pounding against the large hall windows. "Do your parents like Evan or what?"<p>

Ina took a large drink of her pumpkin juice and set her goblet down. "Hardly, they _love_ him."

Rose's eyes widened slightly. Rose had met Ina's parents before, and they dawned her as the no-nonsense type of people, how a silly person like Evan would please them seemed beyond her grasp of understanding. "And how is that?"

Ina huffed. "I don't know, but i believe he'd know he wouldn't get anywhere on his usual attitude, so he played the 'charm' card very heavily, got very personal about it. And my father was especially keen to know about all this muggle knowledge he knew-"

"Since when does Evan know anything about muggles?" asked Rose. Of course, Evan and Fred were quite close, if not completely best friends with each other (minus their occasional bickering, of course), and he must have picked something off of Fred but...

Ina stared at her and said in a low tone, "I didn't he say it before? He's a muggle-born."

"Since when?" asked Rose. "I thought only his dad was."

"Because both of his parents were muggle-borns, Rose, he told me so." said Ina in the same soft tone.

"Okay, but why are you whispering?" asked Rose. Her question was answered as Draco swaggered over, he and Pansy Parkinson connected at the hip.

"Ah, would you look at that, Pansy," said Draco in false sweetness, his eyes looking coldly at them. "Zelena is laying her relationship problems all out of our _dear_ Rosie, too bad that she doesn't have her own love for her to understand any of it, isn't it? I heard Potter was available, maybe you two can both be lonely and prefect-less together!"

"I swear to god, Malfoy, you say one more word and you'll seeing the underside of the Lake when i'm done with you." said a voice from behind him. Draco turned and saw Fred towering over him, an ugly look on his face. Sam, like Pansy was to Draco, was connected at the hip to Fred, looking mutinous.

"_Well_?" Fred snapped. "Are you and your little girlfriend gonna leave before i put force into this?"

Draco sneered at them, soon replacing it by a nasty little smile. "Oh, we'll leave, but let me warn you, _i_ have prefect authority, and i can tell you this now, there's going to be a _lot_ of changes at Hogwarst this year."

"You mean you'll grow a backbone and stop being a git?" asked Sam, clapping her hands together. "Oh _joyous_ day!"

Pansy went to retort and Draco shook his head, causing her to go silent once again. They gave them one last grimace before drifting away.

"I fear for the world if they ever have children." said Fred, sitting down with them.

"Urgh," said Rose with a disgusted face. "_More_ Malfoys? Don't even say that!"

"Please, at least i don't have to deal with him every class, all the more power to you," said Fred bracingly. "I would have snapped his head off by now."

"Trust me, i'm close to it." said Rose.

"Well, we can tell with Malfoy and his pathetic attempts of intimidating us," said Ina. "But you still have that Charisse girl trailing after you, don't you?"

Fred grinned despite himself. "I haven't seen her around. Maybe she finally packed up and when to Durmstrang or something!"

"You would like that wouldn't you, Frederick?"

Fred's shoulder drooped downwards, his stomach feeling like it dropped out of him, his eyes wide and he slowly turned to look over his shoulder to see the face of the person who spoke. He looked and was taken back a bit. It was Charisse, except she didn't look like herself, hence why he didn't recognise her the previous night.

Her hair was longer than they had remembered it, and it looked as if she took a razor to the ends of it, making it very choppy looking, though her now jagged bangs were still as flat against her forehead as ever. Also, the ends of her were now dirty blond, going straight up and blending into her naturally dark hair. She looked ghostly pale, it made her look undead.

"Uh, h-hey Charisse." said Fred, gulping slightly, hoping that she didn't have a butcher's knife behind her back.

"Let me guess, you got my letter?" asked Charisse, her eyes more cat-like than ever and smiling maliciously at him. "I do hope Morgana gave you the full intent of my message, Snape."

"Is there any particular reason you're over here for, Chair?" snapped Sam suddenly, the ends of her hair turning blood red with anger. "Or are you just showing off your bad dye job?"

Charisse gave Sam a look full of venom. "Very clever, Balavan. No, that was not my intention at all for being over here, actually."

"So what it is then?" said Sam, her eyes narrowed at her.

Charisse cleared her throat, sounding strangely like Umbridge, and she said, "I wanted to - ah - introduce to you to my boyfriend."

It took them a moment to properly register what she said and, despite themselves, they started giggling, making Charisse very red in the face. "What's so funny?" asked Charisse angrily.

"I'm sorry, but a _boyfriend_?" said Sam, fighting back her laughter. "I don't think a picture of Fred's face counts as a boyfriend!"

Charisse's dark eyes had an almost fiery anger behind them. 'It's not a picture of your big-nosed idiot for a boyfriend, Balavan!" She turned her head to the left and screeched loudly, "VINCENT! GET OVER HERE NOW!"

"You named the picture?" said Sam, laughing even louder. However, their laughter died down as a familiar looking, brutish and dark boy, no older than Matthew, stomped over. He was stony-faced, with blunt features and dark hair and eyes. "Yes, Charisse?" he asked. His voice was cold and emotionless, almost as if he was her servant rather than a significant other.

"I want you to meet the little prat who dumped me last year, sweetie." simpered Charisse, looking up at him with sugary adoration and waving her hand lazily at Fred.

"_'Dumped you'_?" said Fred, his eyes wide again. "We never _dated_, you loony! You're the one who pushed yourself onto me!"

Charisse did not listen and said, "This is my boyfriend, Vincent Sullivan. He's in his sixth year."

Now they knew why he looked so familiar. That was the Slytherin boy who had attended the Yule Ball with her the very year before. However, she didn't look nearly as happy as him then as she was now.

"He's a real gentleman, unlike the little toothpick you go snogging every other minute." said Charisse, glaring at Sam before looking at Vincent like he was a prized possession. He just stared blankly at all of them, almost as if he was bored.

"Come along, darling," he said in a drone. "It's too _muggle_-smelling over here."

Charisse put her arms around his bulky one and they stepped away from them, Charisse skipping along with him like an overly excited schoolgirl.

"Holy shet," said a voice. Ina smiled sightly and turned to see Evan behind her, looking a bit concerned. "She's got a screw loose, hasn't she?"

Fred gave a slight shudder. "You can say that again." said Rose.

* * *

><p>It was later after Divination that they set off towards Umbridge's class, with Ron already complaining about their new load of assignments they've already been given on the first day back.<p>

"D'you realize how much homework we've got already? Binns set us a foot-and-a-half-long essay on giant wars, Snape wants a foot on  
>the use of moonstones, and now we've got a month's dream diary from Trelawney!" said Ron as they made their way down the corridor. "Fred and George weren't wrong about O.W.L. year, were they? That Umbridge woman had better not give us any..."<p>

However, when they were near the Defence classroom, they saw Fred and Alice standing only a few feet away from it, arguing over whatever it was now.

"...I told you not to get ahead of yourself, look where it landed you!" snapped Alice, her eyes cold. "Mum is going to be so mad-!"

"What did Frederick do now?" asked Rose, getting near them.

"He got detention." said Alice simply. Fred held up a rolled up piece of pink parchment, which was magically sealed. He looked rather annoyed.

"Oh, new record!" said Harry bracingly. "First day in and he's already in trouble! What'd you do?"

"Umbridge is a right nasty piece of work," said Fred bitterly. Charisse flounced by them, her two-toned hair flying around her wicked face and she seemed happier than ever. "You were right, Harry, she's awful."

"That doesn't explain what you did though." said Rose, frowning.

"He called her out." said Alice simply. 'Lost his cool, so to speak."

"For what?" asked Hermione, watching from around Harry's shoulder.

"Oh trust me," said Fred dangerously, putting his hand on the strap of his bag. "You'll see."

They entered the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom after Fred and Alice left, Alice still yelling at him. They found Professor Umbridge already seated at the teacher's desk, wearing the fluffy pink cardigan of the night before and the black velvet bow on top of her head.

The class was quiet as it entered the room; Professor Umbridge was, as yet, an unknown quantity and nobody knew yet how strict a disciplinarian she was likely to be.

"Well, good afternoon!" she said when finally the whole class had sat down.

A few people mumbled "Good afternoon," in reply.

"Tut, tut," said Professor Umbridge. "That won't do, now, will it? I should like you, please, to reply 'Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge.' One more time, please. Good afternoon, class!"

"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge," they chanted back at her.

"There, now," said Professor Umbridge sweetly. "That wasn't too difficult, was it? Wands away and quills out, please."

Many of the class exchanged gloomy looks; the order "wands away" had never yet been followed by a lesson they had found interesting.

Professor Umbridge opened her handbag, extracted her own wand, which was an unusually short one, and tapped the blackboard sharply with it; words appeared on the board at once: _Defence Against the Dark Arts A Return to Basic Principles._

"Well now, your teaching in this subject has been rather _disrupted _and fragmented, hasn't it?" stated Professor Umbridge, turning to face the class with her hands clasped neatly in front of her. "The constant changing of teachers, many of whom do not seem to have followed any Ministry-approved curriculum, has unfortunately resulted in your being far below the standard we would expect to see in your O.W.L. year."

"You will be pleased to know, however, that these problems are now to be rectified. We will be following a carefully structured, theorycentered, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic this year. Copy down the following, please."

She rapped the blackboard again; the first message vanished and was replaced by:

Course aims:

- the principles underlying defensive magic.

- to recognize situations in which defensive magic can legally be used.

- the use of defensive magic in a context for practical use.

For a couple of minutes the room was full of the sound of scratching quills on parchment. When everyone had copied down Professor Umbridge's three course aims she said, "_Has everybody got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"_

There was a dull murmur of assent throughout the class.

"I think we'll try that again," said Professor Umbridge. "When I ask you a question, I should like you to reply 'Yes, Professor Umbridge,' or 'No, Professor Umbridge.' So, has everyone got a copy of _Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"_

"Yes, Professor Umbridge," rang through the room.

"Good," said Professor Umbridge. "I should like you to turn to page five and read chapter one, 'Basics for Beginners.' There will be no need to talk."

Professor Umbridge left the blackboard and settled herself in the chair behind the teacher's desk, observing them all with her pouchy toad's eyes. Rose turned to page five of her copy of Defensive Magical Theory and started to read.

Several silent minutes passed and she hadn't read anything more than the first few lines. It was extremely dull, she even had half a mind to just doze off like she did in History of Magic when Binns went on his long lectures. Sam next to her, absentmindedly doodling onto her her own copy, scribbling out words that she found too boring, which looked to be all of it. Ina flipped through her copy, her eyes moving quite fast and her brows furrowed more and more by the minute. Rose glanced to the table just next to her, where Hermione was, not even looking at her copy. She was staring fixedly at Professor Umbridge with her hand in the air.

Rose turned her attention towards Umbridge, who was looking just as resolutely in another direction as Hermione was at her.

After several more minutes had passed, however, more and more people, being completely tired of the chapter reading, raised their heads and were watching Hermione, looking confused.

When more than half the class were staring at Hermione rather than at their books, Professor Umbridge seemed to decide that she could ignore the situation no longer.

"Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?" she asked Hermione, as though she had only just noticed her.

"Not about the chapter, no." said Hermione scratchily.

"Well, we're reading just now," said Professor Umbridge, showing her small, pointed teeth. "If you have other queries we can deal with them at the end of class."

"I've got a query about your course aims." said Hermione.

Professor Umbridge raised her eyebrows. "And your name is — ?"

"Hermione Granger." said Hermione.

"Well, Miss Granger, I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read them through carefully-" said Professor Umbridge in a voice of determined sweetness.

"Well, I don't," said Hermione bluntly. "There's nothing written up there about using defensive spells."

There was a short silence in which many members of the class turned their heads to frown at the three course aims still written on the blackboard.

"Using defensive spells?" Professor Umbridge repeated with a little laugh. "Why, I can't imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use a defensive spell, Miss Granger. You surely aren't expecting to be attacked during class?"

"Wait, we're not going to use magic?" asked Sam loudly, her attention snapping back.

"Students raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class," said Umbridge. "Ms — ?"

"Balavan." said Sam, thrusting her hand into the air.

Professor Umbridge, smiling still more widely, turned her back on her, making Sam look rather offended. Harry, Ron, and Hermione immediately raised their hands too. Professor Umbridge's pouchy eyes lingered on Harry for a moment before she addressed Hermione.

"Yes, Miss Granger? You wanted to ask something else?"

"Yes," said Hermione. "Surely the whole point of Defence Against the Dark Arts is to practice defensive spells?"

"Are you a Ministry-trained educational expert, Miss Granger?" asked Professor Umbridge in her falsely sweet voice.

"No, but —"

"Well then, I'm afraid you are not qualified to decide what the 'whole point' of any class is. Wizards much older and cleverer than you have devised our new program of study. You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way —"

"What use is that?" said Harry loudly. "If we're going to be attacked it won't be in a —" started Harry.

"Hand, Mr. Potter!" sang Professor Umbridge, cutting him off.

Harry thrust his fist in the air. Professor Umbridge promptly turned away from him, but now several other people had their hands up too.

"And your name is?" Professor Umbridge said to Rose.

"Rose Snape."

"Ah, you must be related to that one from my previous class who caused a few problems of his own. Well, what is it, Ms Snape?" said Umbridge.

Rose, having a raging sense of pride for Fred, said, "Well, it's like Harry said, isn't it? If we're going to be attacked, it won't _be_ risk-free —"

"I repeat," said Professor Umbridge, smiling in a very irritating fashion at her. "Do you expect to be attacked during my classes?"

"No, but —"

Professor Umbridge talked over her. "I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run in this school," she said, an unconvincing smile stretching her wide mouth. "But you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed — not to mention," she gave a nasty little laugh, "extremely dangerous half-breeds."

"If you mean Professor Lupin," piped up Rose angrily, her face nearly get as red as her hair. "He was the best we ever —"

"Hand, Ms Snape! I expected much better from the children of a professor, much less two! Now, as I was saying — you have been introduced to spells that have been complex, inappropriate to your age group, and potentially lethal. You have been frightened into believing that you are likely to meet Dark attacks every other day —"

"No we haven't," Hermione said. "we just —"

"Your hand is not up, Miss Granger!"

Hermione put up her hand; Professor Umbridge turned away from her.

"It is my understanding that my predecessor not only performed illegal curses in front of you, he actually performed them on you —"

"Well, he turned out to be a maniac in disguise, didn't he?" said Rose hotly. "Mind you, we still learned _loads_ —"

"Your hand is not up, Ms Snape!" trilled Professor Umbridge. "Now, it is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be more than sufficient to get you through your examination, which, after all, is what school is all about. And your name is?" she added, staring at Ina, whose hand had just shot up.

"Ina Zelena, and isn't there a practical bit in our Defence Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.? Aren't we supposed to show that we can actually do the countercurses and things?"

"Ah," said Umbrdige in a nasty tone. "You're Soren's daughter aren't you? Well, as long as you have studied the theory hard enough, there is no reason why you should not be able to perform the spells under carefully controlled examination conditions," said Professor Umbridge dismissively.

"Without ever practicing them before?" said Ina incredulously, her brows shooting downwards. "Are you telling us that the first time we'll get to do the spells will be during our exam?"

"I repeat, as long as you have studied the theory hard enough —"

"And what good's theory going to be in the real world?" said Harry loudly, his fist in the air again.

Professor Umbridge looked up.

"This is school, Mr. Potter, not the real world," she said softly.

"So we're not supposed to be prepared for what's waiting out there?"

"There is nothing waiting out there, Mr. Potter."

"Oh yeah?" said Harry. His temper seemed to be that it reached its boiling point.

"Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves?" inquired Professor Umbridge in a horribly honeyed voice.

"Hmm, let's think..." said Harry in a mock thoughtful voice, "maybe Lord Voldemort?"

A few of them shuddered at the mention of that name. Professor Umbridge, however, did not flinch. She was staring at Harry with a grimly satisfied expression on her toad-like face.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter."

The classroom was silent and still. Everyone was staring at either Umbridge or Harry.

"Now, let me make a few things quite plain." Professor Umbridge stood up and leaned toward them, her stubby-fingered hands splayed on her desk. "You have been told that a certain Dark wizard has returned from the dead —"

"He wasn't dead," said Harry angrily, "but yeah, he's returned!"

"Mr.-Potter-you-have-already-lost-your-House-ten-points-do-notmake-matters-worse-for-yourself," said Professor Umbridge in one breath without looking at him. "As I was saying, you have been informed that a certain Dark wizard is at large once again. This is a _lie_."

"It is NOT a lie!" said Harry. "I saw him, I fought him!"

"Detention, Mr. Potter!" said Professor Umbridge triumphantly. "Tomorrow evening. Five o'clock. My office. I repeat, this is a lie. The Ministry of Magic guarantees that you are not in danger from any Dark wizard. If you are still worried, by all means come and see me outside class hours. If someone is alarming you with fibs about reborn Dark wizards, I would like to hear about it. I am here to help. I am your friend. And now, you will kindly continue your reading. Page five, _'Basics for Beginners.'_ "

Professor Umbridge sat down behind her desk again. Harry, however, stood up. Everyone was staring at him.

"Harry, no!" Hermione whispered in a warning voice, tugging at his sleeve, but Harry jerked his arm out of her reach.

"So, according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord, did he?" Harry asked, his voice shaking.

There was a collective intake of breath from the class. Rose felt a particularly painful tug on her stomach and she felt guilty for some reason. They  
>stared avidly from Harry to Professor Umbridge, who had raised her eyes and was staring at him without a trace of a fake smile on her face.<p>

"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident." she said coldly.

"It was murder," said Harry, shaking slightly. "Voldemort killed him, and you know it."

Professor Umbridge's face was quite blank. For a moment he thought she was going to scream at him. Then she said, in her softest, most sweetly girlish voice, "Come here, Mr. Potter, dear."

He kicked his chair aside, strode around Ron and Hermione and up to the teacher's desk. He could feel the rest of the class holding its breath.

Professor Umbridge pulled a small roll of pink parchment out of her handbag, exactly like the one Fred had earlier, stretched it out on the desk, dipped her quill into a bottle of ink, and started scribbling, hunched over so that Harry could not see what she was writing. Nobody spoke. After a minute or so she  
>rolled up the parchment and tapped it with her wand; it sealed itself seamlessly so that he could not open it.<p>

"Take this to Professor McGonagall, dear." said Professor Umbridge, holding out the note to him. He took it from her without saying a word and left the room, not even looking back at any of them, and slamming the classroom door shut behind him.


	50. High Inquisitor

"Okay, raise of hands here, who else wants to chuck Umbridge out a window?"

Matthew, along with his fellow sixth year Gryffindors, shot their hands straight into the air. It was a split second later that they all started laughing. It had been their first-official day into N.E.W.T level classes and they, as you can guess, were completely tired out. They now laid on their own, four-postered beds in their maroon-and-gold clad dorms.

"She's not that bad..." said Rory Fox quietly, holding a thick Potions textbook to his chest. Out of the five of them, he was the shyest, with his thin face with short, pale brown hair and eyes to match, he tried to always stay on everyone's good side.

Oi, ya' put up yer hand, that counts!" laughed Rhys Dempsey. He, like his best mate Cormac McLaggen, were both the tag-team of womanisers. Rhys was a bit bigger than Matthew but he wasn't very graceful with it. He had sandy hair and pale eyes. "What do ya' think, Patty?"

Patrick Hall was a black and strong young man. He grew up just down the street from Matthew in Edinburgh and they were as close as anyone could be, as Patrick got along with almost everyone. He chuckled and said, "He had a point, Rory, your hand did go up. Probably faster than the rest of us."

"Well, i didn't mean it!" retorted Rory, looking pale in the face.

"Ah, who cares? It's not like anyone actually _likes_ old toad-face," said Rhys. "Hell, i wasn't even listening to her speech!"

"That's because you were too busy making a move on Jane Terrell for the hundredth time." snickered Cormac, a wiry-haired and athletic youth.

"She might actually be loosening up to you, mate," said Patrick. "She didn't throw anything at you this time!"

Rhys sighed, scratching the tiny beard on his chin "I tell ya'," he said, shaking his head knowingly. "Gryffindor girls are _way_ too stubborn. We should just go to the other houses like Matty does."

Matthew, who was laying back on his pillows, felt his face burn red as the others looked at him. "What do you mean?" he asked innocently.

"Oh come _on_," said Cormac, grinning slyly at him. "You mean to tell us that you and dear little Alice aren't going at it behind our backs?"

"We're just friends." Matthew said bluntly.

"You are?" asked Patrick, looking slightly disappointed. "I would have thought after the Ball..."

"As if, her dad would have killed him before he even asked her out properly," sniggered Rhys. "Plus, that Ravenclaw kid would try to stop 'em, know what i mean?"

"No." said Rory dully. "We don't even know who that is."

"What's that kid's name? The one with the hair always in his eyes?" asked Rhys. "You know, he tried out for his Quidditch team a few years back and he flopped off his broom?

"That Haskell kid?" answered Cormac, grinning slightly. Rhys snapped his fingers at him. "That's it!

Cormac laughed "I remember that one. Not very graceful, is he?"

"Looks who's talking." said Rhys, throwing a pillow at him. Cormac punched it out of the way of his face.

"What about him?" asked Matthew.

"I dunno," said Rhys slowly, looking innocent. "But he seems a bit, uh, _infatuated_ with her, isn't he?"

"That's a big word for you, Rhys, slow down." said Patrick.

"Shut up." said Rhys, smiling at him.

"So?" asked Matthew. "He can't be that bad..."

"Says the guy who punched him in the eye last year." said Cormac quickly.

Matthew frowned. After that incident, he felt extremely guilty about it. Others would try and say that it was the only thing he could do, as the other was going to do much worse than just kiss Alice without her consent if he didn't make a rough mark on him, but Matthew always thought that any physical violence like that should be saved for Quidditch, when you needed the rush, not some kid who was out of his right state of mind with alcohol. Of course, Matthew still felt a bit better that he got there before any too serious happened to her... Maybe, if he got Haskell alone, he'd apologise for it, but he didn't reckon Haskell was the one to easily forgive someone, especially someone like Matthew...

"-You two would have made such a good couple too." said Patrick, snapping Matthew out of thought. "Such cute kids..."

"Oh ha ha, very funny," said Matthew scratchily, smiling despite himself at him. "As i said, we're just _friends_."

"Really? _So_," said Rhys, pushing a hand through his hair. "If i went up to her tomorrow at breakfast and asked her out, ya' wouldn't mind me doing it at all?"

"Rhys, despite how much as you think every girl here wants to snog you silly, she'd hex you a new one before you even attempted tried that one." said Rory quickly. Matthew grinned at Rory appreciatively as the others laughed at Rhys dumbstruck face. "I'ma bloody catch, dammit!" he said defiantly.

"Our dating situations aside," said Patrick as their laughter died down. "Have you heard? They're having Quidditch tryouts this Friday. You going to try out, Matt?"

"Nah," said Matthew with a shrug of his shoulders. "I heard that too, and Angelina said that they already got a pretty good Chaser line up and wouldn't wanna change it now."

"Because you obviously don't wanna be a Keeper?" asked Patrick. "That'd be the only free spot then with Oliver gone."

Matthew shook his head. "I can wait until next year, can't i? My dad didn't even get on the team until his last year." said Matthew.

"He did? Why?" asked Rory. They gave Matthew eager looks. They loved it when he told them about his Quidditch star father.

"Well, uh," started Matthew. "He was a bit of a trouble maker back in the day..."

"The best always are." said Rhys with a grin.

"Yeah," said Matthew. "And he'd been banned from trying out until his last year when he restrained him and McGonagall loosened up and let him tryout and ... well, you can guess what happened after that."

"Super stardom!" said Rhys with a wave of his hand, as if he was making an invisible banner in the air.

"Please, everyone knows i'm going to be Keeper this year," said Cormac boastfully. "Who else would they pick?"

"Who cares? _You_ still need to fulfil your bet, my boy," said Rhys, smiling wickedly at him. He got off his bed and bend down under his bed, shuffling things out of the way, until he got back up and put a black and red striped box on his bed.

"What's _that_?" asked Rory, looking at it reproachfully.

"A box full of Doxies." said Patrick.

"Yeah, and Cormac has to eat the whole lot of 'em." said Rhys, patting the box like it was a precious dog.

"Alright, alright," said Cormac, jumping off his bed and swaggering over to him. "But if i get sick because of this and i miss tryouts, i'm turning your hair pink."

"A happy consequence." said Rhys gleefully.

* * *

><p>Ron was in a bad mood. It was the previous night where his older brother, Percy, sent him a letter both praising him for becoming a Prefect (which for some reason, Percy thought it was because Ron wanted to be like him instead of, say, Fred and George) but that isn't what got him in such a foul mood. The whole ton of the letter was Percy making rude accusations about Harry and Dumbledore, calling them a little "loose" in the head and that Ron, if he wanted to ever make Head Boy like Percy did, to cut ties off with them completely. As you can guess, Ron wasn't pleased in the slightest. You'd think that he, after a tricky Quidditch tryout, made Keeper of the Gryffindor Team would keep his mind off it, but it made him all the more quesy to his stomach, as Ron had horrible stage-fright, or in this case, Quidditch pitch-fright.<p>

"Alright," what do you have then?" asked Fred, noticing Harry's bandaged right hand. Fred, on the other hand, had his left hand banaged up. Like always, they had snuck away from the Slytherin table and sat at the Gryffindor table, hardly noticing the pink-haired boy who Matthew and his friends were laughing at near them.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Hello? We both got detention with Umbridge, didn't we?" said Fred. He huffed. "Fine, i'll show mine first..."

Fred unwrapped his hand, scrunching his face slightly in pain, until his red hand was shown. It had the words 'I shall not spread rumours' scarred into his hand. "Nice battle wound, eh?"

Harry frowned. "You don't wanna see mine..."

"Listen, it can't be that bad as having your blood as ink, is it?" said Fred ironically. "Let's just see it."

Harry sighed and unwrapped his hand, his face also going into a pained expression, and showing the words 'I must not tell lies' starred into his own hand.

"That foul toad!" said Sam, suddenly appearing behind Fred and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, her chin on his shoulders and looking a mixture of worried and angry. "What did she do to you?"

"She makes us write lines," said Harry, re-wrapping his hand. "In our own blood."

Sam's eyes widened. "How?"

"A damn special quill that uses our blood instead of ink, that's how." snapped Fred.

"We told them to tell Dumbledore." said Hermione suddenly, who was sitting near Harry. "But _she'd_ get word of it and everyone would be in more trouble because of it."

"What about your parents?" asked Sam, looking at Fred. His brows contracted. "You think i haven't tried? They can't do a thing about it unless they want to get chucked out of this place." said Fred bitterly. "I tell you what, that woman is running this school into the ground."

As he said that, a rapid flutter of owls filtered into the Hall, dropping off mail to their owners. An official looking owl dropped in front of Hermione and gave her the new _Daily Prophet, _which Harry gave an acidly look to from the corner of his eye. It flew away after she paid him and, no soon after looking at the front page, Hermione let out a huge gasp and flattened the newspaper to reveal a large photograph of Dolores Umbridge, smiling widely and blinking slowly at them from beneath the headline reading 'MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED FIRST-EVER HIGH INQUISITOR"

"What in the hell is a 'High Inquisitor'?" asked Fred darkly, his eyes scanning over the newspaper.

Hermione read aloud:_ "In a surprise move last night the Ministry of Magic passed new legislation giving itself an unprecedented level of control at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 'The Minister has been growing uneasy about goings-on at Hogwarts for some time,' said Junior Assistant to the Minister, Percy Weasley. 'He is now responding to concerns voiced by anxious parents, who feel the school may be moving in a direction they do not approve.'"_

_"This is not the first time in recent weeks Fudge has used new laws to effect improvements at the Wizarding school. As recently as August 30th_  
><em>Educational Decree Twenty-two was passed, to ensure that, in the event of the current headmaster being unable to provide a candidate for a teaching post, the Ministry should select an appropriate person. 'That's how Dolores Umbridge came to be appointed to the teaching staff at Hogwarts,' said Weasley last night. 'Dumbledore couldn't find anyone, so the Minister put in Umbridge and of course, she's been an immediate success —' "<em>

"She's been a _WHAT_?" said Harry loudly.

"What school are they getting this information from?" asked Sam.

"Wait, there's more," said Hermione grimly. _"'— an immediate success, totally revolutionizing the teaching of Defence Against the Dark Arts and providing the Minister with on-theground feedback about what's really happening at Hogwarts. It is this last function that the Ministry has now formalized with the passing of Educational Decree Twenty-three, which creates the new position of 'Hogwarts High Inquisitor.' 'This is an exciting new phase in the Minister's plan to get to grips with what some are calling the "falling standards" at Hogwarts,' said Weasley. 'The Inquisitor will have powers to inspect her fellow educators and make sure that they are coming up to scratch. Professor Umbridge has been offered this position in addition to her own teaching post, and we are delighted to say that she has accepted."_

_"The Ministry's new moves have received enthusiastic support from parents of students at Hogwarts. 'I feel much easier in my mind now that I know that Dumbledore is being subjected to fair and objective evaluation,' said Mr Lucius Malfoy, 41, speaking from his Wiltshire mansion last night. 'Many of us with our children's best interests at heart have been concerned about some of Dumbledore's eccentric decisions in the last few years and will be glad to_ _know that the Ministry is keeping an eye on the situation.'"_

"Of course Malfoy would love it, he hates Dumbledore!" snapped Harry bitterly.

_"Among those 'eccentric decisions',"_ continued Hermione. _"Are undoubtedly the controversial staff appointments previously described in this newspaper, which have included the hiring of werewolf Remus Lupin, half giant Rubeus Hagrid, and delusional ex-Auror 'Mad-Eye' Moody. Rumors abound, of course, that Albus Dumbledore, once Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, is no longer up to the task of managing the prestigious school of Hogwarts. 'I think the appointment of the Inquisitor is a first step toward ensuring that Hogwarts has a headmaster in whom we can all repose confidence,' said a Ministry insider last night. Wizengamot elders Griselda Marchbanks and Tiberius Ogden have_  
><em>resigned in protest at the introduction of the post of Inquisitor to Hogwarts. 'Hogwarts is a school, not an outpost of Cornelius Fudge's office,' said<em>  
><em>Madam Marchbanks. 'This is a further disgusting attempt to discredit Albus Dumbledore.' (For a full account of Madam Marchbanks' alleged links to subversive goblin groups, turn to page 17)."<em>

Hermione finished reading and looked across the table at them. "So now we know how we ended up with Umbridge! Fudge passed this 'Educational Decree' and forced her on us! And now he's given her the power to inspect other teachers!" Hermione was breathing fast and her eyes were very bright. "I can't believe this. It's _outrageous_..."

"You saw the Prophet then?" said a voice behind her. She turned and saw Ina standing behind her, coming just back from the Hufflepuff table, and looking grim. "They use the two looniest wizards in Wizengamot just to make any opposition to it look ridiculous. I just got a letter from my father, they refused to let his bit in, which isn't surprsing, really, he helped get Harry off his under-age magic charges..."

"_What_?" asked Harry, looking at her in confusion. "Your dad works for Wizengamot?"

"He's one of the Seniors of the whole Law Enforcement department," explained Ina. "There was dark-skinned man with my nose in favour of you at your trial, wasn't there?"

"You mean the one with the beard and the grey-and-black hair?" asked Harry. He remembered see an odd similarity between the man and her, now that he thought about it.

"That's my father," said Ina. "He told me about it when he got home that day."

"And would you look at that!" said Fred, waving his hand at her. "Our sweet Zelena's papa saved Harry from Azkaban! Ten points to Ravenclaw, or is it Slytherin..?"

Harry looked at his bandaged hand and felt a stab of fury at Umbridge go through him. He turned to look at Ron, who was sitting next to him, and was surprised to see that Ron was grinning wildly.

"What are you so happy for?" asked Harry.

"_Oh_, I can't wait to see McGonagall inspected," said Ron happily. "Umbridge won't know what's hit her."

"_Please_," said Fred, trying to obviously one-up him. "I just hope Rose is in our dad's class when she inspects him, it'll be _hilarious_."

"Oh!" said Ron with an even wider grin. "We have that class with her!"

"Even better!" said Fred mischievously.

* * *

><p>Rose absentmindedly flipped through her dream journal, trying to her hardest to not think about the dream she had the very night before.<p>

it was misty and she didn't remember most of the surrounding details, but she knew it must had been early in the morning, and she was battered up and bruised, but it didn't matter. She was at the outskirts of what looked like a black sea, and she had her arms wrapped around someone she cared so deeply for, but was too scared to tell them about. She was leaning her head upwards to kiss them, and they were about to when her brain snapped her awake into bitter reality.

She bit her lip, thinking about the person and wondering how and if they would ever like her back, when Sam nudged her in the arm and she looked up. "What is it-?"

Sam pointed and Rose followed her finger towards the trapdoor in the floor of the Divination tower, seeing Professor Umbridge emerging through it, her toad-face looking as wicked as ever. The class, which had been talking cheerily, fell silent at once. The abrupt fall in the noise level made Professor Trelawney, who had been wafting about handing out Dream Oracles, look round.

"Good afternoon, Professor Trelawney," said Professor Umbridge with her wide smile. "You received my note, I trust? Giving the time and date of your inspection?"

Professor Trelawney nodded curtly and, looking very disgruntled, turned her back on Professor Umbridge and continued to give out books. Still smiling, Professor Umbridge grasped the back of the nearest armchair and pulled it to the front of the class so that it was a few inches behind Professor Trelawney's seat. She then sat down, took her clipboard from her flowery bag, and looked up expectantly, waiting for the class to begin.

Professor Trelawney pulled her shawls tight about her with slightly trembling hands and surveyed the class through her hugely magnifying lenses. "We shall be continuing our study of prophetic dreams today," she said in a brave attempt at her usual mystic tones, though her voice shook slightly. "Divide into pairs, please, and interpret each other's latest nighttime visions with the aid of the Oracle."

She made as though to sweep back to her seat, saw Professor Umbridge sitting right beside it, and immediately veered left toward Parvati and Lavender, who were already deep in discussion about Parvati's most recent dream.

They opened their copies of The Dream Oracle, sneaking glances at Umbridge covertly. She was making notes on her clipboard now. After a few minutes she got to her feet and began to pace the room in Trelawney's wake, listening to her conversations with students and posing questions here and there.

"Okay, we've got to add your age to the date you had the dream, the number of letters in the subject," said Sam, tracing her finger on the page. "I had a dream about a lot of hot pink things last night, what does that mean?"

"Well," said Ina, her darks brows furrowed in concentration. "I don't know what you and Frederick do behind closed doors, but hot pink in dreams represent _lust_."

Rose made a disgusted face. "Gross, Sam, that's my _brother_!"

"Well, you're not the one dating him," said Sam with a cheeky smile. "Though i must admit, he's _very_ impressed that i can take my bra off without taking my shirt off first-"

"Okay," said Ina as Rose made fake gagging noises. "We did _not_ need to know that one!"

Professor Umbridge was making another note on her clipboard and Professor Trelawney was looking extremely put out.

"Now," said Umbridge, looking up at Trelawney and speaking loudly, causing most of the students to watch her. "You've been in this post how long, exactly?"

Professor Trelawney scowled at her, arms crossed and shoulders hunched as though wishing to protect herself as much as possible from the indignity of the inspection. After a slight pause in which she seemed to decide that the question was not so offensive that she could reasonably ignore it, she said in a deeply resentful tone, "Nearly sixteen years."

"Quite a period," said Professor Umbridge, making a note on her clipboard. "So it was Professor Dumbledore who appointed you?"

"That's right." said Professor Trelawney shortly.

Professor Umbridge made another note. "And you are a great-great-granddaughter of the celebrated Seer Cassandra Trelawney?"

"Yes," said Professor Trelawney, holding her head a little higher.

Another note on the clipboard. "But I think — correct me if I am mistaken — that you are the first in your family since Cassandra to be possessed of second sight?"

"These things often skip — er — _three_ generations." said Professor Trelawney.

Professor Umbridge's toadlike smile widened. "Of course," she said sweetly, making yet another note. "Well, if you could just predict something for me, then?"

She looked up inquiringly, still smiling. Professor Trelawney had stiffened as though unable to believe her ears.

"I don't understand you." said Professor Trelawney, clutching convulsively at the shawl around her scrawny neck.

"I'd like you to make a prediction for me," said Professor Umbridge very clearly.

Most of the class were staring transfixed at Professor Trelawney as she drew herself up to her full height, her beads and bangles clinking. "The Inner Eye does not See upon command!" she said in scandalized tones.

"I see." said Professor Umbridge softly, making yet another note on her clipboard.

"I — but — but - _wait_!" said Professor Trelawney suddenly, in an attempt at her usual ethereal voice, though the mystical effect was ruined somewhat by the way it was shaking with anger. "I - I think - I do see something ... something that concerns you ... Why, I sense something ... something dark ... some grave peril ..."

Professor Trelawney pointed a shaking finger at Professor Umbridge who continued to smile blandly at her, eyebrows raised. "I am afraid - I am afraid that you are in grave danger!" Professor Trelawney finished dramatically.

There was a pause. Professor Umbridge's eyebrows were still raised. "_Right_," she said softly, scribbling on her clipboard once more. "Well, if that's really the best you can do..."

She turned away, leaving Professor Trelawney standing rooted to the spot, her chest heaving. Everyone with half a brain knew that Trelawney was a right-off fraud, but at that moment, everyone felt an odd stab of pity for their strange teacher.

* * *

><p>Umbridge called them into order and the class fell silent.<p>

"Wands away," she instructed them all smilingly. "As we finished chapter one last lesson, I would like you all to turn to page nineteen today and commence chapter two, 'Common Defensive Theories and Their Derivation.' There will be no need to talk."

Still smiling her wide, self-satisfied smile, she sat down at her desk. The class gave an audible sigh as it turned, as one, to page nineteen.

Rose scribbled her and the person from her dream's name on her book in a little heart as she glanced up and saw that Hermione had her hand in the air once again.

Professor Umbridge had noticed too, and what was more, she seemed to have worked out a strategy for just such an eventuality. Instead of trying to pretend she had not noticed Hermione, she got to her feet and walked around the front row of desks until they were face-to-face, then she bent down and whispered, so that the rest of the class could not hear. Umbridge spoke to her and Hermione retorted back. Rose watched as Hermione went on, making Umbridge look rather mad, until she finally had enough and went back briskly to stand in front her desk, looking affronted.

Professor Umbridge stood before them, all the jauntiness she had shown at the beginning of the lesson gone. "Miss Granger, I am going to take five points from Gryffindor House."

There was an outbreak of muttering at this.

"What for?" said Harry angrily.

Hermione whispered something urgently to him, but he ignored her.

"For disrupting my class with pointless interruptions," said Professor Umbridge smoothly. "I am here to teach you using a Ministry-approved method that does not include inviting students to give their opinions on matters about which they understand very little. Your previous teachers in this subject may have allowed you more license, but as none of them — with the possible exception of Professor Quirrell, who did at least appear to have restricted himself to age-appropriate subjects — would have passed a Ministry inspection —"

"Yeah, Quirrell was a great teacher," said Harry loudly. "There was just that minor drawback of him having Lord Voldemort sticking out of the back of his head."

This pronouncement was followed by one of the loudest silences any of them had ever experienced then —

"I think another week's detentions would do you some good, Mr. Potter." said Umbridge sleekly.

Judging by the angered and slightly defeated look in Harry's eye, Umbridge must have been rather proud of herself.

* * *

><p>Fred yanked an odd and very lethal looking pointing instrument off the display shelf. "Would you look at <em>this<em>?"

The Weasley Twins, whose arms were full of Zonko's products, turned to him and smiled at the thing. "Oh, get three more, Lee would love one."

"Right on it." he said, grabbing three more. He added them to their piles as Dean and Rose walked past them, hand-in-hand and bumping accidentally into him. "Oh, sorry 'bout that-" started Dean.

"Don't worry yourself about it," said Fred, waving him off. "Though if you piss Rosie here off, you'll have more than her wrath to face."

The Weasley Twins giggled as Dean's face flushed. "Um - we'll see you guys later..."

"You mean in five minutes?" asked Fred, smiling at them.

"What do you mean?" asked Rose, looking annoyed at Fred cutting into her date time.

"Didn't you hear?" asked Fred Weasley, grinning widely. "Harry and company are having a defence meeting at the Hog's Head, should be good."

"Something about bringing Umbridge's power down or something." added George like it was no big deal.

"You in?" Rose's brother asked, looking hopeful.

"We'll see." said Dean. And with that they pushed their way out of the store.

Rose had to admit, Dean was rather more self-tuned than she expected. He talked mostly about himself and his muggle family and how Seamus, despite being Harry's friend for the past few years, had suddenly turned against him after the claims of Voldemort's return from Harry. Though, he was being rather nice to her, and she had to appreciate that, and he rather liked art as well, which was a bit rare to find at Hogwarts.

"I'm having a great time, Rose." smiled Dean. The September cold was trailing into Hogsmeade as they reached the middle of it and stopped there.

"Me too." Rose said. Dean smiled and he hugged Rose, which she returned back.

Zachary stood outside of the Three Broomsticks, watching them with narrowed eyes and feeling a raging fire boil in his stomach. How could she go out with _him_? Was this nature's pay-back for him not acting on his feelings earlier?

"You know," said a familiar voice. "I could hex him a new one if you want."

Zachary turned and saw Branin standing behind him, a malicious glint in his icy eyes.

"What do you want, Branin?" asked Zachary, groaning in slight annoyance. If Branin was involved, you can almost always guarantee that it wasn't going to end up well.

"Listen, if anything i wanted happened like i'd like it too, you'd man up, Alice would give me a second chance, and i would be like any other teenager here." Branin said quickly.

"Yeah, well, i think you like the attention your aliment gets you, which ironically enough, your boasting about didn't win you with any favours with Alice, did it?" said Zachary venomously.

Branin stared at him, looking a bit hurt, when Zachary sighed and said, "I'm sorry, you know i didn't mean that-"

"Never mind it," said Branin, cutting him off. "But that's besides the point, do you wanna, you know, let me work my magic on this?"

"No, i don't." said Zachary. "If she's happy, i'm happy-"

"You know damn well that's a load of dragon dung, Zach," said Branin bluntly. "Seriously, you can't just stand back and let her slip away from you, you're just going to make yourself more bitter in the long run."

"Is that why you're still trailing after her sister?" asked Zachary, cocking an eyebrow at him.

Branin smiled slightly. "Basically, yeah, though it's not working nearly as well as i'm sure it would for you, at least she _likes_ you-"

"As a _friend_." stressed Zachary, looking defeated at what he said.

"Yeah, that's more than i got. And guess what i heard? You know her parents?" asked Branin. Zachary nodded and Branin said, "I heard they were best friends for _years_ before they got together, how can you and Rose be any different?"

Zachary stared at him. "Are you saying i'm her dad in this situation?"

"_No_," said Branin, looking annoyed. "It's not like you're going to be head of Ravenclaw and teaching Charms when you're older, i'm just saying that you and her can have that, the whole loving marriage with three kids and all the good stuff."

Zachary's pale face blushed pink. "We're not having kids..."

"Of course you aren't," said Branin with a wink. "Now come on, they're leaving..."

Branin threw his arm around Zachary's shoulders and started dragging him along in their direction, which was on the outskirts of the village.

"Um," said Zachary, looking worried. "Where are we going?"

"You didn't hear?" asked Branin, turning to look at him. "There's some meeting at the Hog's Head, and i wanna get a full load of it..."

He trailed off as Matthew and Alice trailed into view, their different house scarves blowing behind him. Zachary noticed Branin's deep stare and loosened himself from Branin's grip, hoping he wouldn't try anything.

Matthew reached an old looking shack of a building before them and held the door open for Alice, smiling as she went in before him. Branin gave out an almost growl-like noise from his throat and they reached the building and went in after them.

The Hog's Head bar comprised one small, dingy, and very dirty room that smelled strongly of something that might have been goats, which made Zachary's nose scrunch up. The bay windows were so encrusted with grime that very little daylight could permeate the room, which was lit instead with the stubs of candles sitting on rough wooden tables.

There was a man at the bar whose whole head was wrapped in dirty grey bandages, though he was still managing to gulp endless glasses of some smoking, fiery substance through a slit over his mouth. Two figures shrouded in hoods sat at a table in one of the windows in a shadowy corner beside the fireplace sat a witch with a thick, black veil that fell to her toes. They could just see the tip of her nose because it caused the veil to protrude slightly.  
>The barman was at the bar, looking at them with bored eyes. He was a grumpy-looking old man with a great deal of long grey hair and<br>beard. He was tall and thin and looked vaguely familiar for some reason.

They heard a huff and turned, realising that they weren't the only ones there. Along with them, Dean, Rose, and Matthew and Alice, were Harry, Ron, and Hermione, sitting at one dingy table. Neville and Lavender were crowding around them, along with the Patil Twins with Cho and one of her usually giggling girlfriends. Luna was next to Alice, speaking to her about something called Norwegian Humplesnorks when Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, and Angelina Johnson, Colin and Dennis Creevey, Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hannah Abbott, and a Hufflepuff girl with a long plait came in. Three Ravenclaw boys, who were in the same year as Zachary and Branin, named Anthony Goldstein, Michael Corner, and Terry Boot; Ginny, followed by a tall skinny blond boy with an upturned nose. Ina and Evan pushed their way in, and bringing up the rear, The Weasley Twins, Fred (with his arm wrapped around Sam's shoulders), with their friend Lee Jordan, all who, minus Sam, were carrying large paper bags crammed with Zonko's merchandise.

"Oh good, the whole family is here," smiled Fred. He grabbing something from his bag and whacked Branin on the back as they walked past him. "Having a good year, dung-head?"

"Let's not fight among ourselves, shall we?" asked Hermione as Branin turned and made a snarling face at Fred, who stuck his tongue out at him. Even if he and Alice weren't as close as most twins were, Fred still hadn't forgiven Branin for what he did to her last year.

"Ron, do you want to pull up some more chairs?" asked Hermione.

The barman had frozen in the act of wiping out a glass with a rag so filthy it looked as though it had never been washed. Possibly he had never seen his pub so full.

Fred Weasley reached the bar and counted all of his companions quickly. "Hi, could we have - _ah_ - thirty-seven butterbeers, please?"

The barman glared at him for a moment, then, throwing down his rag irritably as though he had been interrupted in something very important, he started passing up dusty butterbeers from under the bar.

"Cheers," he said as his twin handing them out. "Cough up, everyone, I haven't got enough gold for all of these..."

A little purple and orange money bag trailed over to him and he grabbed it, noticed the 'I.Z' embroidering.

"Use as much as you need." said Ina, looking over at them.

"A lovely donation from Zelena! Thank you!" said Fred Weasley happily. He shuffled trough the bag and added, "Don't be surprised if you get this back and there's nothing left in it, there was a cannon in Zonko's with my name on it..."

Harry watched numbly as the large chattering group took their beers from George.

"What have you been telling people?" he said in a low voice. "What are they expecting?"

"I've told you, they just want to hear what you've got to say," said Hermione soothingly; but Harry continued to look at her so furiously that she added quickly, "You don't have to do anything yet, I'll speak to them first."

"What? No speech then?" asked Fred, who had, surely to Rose's annoyance, the small space between her and Dean. Rose took a sip of her drink and shot him an angry look from the corner of her eye.

"Hi, Harry," said Neville, beaming and taking a seat opposite Harry.

Harry tried to smile back, but did not speak; his mouth was exceptionally dry. Cho had just smiled at him and sat down on Ron's right. Her friend, who had curly blond hair, did not smile, but gave Harry a thoroughly mistrustful look that told Harry plainly that given her way, she would not be here at all.

In twos and threes the new arrivals settled around Harry, Ron, and Hermione, some looking rather excited, others curious, Luna Lovegood gazing dreamily into space, and Branin glaring at Matthew. When everybody had pulled up a chair, the chatter died out. Every eye was upon Harry.

"Er," said Hermione, her voice slightly higher than usual out of nerves. "Well — er — _hi_."

The group focused its attention on her instead, though eyes continued to dart back regularly to Harry.

"Well ... erm ... well, you know why you're here. Erm ... well, Harry here had the idea — I mean" — Harry had thrown her a sharp look — "I had the idea — that it might be good if people who wanted to study Defence Against the Dark Arts — and I mean, really study it, you know, not the rubbish that Umbridge is doing with us" — (Hermione's voice became suddenly much stronger and more confident) — "because nobody could call that Defence Against the Dark Art-s"

"Hear, hear," said Anthony Goldstein, and Hermione looked heartened — "Well, I thought it would be good if we, well, took matters into our _own_ hands."

She paused, looked sideways at Harry, and went on, "And by that I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just theory but the _real_ spells —"

"You want to pass your Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. too though, I bet?" asked Michael Corner.

"Of course I do," said Hermione at once. "But I want more than that, I want to be properly trained in Defence because ... because ..."

She took a great breath and finished, "Because Lord Voldemort's back."

The reaction was immediate and predictable. Cho's friend shrieked and slopped butterbeer down herself, Terry Boot gave a kind of involuntary twitch, Padma Patil shuddered, and Neville gave an odd yelp that he managed to turn into a cough. All of them, however, looked fixedly, even eagerly, at Harry.

"Well ... that's the plan anyway," said Hermione. "If you want to join us, we need to decide how we're going to —"

"Where's the proof You-Know-Who's back?" said the blond Hufflepuff player in a rather aggressive voice.

"Well, Dumbledore believes it —" Hermione began.

"You mean, Dumbledore believes him," said the blond boy, nodding at Harry.

"Who are you?" said Ron rather rudely.

"Zacharias Smith," said the boy, "and I think we've got the right to know exactly what makes him say You-Know-Who's back."

"Look," said Hermione, intervening swiftly, "that's really not what this meeting was supposed to be about —"

"It's okay, Hermione," said Harry. "What makes me say You-Know-Who's back?" he asked, looking Zacharias straight in the face. "I saw him. But Dumbledore told the whole school what happened last year, and if you didn't believe him, you don't believe me, and I'm not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone."

The whole group seemed to have held its breath while Harry spoke. Harry had the impression that even the barman was listening in. He  
>was wiping the same glass with the filthy rag; it was becoming steadily dirtier.<p>

Zacharias said dismissively, "All Dumbledore told us last year was that Cedric Diggory got killed by You-Know-Who and that you brought Diggory's body back to Hogwarts. He didn't give us details, he didn't tell us exactly how Diggory got murdered, I think we'd all like to know —"

Evan suddenly looking very mad, went to retort at him when Harry said, "If you've come to hear exactly what it looks like when Voldemort murders someone I can't help you, i don't want to talk about Cedric Diggory, all right? So if that's what you're here for, you might as well clear out."

But none of them left their seats, not even Zacharias Smith, though he continued to gaze intently at Harry.

"So," said Hermione, her voice very high-pitched again, not looking at Harry's angry face. "So ... like I was saying ... if you want to learn some defence, then we need to work out how we're going to do it, how often we're going to meet, and where we're going to —"

"Is it true," interrupted the girl with the long plait, looking at Harry. "that you can produce a Patronus?"

There was a murmur of interest around the group at this.

"Yeah," said Harry slightly defensively.

"A corporeal Patronus?" asked the girl.

"Er — you don't know Madam Bones, do you?" he asked.

The girl smiled. "She's my auntie," she said. "I'm Susan Bones. She told me about your hearing. So — is it really true? You make a stag Patronus?"

"Yes." said Harry.

"Blimey, Harry!" said Dean, looking deeply impressed. "I never knew that!"

"Mum told Ron not to spread it around," said Fred Weasley, grinning at Harry. "She said you got enough attention as it was."

"She's not wrong." mumbled Harry and a couple of people laughed. The veiled witch sitting alone shifted very slightly in her seat.

"And did you kill a basilisk with that sword in Dumbledore's office?" demanded Terry Boot. "That's what one of the portraits on the wall told me when I was in there last year..."

"Er — yeah, I did, yeah." said Harry.

Justin Finch-Fletchley whistled, the Creevey brothers exchanged awestruck looks, and Lavender Brown said "wow" softly. Harry was  
>feeling slightly hot around the collar now; he was determinedly looking anywhere but at Cho.<p>

"And in our first year," said Neville to the group at large, "he saved that Sorcerous Stone —"

"Sorcerer's." hissed Hermione.

"Yes, that, from You-Know-Who," finished Neville. Hannah Abbott's eyes were as round as Galleons.

"And that's not to mention," said Cho (Harry's eyes snapped onto her, she was looking at him, smiling) "all the tasks he had to get through in the Triwizard Tournament last year — getting past dragons and merpeople and things..."

"He's like our own superhero." said Fred happily.

There was a murmur of impressed agreement around the table.

"Look," Harry said and everyone fell silent at once, "I - I don't want to sound like I'm trying to be modest or anything, but ... I had a lot  
>of help with all that stuff..."<p>

"Not with the dragon, you didn't," said Michael Corner at once. "That was a seriously cool bit of flying..."

"Yeah, well —" said Harry. "You can ask Rose, she was in the Chmaber of Secrets with me..."

"Yeah, she said she stabbed a book for ya'." said Fred before taking another swig of his drink. They gave Rose curious looks, making her face flush red. "It's a long story..." she said weakly.

"And nobody helped you get rid of those dementors this summer..." said Susan Bones.

"No," said Harry. "No, okay, I know I did bits of it without help, but the point I'm trying to make is —"

"Are you trying to weasel out of showing us any of this stuff?" said Zacharias Smith.

"Here's an idea," said Ron loudly, before Harry could speak. "Why don't you shut your mouth?"

Perhaps the word "weasel" had affected Ron particularly strongly; in any case, he was now looking at Zacharias as though he would like nothing better than to thump him. Zacharias flushed.

"Well, we've all turned up to learn from him, and now he's telling us he can't really do any of it..." he said.

"That's not what he said." snarled Fred Weasley.

"Would you like us to clean out your ears for you?" inquired George, pulling a long and lethal-looking metal instrument from inside one of the Zonko's bags. "Or any part of your body, really, we're not fussy where we stick this." he added.

"Yes, well," said Hermione hastily, "moving on ... the point is, are we agreed we want to take lessons from Harry?"

There was a murmur of general agreement. Zacharias folded his arms and said nothing, though perhaps this was because he was too busy keeping an eye on the instrument in George's hand.

"Right," said Hermione, looking relieved that something had at last been settled. "Well, then, the next question is how often we do it. I really don't think there's any point in meeting less than once a week —"

"Hang on," said Angelina. "we need to make sure this doesn't clash with our Quidditch practice."

"No," said Cho. "nor with ours."

"Nor ours." added Zacharias Smith.

"I'm sure we can find a night that suits everyone," said Hermione, slightly impatiently. "But you know, this is rather important, we're talking about learning to defend ourselves against V-Voldemort's Death Eaters —"

"Well said!" barked Ernie Macmillan. "Personally I think this is really important, possibly more important than anything else we'll do this year, even with our O.W.L.s coming up!"

He looked around impressively, as though waiting for people to cry, "Surely not!" When nobody spoke, he went on, "I, personally, am at a loss to see why the Ministry has foisted such a useless teacher upon us at this critical period. Obviously they are in denial about the return of You-Know-Who, but to give us a teacher who is trying to actively prevent us from using defensive spells —"

"We think the reason Umbridge doesn't want us trained in Defence Against the Dark Arts," said Hermione, "Is that she's got some mad idea that Dumbledore could use the students in the school as a kind of private army. She thinks he'd mobilize us against the Ministry."

Nearly everybody looked stunned at this news; everybody except Luna Lovegood, who piped up, "Well, that makes sense. After all, Cornelius Fudge has got his own private army."

"What?" said Harry, completely thrown by this unexpected piece of information.

"Yes, he's got an army of heliopaths," said Luna solemnly.

"No, he hasn't." snapped Hermione.

"Yes, he has." said Luna.

"What are heliopaths?" asked Neville, looking blank. Alice gave Fred an annoyed look and he bit his lip to stop his giggling

"They're spirits of fire," said Luna, her protuberant eyes widening so that she looked madder than ever. "Great tall flaming creatures that gallop across the ground burning everything in front of —"

"They don't exist, Neville," said Hermione tartly.

"Oh yes they do!" said Luna angrily.

"I'm sorry, but where's the proof of that?" snapped Hermione.

"There are plenty of eyewitness accounts, just because you're so narrow-minded you need to have everything shoved under your nose before you —"

_"Hem, hem,"_ said Ginny in such a good imitation of Professor Umbridge that several people looked around in alarm and then laughed. "Weren't we trying to decide how often we're going to meet and get Defence lessons?"

"Yes," said Hermione at once, "yes, we were, you're right..."

"Well, once a week sounds good-" said Matthew.

"As long as —" began Angelina.

"Yes, yes, we know about the Quidditch," said Hermione in a tense voice. "Well, the other thing to decide is where we're going to meet..."

This was rather more difficult; the whole group fell silent.

"Library?" suggested Katie Bell after a few moments.

"I can't see Madam Pince being too chuffed with us doing jinxes in the library," said Harry.

"Maybe an unused classroom?" said Dean.

"Yeah," said Ron, "McGonagall might let us have hers, she did when Harry was practicing for the Triwizard. . . ."

"Right, well, we'll try to find somewhere," said Hermione. "We'll send a message round to everybody when we've got a time and a place for the first meeting."

She rummaged in her bag and produced parchment and a quill, then hesitated, rather as though she was steeling herself to say something.

"I-I think everybody should write their name down, just so we know who was here. But I also think," she took a deep breath. "that we all ought to agree not to shout about what we're doing. So if you sign, you're agreeing not to tell Umbridge — or anybody else — what we're up to."

Fred, slapping Rose's hand away, reached out for the parchment and cheerfully put down his signature, but Harry noticed at once that several people looked less than happy at the prospect of putting their names on the list. Fred grabbed the parchemnt and handed it to his ginger name-twin, who right afterwards gave it to his own twin.

"Er .. " said Zacharias slowly, not taking the parchment that George was trying to pass him. "Well ... I'm sure Ernie will tell me when the meeting is."  
>But Ernie was looking rather hesitant about signing too. Hermione raised her eyebrows at him.<p>

"I — well, we are prefects," Ernie burst out. "And if this list was found - well, I mean to say - you said yourself, if Umbridge finds out..."

"You just said this group was the most important thing you'd do this year." Evan reminded him.

"I — yes," said Ernie, giving him a pleading look "Yes, I do believe that, it's just ..."

"Ernie, do you really think I'd leave that list lying around?" said Hermione testily.

"No. No, of course not," said Ernie, looking slightly less anxious. "I — yes, of course I'll sign."

Nobody raised objections after Ernie, though Harry saw Cho's friend give her a rather reproachful look before adding her name.

When the last person — Zacharias — had signed, Hermione took the parchment back and slipped it carefully into her bag. There was an odd feeling in the group now. It was as though they had just signed some kind of contract.

"Well, time's ticking on," said Fred Weasley briskly, getting to his feet. "Acid-Green, George, Lee, and I have got items of a sensitive nature to purchase, we'll be seeing you all later."

In twos and threes the rest of the group took their leave too. Cho made rather a business of fastening the catch on her bag before leaving, her long dark curtain of hair swinging forward to hide her face, but her friend stood beside her, arms folded, clicking her tongue, so that Cho had little choice but to leave with her. As her friend ushered her through the door, Cho looked back and waved at Harry. Fred and Sam waved more exaggeratedly at him, their arms wrapped around each other, and laughed at Harry, his face pink, sticking his tongue out at them as they too left the pub.

"I gotta go to the bathroom, i'll meet you back at the main square, alright?" asked Dean. Rose nodded and left the pub. Zachary, who had left a few minutes before her, looked around and noticed that Branin wasn't next to him.

The Hog's Head loo was just as disgusting as the pub itself, but Branin still waited in the dim light until Dean walked out of one of the stalls and went to wash his hands in the small, grey sink.

"Having a good date, Thomas?" asked Branin, causing Dean to look up in surprise, but upon seeing who it was, lightening his expression. "Oh, hey Branin. Yeah, it's going pretty well..."

"You haven't kissed her, have you?" asked Branin suddenly. Dean straightened himself and flicked his wrists, causing water to splash against the floor. "I can't say that i have, why?"

"Oh thank god," said branin dramatically. "Oh thank god i caught you before - before -"

"Before what?" asked Dean, his brows shooting upwards.

Branin gulped and said, "Her dad, mate, he's really mad. It must be after what i did last year, i'm sure you heard?

"About you and Alice?" asked Dean weakly. 'Yeah, i heard..."

"Well, i've heard some things of my own, and he's really tightening up the ends, so to speak," said Branin. "Did you notice the old lady in all black back in the pub?"

"Y-yeah..." said Dean, his voice getting slightly high.

"She's a spy," said Branin. "She's taking down details to report back to her father, and if you know what's good for you, you'd just end it off now."

"But," said Dean, frowning. "She seems to like me..."

"Yeah, but is a kiss worth getting strung up by your thumbs in the dungeons?" said Branin, his eyes wide. Dean shook his head wildly.

"That's what i thought," said Branin. "Go save yourself, mate, you can thank me later.

Dean nodded, taking a slight gulp, and dashed out of the bathroom. Branin, with a self-satisfied grin, left a few minutes after him, a bounce in his step.

'Zachary is gonna thank me later, i'm sure...' thought Branin to himself as he stepped out into the September sun. He was barely past the old store next to the bar when he heard an all-too familiar voice giggling from the alleyway besides it.

Branin slowed down his pace and turned his head to look down the slightly darkened alley.

"Matt - ah!" giggled Alice as Matthew lifted her up to his level, her feet pointing to the ground. She wrapped her arms around Matthew's muscular shoulders and kissed him, her dark hair falling over her shoulder and onto his, mixing in with his auburn hair. Matthew swayed there with her in his arms, getting much deeper into it. They broke apart after a few minutes, Alice loosening her arms around his shoulders and bring her hands to either side of his face. She whispered something to him, her dark eyes connected to his blue and green-tinged ones and he smiled a her. He whispered something back and Alice pulled herself close and kissed him again, this time much more tenderly and soft than before.

Branin, resisting the urge to hex them both into oblivion, stalked quietly away from the sight, a raging fire of hate building up even more in his gut for the auburn-haired Gryffindor who was now with her, _kissing_ her, making her _happy_...

Rose hummed to herself until she noticed Dean making his way back to her. He looked rather wide-eyed but she didn't comment at it when he got closer.

"Dean!" she said happily, smiling at him. "What do you want to-"

She was cut off as Dean suddenly said, " I'm heading back to the castle."

Rose looked confused. "Why? Dinner isn't even for another three hours-! We aren't even done with our date!"

Dean shuddered slightly. "I know but, um, i'm having stomach troubles, i think i ate something bad for breakfast..."

"You seemed fine when we got here..." said Rose slowly.

"I know, but - er - i just gotta go -" said Dean. Rose gave him a sad look which made him feel even more guilty than before. He swallowed slightly and bent down and pecked her on the cheek, though he did it so quickly that he didn't barely touch her. "I'll see you later at class..."

"What about another date then?" asked Rose as Dean tried to sneak away. Dean sighed and said, "I - i think we should just stay friends, Rose."

He gave no more explanation and dashed back towards the trail leading up to the Hogwarts castle. Rose stood there, forzen to spot, blinking at his departing form.

Zachary, having given up on looking for Branin, made his way back towards the main part of Hogsmeade. He saw Rose standing in the middle of the main square, her hands on her face. Zachary quickened his speed and ran towards her.

"Rose?" he asked softly as he approached her. She was shaking slightly. "Are - are you alright?"

Rose shuddered and shook her head. She let her arms go back down to show her tear-stained face. "N-no.."

"What happened?" asked Zachary, his eyes wide and putting his hands on her arms. She sniffed and said in a shaky voice, "D-Dean hates me, he left me h-here..."

Rose gave out a tiny sob and suddenly grabbed onto Zachary, burying her face in his chest and crying. "H - how come i - i can never get anything r - _right_?"

Zachary put his arms around her, rubbing her back. Though he would rather hold her in a better situation than this, he had to make due. "Don't say that, Rose, he doesn't know what he's missing out on..."

Rose cried into his chest. Zachary brushed his hand through the ends of her dark red hair. For a fleeting moment, he wondered whether or not, if it will ever happen, whether or not their child would have her pretty hair when she said in her cracked voice, "I - i'm so glad you're my f - friend, Zach."

"Yeah," said Zachary sadly, the red curls on his fingers dropping onto her back once again. "_Friend_."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: OH LOOK AT ALL THAT DRAMA I JUST CREATED. HOW FUN.<strong>

**Also, i did my research and dreams where you're about to kiss someone but don't 'indicates that you are unsure of how he or she really feels about you. You are looking for some sort of relationship with this person but you are not sure about how to go about achieving it.'**

***P.S.: can i have reviews for what you think will happen next or suggestions as to how some of this drama will go down? Thank you.**

***P.P.S: Please don't kill me, Rose fans, i feel awful about giving her the bad end of this deal too.**


	51. Dumbledore's Army

Rose and Alice sat at one of the tables in the Muggle Studies classroom as their mother hummed to herself, grading the last few of her assignments.

"Mum?" said Rose suddenly, her face against the hand of her propped up arm. "Do you think i'm weird?"

Lily looked up from the paper and at her daughter, her eyes looking confused. "What do you mean '_weird_'?"

Rose sighed. "I don't know, i mean, i go on a date with Dean - he's in my year, if you're wondering - and we were having a good time until he just drops me and leaves me at Hogsmeade!"

"He just left you?" asked Lily, slowly getting up from her chair.

"Yeah, and he didn't say why," said Rose. She sighed. "Is it me? Do i just give off some vibe that makes boys repulsed by me?"

"Rose," said Lily simply, walking over to them. "If there's a thing you need to know about boys is that some of their motives get a bit - ah - _blurred_."

"What do you mean?" asked Alice, looking puzzled.

Lily stood in front of them. "There's a difference between a school crush and _love, _if you know what i mean."

"How so?" asked Rose.

Lily sighed, brushing some of her dark red hair behind her ear. "Well, i mean that Dean may have _liked_ you, but it was never going to work out, because, and yes, this will sound completely cheesy, but he didn't _fit_ to you. From my experience, if they person is right for you, you'd know it in your heart, they make you happy and you make them happy in return. No, maybe both of you aren't picture perfect, you have differences and faults, but that makes you stronger as a couple. They'd protect you and you'd protect them back. Hell, it might be someone you studied with for a tough class, or it could be your best friend, you never know until the time is right."

Alice smiled to herself, thinking of the person who protected her, when Rose said, "Is that like you and dad?"

Lily smiled as Alice snapped out of thought and said, "Yeah, you're right! That is like you two!"

"You never told us how you two got together, you know." said Rose.

"Yes i have." said Lily.

"You only gave us the basic details," said Alice. "Can't we hear the bigger ones?"

"Like what? Our first date?" asked Lily. They both nodded feverishly.

Lily thought for a moment and said, "I suppose you are old enough..."

"Okay, fine, i'll tell you the rest." said Lily. Rose and Alice gave each other excited looks as Lily waved her wand and a high-backed chair appeared, so she could sit at the table with them.

"So," said Lily, taking her seat and looking at them. "I assume you remember we both, uh, got together?"

"You snogged in the hospital wing, didn't you?" asked Rose. They knew that they only ended up in the hospital wing for their father getting bullied in front of everyone after one of their O.W.L. exams, but they didn't like to ask about it.

"We still need to have Madam Pomfrey confirm that." giggled Alice.

"Trust me, she made a joke of it before long," said Lily, winking. "Now, after the school year ended, your father was going to bring us out on our first official date, but i had to subtly drop hints beforehand so my father understood-"

"You had to drop hints to Grandpa Fred?" asked Alice. "How'd that one work out?"

"He figured out about three minutes in when i got in the car to go home, actually," laughed Lily. "Literally the moment we walked into the house, he was dragging my school trunk with him and said, 'So, when's the engagement announcement?'"

"Oh my god," said Rose as Alice started giggling. "I think Fred takes too much after his namesake, don't you think?"

"No kidding. But don't say that to Sirius, he's convinced that he had some effect on your brother in utero," said Lily. "Now, your grandfather was all too happy about this but he still wanted to keep up the 'strict' father image up, so he convinced me and your grandmum to be all silent and scared-looking when your father came to our house later that week for our date."

"What'd grandpa do?" asked Rose.

Lily chuckled slightly as she said, "Okay, you realise that your brother is built exactly how your father was back when he was younger, right?"

They both nodded. "Well, he, being the skinny and tall teenager he was, was dead nervous when he got to our house and there was us, all sitting in the living room with scared looks and my father sitting on his chair all intimidating-like and he just calls your father into the house because the front door was unlocked. Poor thing, he thought he was getting interrogated! My dad goes and says, 'You think you can take my precious little daughter out on a whim, do you?'"

"God, grandpa, you don't have to be so mean," laughed Alice. "What happened next?"

"Well, you can guess that your father was terrified that he did something wrong before anything even started, and he started apologising for nothing and here we are, keeping straight faces at him until my dad just loses it and starts laughing his rear-end off at him."

"Aw, poor dad!" said Rose as Alice let out an even loud giggle.

"No, no, it's okay," said Lily, waving them odd. "He explained afterwards that it was joke and they let us go, even though i could tell your dad was a bit annoyed by it. Anyway, he brought me to this little book shoppe just inside of the town that was near were i lived at the time, and it had all these old spell books in it but none of the muggles that went into or worked at the store knew that they had legitimate charms in them. With whatever money he had at the time, and not acknowledging the weird looks we got from the workers, he got the books for me."

"Afterwards," continued Lily, a little sparkle in her eye. "We walked around town until we ended up at the playground we met, and we had this little hidden area in the trees that we liked to be with each other during the summers after school let out. Anyway, it turns out he went out earlier that day and made a little picnic for us in said spot."

"Aww," cooed Rose and Alice at the same time.

"Yes, i know," said Lily. "It was completely lovely, we were talking for hours about the most trivial stuff and eating whatever he brought along, but before either of us knew it it was already getting dark so we had to head back home. When we got back to my house he, still being a bit nervous about the whole dating aspect, just kissed on me on the cheek-"

"Let me guess," said Rose, smiling at her. "You had none of that and got a proper kiss out of him, didn't you?"

"Of course," said Lily proudly. "Mind you, this was on the front step in front of the front door, and right when i walked in afterwards my dad goes and says, "You better name your son after me!', so both of us could hear him and , well, you know how that worked out..."

There was a knock at the door and it opened, Fred popping his head in. "Hello? Oh, there you two are, are you coming?"

Rose and Alice gave each other sidelong glances as Lily said, "Where are you going?"

"Oh," said Fred, getting a glint in his eye that only his sisters knew showed up when he was lying. "We have to study, History of Magic is killer this year."

"You're not going off to some secret meeting, are you?" asked Lily, her eyes narrowed in a questioning look.

"Now mum," said Fred sweetly. "Why would we do that? Umbridge made any 'illegal' clubs against school rules with that new degree she's got up, remember?"

"We all know," said Lily. "But, from what Mundungus told the Order, he said he saw three kids who looked oddly like you three talking about joining some secret defence group at the Hog's Head a few days ago..."

"Since when can Mundungus be trusted?" asked Rose, looking innocently. Lily raised her eyebrow at her as Alice said, "Mum, we know the rules, we wouldn't do anything to go against them..."

"Well, except me" said Fred with half-hearted smile. "But i digress..."

Lily stared hard at them, almost as if she was scanning them for lying, which for Alice and Rose, they felt guilty about. But for Fred, however, it was just another day in his life. Finally, Lily said, "Fine, but Fred better be passing History of Magic with flying colours by the end of this year."

"Professor Binns won't know what hit him," said Fred happily. Rose and Alice slinked out of their seats and walked towards him and, before closing the door again as they went outside, Fred said, "Not like he'd feel anyway, i mean..."

* * *

><p>They walked down the corridor of the seventh floor, their shoes making loud clacking noises against the stone ground and bouncing off against the cavernous walls.<p>

"So," said Alice. "Where are we meeting anyway?"

Fred shrugged. "Evan said that we're supposed to see a big _door_, but i don't see-"

As soon as he spoke, a highly polished door had appeared in the wall, stunning him slightly.

"Well would you look at that," said Fred as they approached it. He grabbed onto the brass handle and opened it. "After you." He held it open and they walked in.

The spacious room lit was flickering torches, the walls were lined with wooden bookcases, and instead of chairs there were large silk cushions on the floor, which some others who arrived before them sat on. A set of shelves at the far end of the room carried a range of instruments such as Sneakoscopes,  
>Secrecy Sensors, and a large, and a cracked Foe-Glass.<p>

"Sam!" said Fred happily, noticing Sam's bright purple hair from one of the cushions. She waved him over and they followed afterwards.

"In't this place great?" asked Matthew as Rose and Alice walked over to him. God knows why, but he was sitting right next to a very sulky looking Branin, who looked liked he'd rather be anywhere else except next to him, which didn't make Zachary, who was next to him on the other side, look any less anxious. Alice took the free cushion next to Matthew while Rose took the once next to Zachary. The door opened again and Ginny, Neville, Lavender, Parvati, and Dean had arrived.

"Whoa," said Dean, staring around, impressed. "What is this place?" He seemed to be determined to not look at Rose, which made her feel bad.

"You know," said Fred, his voice trailing over the large space. "I think we might have snogged in here."

"Really?" asked Sam, giggling.

"Well, i think it was a broom cupboard when we were here..." said Fred with a grin.

By the time eight o'clock arrived, every cushion was occupied. Harry moved across to the door and turned the key protruding from the lock; it clicked in a satisfyingly loud way and everybody fell silent, looking at him.

"Well," said Harry, slightly nervously. "This is the place we've found for practices, and you've — er — obviously found it okay —"

"It's fantastic!" said Cho, and several people murmured their agreement.

"It's bizarre," said Fred Weasley, frowning around at it. "We once hid from Filch in here, remember, George? But it was just a broom cupboard then..."

"What's with everyone and broom cupboards?" whispered Evan to Ina, which made her laugh.

"Hey, Harry, what's this stuff ?" asked Dean from the rear of the room, indicating the Sneakoscopes and the Foe-Glass.

"Dark Detectors," said Harry, stepping between the cushions to reach them. "Basically they all show when Dark wizards or enemies are around, but you don't want to rely on them too much, they can be fooled..."

"You don't see any of us in it, do you?" asked Matthew loudly. Others laughed, though Branin looked determined to not crack his poker face.

"Well, I've been thinking about the sort of stuff we ought to do first and — er —" said Harry. He noticed a raised hand. "What, Hermione?"

"I think we ought to elect a leader." said Hermione.

"Harry's leader." said Cho at once, looking at Hermione as though she were mad.

"Yes, but I think we ought to vote on it properly," said Hermione, unperturbed. "It makes it formal and it gives him authority. So — everyone who thinks Harry ought to be our leader?"

Everybody put up their hands, even Zacharias Smith, though he did it very halfheartedly. Fred, being the show-off he was, put both hands up.

"Er — right, thanks," said Harry, his face burning. "And — what, Hermione?"

"I also think we ought to have a name," she said brightly, her hand still in the air. "It would promote a feeling of team spirit and unity, don't you think?"

"Can we be the Anti-Umbridge League?" said Evan, a hopeful gleam in his eye.

"Or the Ministry of Magic Are Morons Group?" suggested Fred, causing Sam to laugh again.

"I was thinking," said Hermione, frowning at Fred, "more of a name that didn't tell everyone what we were up to, so we can refer to it safely outside meetings."

"The Defense Association?" said Cho. "The D.A. for short, so nobody knows what we're talking about?"

"Yeah, the D.A.'s good," said Ginny. "Only let's make it stand for Dumbledore's Army because that's the Ministry's worst fear, isn't it?"

There was a good deal of appreciative murmuring and laughter at this.

"All in favor of the D.A.?" said Hermione bossily, kneeling up on her cushion to count. "That's a majority — motion passed!"

She pinned the piece of paper with all of their names on it on the wall and wrote _DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY_ across the top in large letters.

"Right," said Harry, when she had sat down again. "shall we get practicing then? I was thinking, the first thing we should do is _Expelliarmus_, you know, the Disarming Charm. I know it's pretty basic but I've found it really useful —"

"Oh _please_," said Zacharias Smith, rolling his eyes and folding his arms. "I don't think Expelliarmus is exactly going to help us against You-Know-Who, do you?"

"I've used it against him," said Harry quietly. "It saved my life last June. But if you think it's beneath you, you can leave."

Smith did not move. Nor did anybody else. Fred coughed loudly which sounded like_ 'You're welcome'._

"Yes, we can thank Professor Snape for that one," said Harry, getting a vivid memory of Lockhart flying backwards back from his second year._ "_Okay, i reckon we should all divide into pairs and practice."

Everybody got to their feet at once and started to divide up.

Branin, feeling a bit insulted that Zachary left him to partner up with Rose, was more surprised to see that Matthew was standing next to him. "You wanna partner up?" Matthew asked.

"Wouldn't Alice rather be with _you_, Greenley?" asked Branin venomously.

Matthew shook his head. "She's partnered up with Luna. But unless you'd rather be with Neville, i understand."

Branin turned his head and saw that Neville was practicing with Harry. Seeing as he had no other choice, Branin had to swallow his pride and say, "Fine, let's go."

Matthew grinned slightly as he followed Branin. When they reached an open spot near the middle of the room, Matthew said, "So, have you been having a good year?"

"Oh _yeah_," said Branin in a drone. "Really great, new rules every where, my only few friends are pissed at me, and we just happen to have a great old toad for a teacher who things anyone like me is trash. How about you?"

Matthew frowned. "You know, i don't know exactly how that works out, how are you a half-werewolf?"

Branin have him a questioning look as Matthew said, "Fred told me."

Branin sighed and said, "I was attacked when i was really little by some werwolf who wasn't completely into his transformation, it happens from time to time, and i guess i didn't get the full blow of it so m parents sent me away..."

"Do you still have all the abilities that full werewolves has?" asked Matthew.

"More or less," shrugged Branin. He glanced around and saw that Harry was busy with the Creevey brothers. "Why do you care? Aren't we supposed be at each other's necks by now?"

Matthew ran a hand through his hair, took a deep breath and said, "I - er - wanted to apologise to you, actually, for last year, and i didn't get any chance before now to say so..."

"For what? Punching me in the eye? It didn't send me to the hospital wing, who cares?" said Branin, his eyebrows shooting downwards.

Matthew knew this would happen. "Listen, i know we're not best mates-"

"We aren't even acquaintances," said Branin scratchily.

"Yeah..." said Matthew a bit awkwardly. He opened his mouth to continue when Harry said, "Okay, stop! Stop! STOP!" then a loud blowing sound went off, as he now had a whistle in his hand. They turned to face him.

"That wasn't bad," said Harry. "but there's definite room for improvement. Let's try again..."

They others went off and Matthew continued. "I'm just saying, i know you weren't in your right state of mind and i'm _really_ sorry, i shouldn't have done what i did, and i hope you can forgive me-"

"And why should i do that?" said Branin suddenly, an odd gold glint in his eyes. "Because i kissed your _girlfriend_?"

Matthew's eyes widened. "What do you mean-?"

"You know what i mean, _Greenley_," said Branin acidly. "I saw you two at Hogsmeade, going at in an alley. How long have you two been together behind everyone's backs, huh? Was it before or after i kissed her? Didn't want me butting in, i except. Is it nice getting a kiss back from someone who actually _likes_ you back?"

Matthew stared at him, wide-eyed, as he went on. "I'd never get a chance like that again," growled Branin. "I don't want your stupid apology. I want her apologise to me for being such an unforgiving bi-"

"And can you believe it?" said Fred, collecting his wand again, as Sam blew it out of his hand with her quick Disarming spell. "The bloody rat-like almost stabbed my eye out-"

He stopped as wand flew and knocked him in the head. "Oi! Who lost a wand-?" he said, picking it up. He nearly dropped it again as he turned and saw that Branin was grabbing onto Matthew's arm, trying to point his wand away from him hitting him in the face, though it was pretty obvious that Matthew was winning. Both of their faces were contorted in rage.

"FIGHT!" said someone as Fred and a few others ran over to separate them.

"Okay, okay, no fighting, guys," said Harry loudly, rushing over and helping Fred pry them apart. Matthew was saying _"Don't you ever call her that again!"_ as Fred dragged him backwards.

"Okay, let's just separate you two-" said Harry soothingly as Zachary smoothed Branin's uniform down. Harry was cut off, however, as Branin yelled out, "FINE! LET HIM BE WITH HIS STUCK-UP GIRLFRIEND!"

They stared at him. "What are you-?" said Harry, looking confused.

"Oh, _you_ don't know either?" snapped Branin, his usually blue eyes looking a raging gold colour. "_Fine_, i'll tell them. Greenley and _her_," He pointed to Rose with a trembling finger. "_lovely _sister have been going at behind everyone's backs since last year! Isn't that just _grand_? Let's just let them be then! That's what they want anyway!"

"Oh shet, seriously?" said Evan, who was standing near Ron. "Good for ya, mate!"

However, his happy comment was faded out as a soft crying noise filtered through the air.

They turned their heads around to look for the source of the noise when one side, stepping either left or right, made a pathway to Alice, who was near the back, standing next to a perplexed looking Luna. Tears were steadily going down her pale cheeks.

"Alice." said Matthew, his voice full of noting but caring. He pulled himself out of Fred's loosened grip and dashed over to her. Alice shook her head as he got closer to her and ran out of the room before he could hug her to him to soothe her, slamming the door behind her. The sound of the door's loud slam and her crying lingered in the air. Matthew stood staring at the door, looking, probably to Branin's satisfaction, very defeated.

"Let's say next Wednesday night, then," said Harry weakly after a few awkward moments. "and we can decide on additional meetings then... Come on, we'd better get going..."

Alice ran down the corridor, wiping her tears from her eyes. When the time came she'd let it go that she and Matthew were together, it would be nice, she'd get some encouraging words and Fred would make fun of them but she wouldn't care. But that ... that's not what she wanted at all. Yes, she wished she could have just stayed there and let Matthew hold her, have anyone tell her it would be okay, but that isn't what she did. She ran down the stairs as fast as her legs could carry her until she found what she was looking for. She stood in front of the wooden door and, shaking slightly, knocked on it loudly.

There was shuffling and it opened. A tall and darkly silhouetted figure stood in the doorway. "Alice...?"

"Dad?" said Alice weakly, her eyes still leaving trails of tears on her cheeks. "Can i talk to you?"

Severus furrowed his brows and nodded. He opened the door wider and she stepped into his candle lit office.

"Alice?" said Severus softly, snapping the door shut as she stood in the middle of the room, looking down at her shoes. "What's wrong? Shouldn't you be back at your common room...?"

"I h-have to tell you something," said Alice, wiping her cheek again. She sniffed and said, "I-i don't want you to find out from anyone e-else, because i k-know it w-would be u-untrue..."

Severus stepped in front of her and put his hands gently on her shoulders. "What is it?"

Alice looked up at him, their similar eyes locking. "M-me and Matt are d-dating..."

Severus stared down at her and her eyes watered again. "I k-know we should have told you e-earlier, b-but it after what H-Haskell did last year, and w-we didn't want any negative attention, b-but i can't get into the d-details of it, but everyone will know by t-tomorrow, and t-that stupid plan backfired on u-us i guess..."

"You mean Matthew Greenley, i presume?" said Severus. Alice blinked at him, shocked by his caring tone. She nodded. "I knew you'd h-hate him, being a G-Gryffindor and older than m-me..."

"Does he make you happy?" said Severus, rubbing his thumbs on her shoulders. She stood there, frozen, and said, "I've never been happier..."

"Except for now," said Severus. Alice nodded and said, "B-but it wasn't his f-fault, it was -"

"You don't have to say who did what," said Severus. "Are you alright?"

Alice sniffed and nodded. "I just wanted you to g-get it from me, not some other stupid kid here..."

"You're not stupid, Alice," said Severus soothingly. "And who says i hate Greenley?"

Alice stared at him, her eyes still a little watery. "What do you mean?"

"Well," said Severus simply. "I can't - ah - dislike someone who makes my daughter happy, can i?"

"I don't know," said Alice, the end of her mouth twitching.

"Listen to me," said Severus seriously. "You're my child and i want you to have whatever makes you happiest in life, and if he's one of those things, then i'm happy for you, both of you actually, since he gets your affections back. I had a say in any of this, i'd never let you date anyone, because i'd never think anyone would live up to _my_ standards, but i'm not the one they need to impress..."

Alice smiled up at him appreciatively as he said, "Just remember that i'm always going to be the most important man in your life, alright?"

"You know you are," laughed Alice. Severus gave a small smile to her and she wiped her eyes off. "Go get some sleep, okay? I'll see you in the morning."

Alice hugged him and he added, "And if anyone gives you any trouble, they'll have more than your - er - _boyfriend's_ wrath to deal with."

"I love you, dad." said Alice softly.

"I love you too." said Severus, bending downwards and pecking her on the forehead.

* * *

><p>Matthew, leaving the D.A. meeting before everyone else, ignoring Fred's and others attempts to stop and talk to him, quickly ran back to the Gryffindor Tower. He stepped through the portrait hole and not going over to Rhys and Patrick, who were waiting near the fire for him, he slumped into his dormitory and flopped onto his bed, feeling worse than he had ever felt in his whole life.<p>

Did Alice hate him now? She probably did, she wouldn't let him near her. How could they have been so stupid? They could have handled others snappy remarks, but that...

Matthew groaned into his pillow. He didn't want to lose her because of this, he had gone on dates with some girls in his fourth year just to see around, and a few were actually pretty great, but they weren't Alice, they didn't believe in him like she did, she made him happy, and he hoped that he made her happy in return, but now, that seemed like some ill-faded dream.

Matthew didn't bother to change out of his uniform until he drifted off into a very dark and uneventful sleep.

However, he did wake up the next morning from a very loud smack against his head.

"Ow!" said Matthew suddenly, propped against his elbow and rubbing his head. Rhys stood next to his bed, his eyes exaggeratedly wide. "So, ya' didn't think about tellin' us earlier, did ya'?"

"What do you mean?" moaned Matthew, sitting up against his bed's headboard.

"Please," said Cormac, who sitting on his own bed. "Don't act you don't know, we heard all the fifth years talking about it in the common room last night after you slouched off to bed."

"Oh..." said Matthew, understanding what they were saying. "What did they say?"

"Nothing bad," said Patrick, looking like he was fighting back a smile. "I think the girls especially liked it, they thought it was cute, whole Gryffindor and Slytherin thing, it's like forbidden _love_."

They started laughing at Matthew's dumbstruck face. "_Really_?"

"Yeah, really," said Rhys, sitting down on the edge of Matthew's bed. "Why didn't ya' tell us, mate? We're your best friends, we wouldn't have made fun of ya' for it."

"Except now we can," said Cormac with a grin.

"Like hell we can," said Rhys, nodding in agreement. "But who cares now, eh? How's she like?"

"What do you mean?" asked Matthew, not believing his luck.

"How's Alice, ya' idiot! Is she nice? _Spicy_?" asked Rhys, smiling wickedly at him.

"We want to know every disgusting detail." said Cormac, snickering.

"We don't have any disgusting details," said Matthew, frowning slightly.

"Well, tell us about her at least." said Patrick.

Matthew sighed and ran a hand through his hair and, despite himself, smiled. "She's amazing, really. I never met someone like her, she just makes me happy, i don't want to be with someone else unless it's her..."

Matthew went on like that for a few minutes, losing himself a bit in it until Rhys said, "Well, it's definitely gonna suck dragon balls if you two break up over this, innit?"

Matthew's smiled flattered. 'Oh, yeah, right..."

"Listen mate," said Patrick, talking earnestly to him. "Just go and apologise to her, we'll be supporting you from the sidelines, alright?"

"And if everything goes swimmingly," said Rhys with another wicked grin. "You can properly introduce her to us, and if she happens to like me more, then tough nails, Matty."

"Shut up." said Matthew and Rhys laughed at him.

* * *

><p>Alice, having not returned back to the Slytherin common room when everyone else had gone off to bed, she slunk in her own bed and drifted of to sleep and woke up the next morning to an empty dormitory.<p>

She got dressed again into new clothes and stepped down the stone stairs towards the main area of the common room, an odd knot in her stomach. She barely stood on the stone floor when someone, much bigger than her, grabbed her from behind her and lifted her in the air.

She gave out a girly scream and an annoying familiar voice started laughing. "FRED! LET ME DOWN!"

"You wish!" said Fred, smiling widely and carrying Alice, who was unsuccessfully trying to get out of his grip. He carried her until he dropped her ungracefully onto one of the dark leather couches near the fire. "So," said Fred, taking the seat next to his ruffled looking twin sister. "How good of a snogger is Matty? I reckon he's at least a nine-"

Alice groaned, covering her face with her hands as Fred started laughing again. "Come on! Don't get like that! I'm happy for you!"

Alice lowered her hands slightly. "Really?"

"Oh yeah," said Fred. "I mean, yes, you probably should have told us earlier, i can't make up my relationship song for you both on such short notice-"

"But you can still use that nickname for 'em, won't you?" said Rose, walking over. "You alright, Alice?"

Alice nodded. "Y-yeah, i told dad last night, you know, so he wouldn't get second-hand information..."

"So _that's_ where you went," said Fred. "Me and Evan were betting that you were hanging out with Moaning Mrytle."

"Not in this lifetime," said Alice, causing her two siblings to laugh. "So, um, " said Rose slowly. "I want to go get breakfast? We still have class today, you know..."

Alice nodded. "Yeah, let's go-"

"Oh good," said Fred as they walked out of the dungeon. "I need to see mum's reaction to this, she'll think it's _adorable_."

They walked in silence until they reached the Great Hall, which, much to Fred's disappointment, didn't instantly turn all their heads when Alice walked in with them.

They started towards the Slytherin table until someone said, "Alice?"

They turned around and saw Matthew standing behind them, looking a mixture of very nervous and worried.

"Oh, we better go, c'mon." said Fred, pushing Rose along. Alice stepped closer to him when they walked away and Matthew said, "Listen, i-i'm sorry, for everything, i lost my cool again a - and i just want you to know that i wouldn't do anything to hurt you, and if you want to b - break it off, i understand -"

He was cut off as Alice pushed herself up on her toes and kissed him quickly on the mouth. "I'm not through all of that for nothing, Matt, don't say that."

Matthew smiled at her and she placed another kiss on him. "At least now we don't have to hide it..."

A wadded up piece of parchment flew and Matthew squarely in the head. He bent down and picked it up and unfolded it, reading the message it had written upon it.

"What does it say?" asked Alice quietly.

"It says if i do anything to make you unhappy, Fred needs full privledges to whack me with a Beater's bat." said Matthew, looking up from the note.

Alice spun quickly and looked towards the Slytherin table. "FRED!"

Fred waved for the Slytherin table, grinning from ear to ear. "Name one of your kids after me!"

"I hate him." said Alice as Matthew laughed.

* * *

><p>Over the following two weeks, the whole truth of them holding secret defence lessons and resisting her from under Umbridge very nose was all too satisfying to say the least. They were doing the very thing that she and the Ministry most feared. Harry particularly liked dwelling on the memories of their most recent meetings, remembering how Neville had successfully disarmed Hermione, how Colin Creevey had mastered the Impediment Jinx after three meetings' hard effort, how Parvati Patil had produced such a good Reductor Curse that she had reduced the table carrying all the Sneakoscopes to dust. Luckily for them, Harry had, for the most part, kept Branin away from anyone who'd cause him trouble, so he stayed with his fellow Ravenclaws during the meetings, though he still gave venomously mean looks to Matthew whenever he could.<p>

Though almost impossible to fix a regular night of the week for D.A. meetings, as they had to accommodate three separate Quidditch teams' practices, which were often rearranged depending on the weather conditions; but Harry was not sorry about this, he had a feeling that it was probably better to keep the timing of their meetings unpredictable. If anyone was watching them, it would be hard to make out a pattern.

Hermione soon devised a very clever method of communicating the time and date of the next meeting to all the members in case they needed to change it at short notice, because it would look so suspicious if people from different Houses were seen crossing the Great Hall to talk to each other too often. She gave each of the members of the D.A. a fake Galleon (Ron became very excited when he saw the basket at first, convinced that she was actually giving out gold).

"You see the numerals around the edge of the coins?" Hermione said, holding one up for examination at the end of their fourth meeting. The coin gleamed fat and yellow in the light from the torches.

"On real Galleons that's just a serial number referring to the goblin who cast the coin. On these fake coins, though, the numbers will change to reflect the time and date of the next meeting. The coins will grow hot when the date changes, so if you're carrying them in a pocket you'll be able to feel them. We take one each, and when Harry sets the date of the next meeting he'll change the numbers on his coin, and because I've put a Protean Charm on them, they'll all change to mimic his."

A blank silence greeted Hermione's words. She looked around at all the faces upturned to her, rather disconcerted.

"Well — I thought it was a good idea," she said uncertainly, "I mean, even if Umbridge asked us to turn out our pockets, there's nothing fishy about carrying a Galleon, is there? But, well, if you don't want to use them..."

"You can do a Protean Charm?" said Terry Boot.

"Yes," said Hermione.

"But that's ... that's N.E.W.T. standard, that is," he said weakly.

"Oh," said Hermione, trying to look modest. "Oh ... well ... yes, I suppose it is..."

"How come you're not in Ravenclaw?" he demanded, staring at Hermione with something close to wonder. "With brains like yours?"

"Well, the Sorting Hat did seriously consider putting me in Ravenclaw during my Sorting," said Hermione brightly, "but it decided on Gryffindor in the end. So does that mean we're using the Galleons?"

There was a murmur of assent and everybody moved forward to collect one from the basket.

Goodness knows why, but when Evan got his, he bit down on it with his teeth.

"Why are you doing that for, Evan?" asked Ina, slapping it out of his hand.

"It's an old trick my dad told me," said Evan with a wink. "If the middle is solid, like this one, it can be fooled off as actual gold, he's seen a bucnh that were all soft in the middle but no one knew they were fake."

Ina gave out a low hum. "Well, how about that..."

* * *

><p>"I tell you what," said Cormac, laying on his bed and making tiny red sparks out of his wand. "If i was on the team, that would have never happened."<p>

"What? You mean that little ferret insulting out team so much that they almost hit him within an inch of his life?" asked Patrick.

"Pretty much, yeah." said Cormac. "And guess where we are now? No Seeker, no Beaters.."

"Angelina is gonna get replacements for them, don't worry," said Matthew, waving him off.

"Yeah, but we're losing our man power without them on the team!" said Cormac loudly, making Rory jump a little from his own bed. "I mean, yeah, we won, but just barely, Weasley can't Keep worth a damn-"

"Oh come on," said Patrick. "he isn't that bad, it was that song the other side were singing, it was rude..."

"Weasley is our king..." said Rhys dreamily. "Hmm, you reckon we could change it so it was a pro-Weasley song?"

"Like it matters," said Cormac, fuming. "He's gonna resign before you know it, just wait, i'll take it up after him-"

Rory looked out the window of their dormitory and said, "Hey, Hagrid's back..."

"Huh?" said Cormac, turning to face him.

"Hagrid, he's back," said Rory, pointing out the window towards the now lit-hut. A small and pudgy figure was walking over to it. "Oh, i think Umbridge is going to introduce herself to him..."

"I hope his dog eats her." said Rhys scratchily as Cormac went on rambling.

* * *

><p>The fifth year Slytherins stalked down to Hagrid's hut, wondering whether Umbridge would be inspecting the lesson. They arrived just after teh Gryffindors, and Draco hardly kept back his snickering as they noticed that Hagrid was covered in green and yellow bruises and some still bleeding cuts. It definitely did not help that Hagrid was carrying what looked like half a dead cow over his shoulder.<p>

"We're workin' in here today!" Hagrid called happily to the approaching students, jerking his head back at the dark trees behind him. "Bit more sheltered! Anyway, they prefer the dark..."

"What prefers the dark?" Malfoy said sharply to Crabbe and Goyle, a trace of panic in his voice. "What did he say prefers the dark — did you hear?"

"Oh, you scared, Malfoy?" asked Rose, smirking at his paler-than-usual face.

"No," Draco lied through his teeth. "I don't want you girls to get too scared of the tint insects in there!"

"Sure, you keep saying that, Malfoy." said Rose as Hagrid happily said, "Ready? Right, well, I've bin savin' a trip inter the forest fer yer fifth year. Thought  
>we'd go an' see these creatures in their natural habitat. Now, what we're studyin' today is pretty rare, I reckon I'm probably the on'y person in Britain who's managed ter train 'em —"<p>

"And you're sure they're trained, are you?" said Malfoy, the panic in his voice even more pronounced now. "Only it wouldn't be the first time you'd brought wild stuff to class, would it?"

" 'Course they're trained," said Hagrid, scowling and hoisting the dead cow a little higher on his shoulder.

"So what happened to your face, then?" demanded Malfoy.

"Mind yer own business!" said Hagrid, angrily. "Now if yeh've finished askin' stupid questions, follow me!"

He turned and strode straight into the forest. Nobody seemed much disposed to follow. Harry glanced at Ron and Hermione, and they three stepped forwards, leading the rest of the class.

They walked for about ten minutes until they reached a place where the trees stood so closely together that it was as dark as twilight and there was no snow on the ground at all. Hagrid deposited his half a cow with a grunt on the ground, stepped back, and turned to face his class again, most of whom were creeping toward him from tree to tree, peering around nervously as though expecting to be set upon at any moment.

"Gather roun', gather roun'," said Hagrid encouragingly. "Now, they'll be attracted by the smell o' the meat but I'm goin' ter give 'em a call anyway, 'cause they'll like ter know it's me..."

He turned, shook his shaggy head to get the hair out of his face, and gave an odd, shrieking cry that echoed through the dark trees like the call of some monstrous bird. Nobody laughed; most of them looked too scared to make a sound.

Hagrid gave the shrieking cry again. A minute passed in which the class continued to peer nervously over their shoulders and around trees for a first glimpse of whatever it was that was coming. Though none of them could see what it was, some invisible creature began to tear flesh from the dead  
>cow.<p>

"Why doesn't Hagrid call again?" asked Ina quietly.

Most of the rest of the class were wearing expressions as confused and nervously expectant and were still gazing everywhere but at the invisible creature standing feet from them.

"Oh, an' here comes another one!" said Hagrid proudly "Now, put yer hands up, who can see 'em?"

Harry raised his hand. Hagrid nodded at him. "Yeah ... yeah, I knew you'd be able ter, Harry," he said seriously. "An' you too, Neville, eh? An' —"

"Excuse me," said Malfoy in a sneering voice, "but what exactly are we supposed to be _seeing_?"

For answer, Hagrid pointed at the cow carcass on the ground. The whole class stared at it for a few seconds, then several people gasped  
>and Parvati squealed. Bits of flesh stripping themselves away from the bones and vanishing into thin air looked very odd indeed.<p>

"What's doing it?" Parvati demanded in a terrified voice, retreating behind the nearest tree. "What's eating it?"

"Thestrals," said Hagrid proudly and Ina nodded in understanding. "Hogwarts has got a whole herd of 'em in here. Now, who knows — ?"

"But they're really, really unlucky!" interrupted Parvati, looking alarmed. "They're supposed to bring all sorts of horrible misfortune on people who see them. Professor Trelawney told me once —"

"No, no, no," said Hagrid, chuckling. "tha's jus' superstition, that is, they aren' unlucky, they're dead clever an' useful! 'Course, this lot don' get a lot o' work, it's mainly jus' pullin' the school carriages unless Dumbledore's takin' a long journey an' don' want ter Apparate — an' here's another couple, look —"

One must have pass by Parvati, because she shivered and pressed herself closer to the tree, saying, "I think I felt something, I think it's near me!"

"Don' worry, it won' hurt yeh," said Hagrid patiently. "Righ', now, who can tell me why some o' you can see them an' some can't?"

Hermione raised her hand.

"Go on then," said Hagrid, beaming at her.

"The only people who can see thestrals," she said, "are people who have seen death."

Ina, for some reason which Rose nor Sam knew, gave out an odd anxious noise in her thought.

"Tha's exactly right," said Hagrid solemnly. "Ten points ter Gryffindor. Now, thestrals —"

_"Hem, hem."_

A wave of loathing spread through them as Professor Umbridge arrived. She was standing a few feet away from Harry, wearing her green hat and cloak, her clipboard at the ready. Hagrid, who had never heard Umbridge's fake cough before, was gazing in some concern at the closest thestral, evidently under the impression that it had made the sound.

_"Hem, hem."_

"Oh hello!" Hagrid said, smiling, having located the source of the noise.

"You received the note I sent to your cabin this morning?" said Umbridge, in a loud, slow voice as though she was addressing somebody both foreign and very slow. "Telling you that I would be inspecting your lesson?"

"Oh yeah," said Hagrid brightly. "Glad yeh found the place all righ'! Well, as you can see — or, I dunno — can you? We're doin' thestrals today —"

"I'm sorry?" said Umbridge loudly, cupping her hand around her ear and frowning. "What did you say?"

Hagrid looked a little confused. "Er — thestrals!" he said loudly. "Big — er — winged horses, yeh know!"

He flapped his gigantic arms hopefully. Professor Umbridge raised her eyebrows at him and muttered as she made a note on her clipboard, _" 'has . . . to . . . resort . . . to . . . crude . . . sign . . . language . . .' "_

"Well . . . anyway . . ." said Hagrid, turning back to the class and looking slightly flustered. "Erm . . . what was I sayin'?"

_" 'Appears . . . to . . . have . . . poor . . . short . . . term . . . memory . . .' " _muttered Umbridge, loudly enough for everyone to hear her. Draco  
>Malfoy looked as though Christmas had come a month early. Rose stepped on his foot roughly, causing his stupid grin to be replaced by a pained expression.<p>

"Oh yeah," said Hagrid, throwing an uneasy glance at Umbridge's clipboard, but plowing on valiantly. "Yeah, I was gonna tell yeh how come we got a herd. Yeah, so, we started off with a male an' five females. This one," he patted the invisible thing. "name o' Tenebrus, he's my special favorite, firs' one born here in the forest —"

"Are you aware," Umbridge said loudly, interrupting him. "that the Ministry of Magic has classified thestrals as 'dangerous'?"

Hagrid chuckled. "Thestrals aren' dangerous! All righ, they might take a bite outta you if yeh really annoy them —"

_" 'Shows . . . signs . . . of . . . pleasure . . . at . . . idea . . . of . . . violence . . . '_ " muttered Umbridge, scribbling on her clipboard again.

"No — come on!" said Hagrid, looking a little anxious now. "I mean, a dog'll bite if yeh bait it, won' it — but thestrals have jus' got a bad reputation because o' the death thing — people used ter think they were bad omens, didn' they? Jus' didn' understand, did they?"

Umbridge did not answer; she finished writing her last note, then looked up at Hagrid and said, again very loudly and slowly, "Please continue teaching as usual. I am going to walk" — she mimed walking — Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson were having silent fits of laughter — "among the students" — she pointed around at individual members of the class — "and ask them questions." She pointed at her mouth to indicate talking.

Hagrid stared at her, clearly at a complete loss to understand why she was acting as though he did not understand normal English.

As Umbridge walked toward Pansy, Hagrid, clearly struggling, said, "Erm . . . anyway, so — thestrals. Yeah. Well, there's loads o' good stuff abou' them..."

"Do you find," said Professor Umbridge in a ringing voice to Pansy, "that you are able to understand Professor Hagrid when he talks?"

Pansy had tears of laughter in her eyes; indeed, her answer was almost incoherent because she was trying to suppress her giggles. "No ... because ... well ... it sounds ... like grunting a lot of the time ..."

Umbridge scribbled on her clipboard. The few unbruised bits of Hagrid's face flushed, but he tried to act as though he had not heard Pansy's answer.

"Er ... yeah ... good stuff abou' thestrals. Well, once they're tamed, like this lot, yeh'll never be lost again. 'Mazin' senses o' direction, jus' tell 'em where yeh want ter go —"

"Assuming they can understand you, of course," said Malfoy loudly, and Pansy collapsed in a fit of renewed giggles. Professor Umbridge smiled indulgently at them and then turned to Neville.

"You can see the thestrals, Longbottom, can you?" she said. Neville nodded.

"Whom did you see die?" she asked, her tone indifferent.

"My ... my grandad," said Neville.

"And what do you think of them?" she said, waving her stubby hand at the invisible creatures, who by now had stripped a great deal of the carcass down to bone.

"Erm," said Neville nervously, with a glance at Hagrid. "Well, they're - er - okay..."

_" 'Students . . . are . . . too . . . intimidated . . . to . . . admit . . . they . . . are . . . frightened. . . .' "_ muttered Umbridge, making another note on her clipboard.

"No!" said Neville, looking upset, "no, I'm not scared of them — !"

"It's quite all right," said Umbridge, patting Neville on the shoulder with what she evidently intended to be an understanding smile, though it looked more like a leer.

"Well, Hagrid," she turned to look up at him again, speaking once more in that loud, slow voice, "I think I've got enough to be getting along with...You will receive" — she mimed taking something from the air in front of her — "the results of your inspection" — she pointed at the clipboard — "in ten days' time." She held up ten stubby little fingers, then, her smile wider and more toadlike than ever before beneath her green hat, she bustled from their midst, leaving Malfoy and Pansy in fits of laughter, Neville was looking confused and upset.

* * *

><p>December arrived, bringing with it more snow and a positive avalanche of homework for the fifth years. Prefect duties also became more and more onerous as Christmas approached. They were called upon to supervise the decoration of the castle ("You try putting up tinsel when Peeves has got the other end and is trying to strangle you with it," said Ron), to watch over first and second years spending their break times inside because of the bitter cold ("And they're cheeky little snotrags, you know, we definitely weren't that rude when we were in first year," said Ron), and to patrol<br>the corridors in shifts with Argus Filch, who suspected that the holiday spirit might show itself in an outbreak of wizard duels ("He's got dung for brains, that one," said Ron furiously). Though Rose suspected that Harry was in a slightly bad mood due to not wanting to spend his holidays at Hogwarts without Ron, he seemed much relieved later to find out that Ron's mother had written to say they would let him stay with them instead. Then, of course, there was the lingering feeling of Sirius being alone, locked up in his mother's house with the snout-nosed house elf who hates them...

"Evan's father invited us over for Christmas in Ireland," said Ina, sitting on her green and silver bed. "Raina is staying with her boyfriend Omar over in Russia while Eloise is shacking up with Louis."

"Why Russia?" asked Rose, laying on her own bed.

Ina shrugged. "They're just visiting."

"Hey, if they get married, would that make us sisters?" asked Sam, looking at her. Ina thought for a moment and said, "You're right! How about that!"

"Well," said Rose. "If they get married, and then Sam marries Fred, would that technically make us all sisters through marriage?"

"Oh," said Sam happily. "We should do that."

They giggled at that idea and Ina sighed. She looked at Rose and noticed teh slightly empty look in her eyes. "Rose..?"

"Hmm?" said Rose, looking up at her.

"If you don't mind me asking," said Ina, her brows furrowed. "But do you, ah, lik_e_ someone?"

Rose's eyes widened. "What do you-?"

"You know," said Ina. "_Like_ someone?"

"Like how me and Fred like each other." said Sam, her face beaming.

"Oh, um..." said Rose awkwardly. She looked down at her hands and said after a few silent moments, "Y-yeah, i do..."

"You do?" asked Sam happily, straightening herself out, making her look more perky than ever. "Who?"

Rose stared at them. "If i tell you, you won't laugh, okay?"

"Slytherin honour." said Sam, putting a hand over her heart. Ina nodded.

"Okay, um, " started Rose slowly. "He's in our year..."

"So you're not pulling what your brother and sister did with older students? Alright." said Ina, smirking slightly at Sam's wide grin.

"And he's not in our house..." said Rose.

"Thank _god_," said Sam dramatically. "I don't think we could be friends if you liked Malfoy!"

"Ew! Never!" said Rose with a disgusted face. "Anyway, he's brilliant, and he has dark hair, and he's so nice and he has gorgeous eyes and-"

"Oh my god," said Sam, her eyes wide. "You like Harry, don't you?"

"No!" said Rose, waving her hands, looking embarrassed. "I mean, he's my friend, and he's great but, he's more like a brother to me, you know?"

"So that's a no to getting you a 'Future Mrs Potter' shirt then?" said Sam.

"Unfortunately so," said Rose, smiling slightly. "But-"

"Sam, honestly, isn't it obvious?" said Ina, grinning at Rose. "Rose doesn't like him, she likes -" Ina wrote a large 'Z' in the air with her finger. Sam stared at her wide-eyed and said, "Oh my god, Rose likes Zorro?"

"Fred has had way too much influence on you," said Ina, shaking her head as Rose and Sam started laughing. "Am i right though?"

Rose stiffened her laugher and nodded her head, slightly pink in the face.

"Oh! When did you started liking him?" asked Sam, looking excited.

Rose rubbed her arm and said, "Since Yule Ball..."

"_Really_?" said Sam loudly, causing Ina to ssh her. "How so?"

"I dunno," said Rose. "We were having such a good time and something just clicked in me, and i don't know how to go about it without making it awkward for both of us..."

"Oh please," said Sam. "Me and Fred are still friends, but we just happen to snog from time to time, we still laugh and hang out together, kissing and going on dates and all that good stuff is just bonuses for us."

"She's right, you know." said Ina.

Rose looked at their eager faces. "But, how do i know if the time is right? You know, to go forward with it?"

"Listen," said Sam, smiling at her. "You know the time is right when you look into his eyes and you just feel like your heart is going to burst of happiness, just go for it, it worked for us."

* * *

><p>Later, the three of them made their way to the Room of Requirement for the last D.A. meeting before the holidays. They reached the polished door and entered the room, where, as always, a few people where already waiting. Luna was looking up at the ceiling, looking as dreamy as ever.<p>

"Hello," she said vaguely as they walked over to her.

"Look, there's mistletoe," said Luna dreamily, pointing at a large clump of white berries placed almost over Sam's head. She was going to jump out from under it when Fred snuck over and kissed her. "You didn't think you'd get out of that one so easily, did you?" he laughed, hugging her.

"Oh, i wouldn't do that," said Luna very seriously. "Mistletoe is often infested with nargles."

"What's a nargle?" asked Rose. Ina shrugged her shoulders as Fred and Sam giggled.

In five minutes time, the room filled up once again. Much like Harry, Branin looked extremely glum, though it probably wasn't for the same reason.

"Okay," Harry said, calling them all to order. "I thought this evening we should just go over the things we've done so far, because it's the last meeting before the holidays and there's no point starting anything new right before a three-week break —"

"We're not doing anything new?" said Zacharias Smith, in a disgruntled whisper loud enough to carry through the room. "If I'd known that, I wouldn't have come..."

"We're all really sorry Harry didn't tell you, then." said Fred loudly, his dark brows shooting downwards.

Several people sniggered.

"We can practice in pairs," said Harry. "We'll start with the Impediment Jinx, just for ten minutes, then we can get out the cushions and try Stunning again."

They all divided up obediently; Harry partnered Neville as usual.

The room was soon full of intermittent cries of "_Impedimenta_!" People froze for a minute or so, during which their partners would stare aimlessly around the room watching other pairs at work, then would unfreeze and take their turn at the jinx.

"This group doesn't help us at all, does it?" said Zacharias loudly. "We're just practicing the same thing over and over and _over_ -"

"Well, it's really useful, isn't it?" said Zachary suddenly, breaking off from working with Terry Boot.

"What? Like _you_ need it," said Zacharias, his eyes narrowed. "Why are you even here for anyway? You're mister prefect - _perfect_, aren't you? You don't need this group, i reckon you're just here because everyone else is and you didn't want to feel left out."

Zachary's face went pale pink as Zacharias said, "Not like you have any friends anyway. You're friends with girls and stupid pranksters with anger problems and dumb hair, are you trying to get some credibility, trying to rebel against what you're taught? Oh, you're _so_ cool-"

"Will you leave him alone?" snapped an angry voice suddenly. They looked and saw that Rose had walked over, her face getting red with fury.

"Oh, look, and now Snape is here to defend you!" said Zacharias, waving his dismissively at her. "You have a damn Slytherin protecting you? Especially a girl one at that..."

Rose's temper grew as Zacharias said, "I'm surprised Harry even let them join, they're all _evil_ gits-"

"SHUT UP!" snapped Zachary, his face contorted in anger. He raised his wand at the blond Hufflepuff and Zacharias blew backwards onto the stone ground, his hair disarrayed and his wand all the way on the other side of the room.

"OI!" yelled Fred, holding Zacharias' wand in his hand. "Did Haskell lose his wand again?"

"I'm over here, you berk." Branin said, waving over at him as he practiced on Stunning pillows.

"Then who-" started Fred. He was cut off as he saw Zacharias lunge forward and knocked Zachary to the ground, bringing his arm up and forming his hand into a fist.

Fred and Branin stopped what they were doing and ran over to get him off. However, they didn't need to ask Zacharias blasted off of Zachary by a very angry Rose. Zachary laid on the ground, holding his now bleeding nose.

"How many damn fights do we have to gave here?" snapped Harry loudly. He looked at his watch and said, "Well, it's nearly time anyway, when we get back from the holidays we can start doing some of the big stuff — maybe even Patronuses."

He looked over at Rose as she helped Zachary into a sitting position, trying to help his obviously broken nose. "Alright, everyone clear out, c'mon-"

They left in threes and fours like usual and Rose stayed behind, trying to help Zachary. She helped him up to his feet and noticed that only she, Zachary, Harry. and Cho were left. Cho stood in one corner, sniffling.

"I think we better leave," said Rose softly. Zachary nodded, clutching his nose with a magically conjured up handkerchief to his nose. She lead them out, leaving Harry and Cho alone.

They walked down the corridor until they heard meowing. "Damn," said Zachary's muffled voice from under the bloody fabric. "It's Filch's cat, we better get going..."

Rose pulled on his sleeve and they sped off in the opposite direction, they could still hear the cat's meowing until Rose pulled them down a dimly-lit corridor, which was mostly hidden by a statue of a young witch holding the decapitated head of banshee in one hand, a bloody sword in the other.

Rose shuddered. "I hate banshees, here, let's hide."

They sat down in the small hall, trying to be as quiet as possible. Rose frowned as Zachary took the cloth away from his nose and see that there was still a tiny stream of blood coming from one nostril. "I can't believe that stupid Smith, who does he think he is?"

"I dunno," said Zachary, wiping his nose. He touched it with his finger gently and flinched, pulling his finger back quickly.

"Does it hurt?" asked Rose, looking worried.

"Yeah," said Zachary. He took out his wand and pointed it at his face.

"Zach -!," said Rose in an anxious whisper. "What are you doing?"

"Fixing my nose," said Zachary simply. He twitched his wand and said, '_Episkey'_.

A little white flash went off and a loud cracking noise sounded. He put his wand down and touched his nose. Though it was still bloody, it was healed, for the most part.

"You're really good at those, you know." said Rose. Zachary flicked his wand again and muttered another spell, causing the dried blood to wash off his face.

"You think?" asked Zachary quietly, putting his wand away. "I hope i would be, my dad would be happy about it..."

"Zach?" asked Rose. Zachary looked at her, his blue eyes a little tired. "Tell me, do you want to be Healer because you want to, or because your dad wants you to?"

The end of Zachary's mouth twitched. "It's all me, actually."

"Really?" asked Rose. "Because every time you talk about it it sounds like your dad is forcing you into it-"

Zachary shook his head, causing some of his dark hair to get in his eyes. "Naw, i wanted to be a Healer since i was little, i loved seeing how he worked, he was so graceful with it, it was amazing. I knew i wanted to be someone like him, respected, talented... plus, i love learning all the tricks he does, you'd never know them until you see it first-hand."

Rose smiled at how his eyes lit up when he spoke about it, she'd never seen him livelier. "What do wanna do?" asked Zachary, snapping Rose out of thought.

"I want to be an artist." said Rose quietly. Zachary smiled at her. "Really?"

Rose nodded. "That's amazing, you'll be the best they've ever seen." said Zachary.

"How do you know?" said Rose, resisting the urge to giggle. "Can you see the future?"

"No," said Zachary, smiling. "But you'd deserve it, really."

"Thanks, Zach." said Rose, her eyes sparkling at him. She shivered slightly, there was many cracks along the walls, and it was letting in the cold December air. "Damn, i should have brought my cloak..."

Zachary suddenly moved so he was next to her, taking his own Ravenclaw robe off and putting it over her shoulders. "T-thanks..."

"Don't mention it," he said. He gave out his own shiver and Rose had none of that. "Oh no, you're not getting a cold because of me-"

She pulled the robe open and dragged it around Zachary's shoulders, so they both barely fit under it. However, with their combined body heat, it made them feel at least a bit warmer. Rose yawned and put her head on his shoulder. Zachary, not exactly sure what he was doing, put his arm around her shoulders.

They sat there in silence, not remembering the reason why they were there in the first place, when Rose suddenly said, "Zach, do you like anyone?"

"I like lots of people," said Zachary absentmindedly.

"No, i mean do you _like_ anyone," said Rose, sitting up straighter and looking at him. He turned to her, staring at her pretty face. He gulped and said in a shaky voice, "Y-yeah, i d-do, actually..."

"D-do you like someone, Rose?" he asked, vivid images of Cedric and Harry flowing into his mind.

"Y-yeah," said Rose, shivering again. "But, i don't think he likes me back..."

"Who wouldn't like you back?" said Zachary. He saw Rose shiver again and he, almost by instinct, he put his arms around her, bringing her close him. Who knew he had such daring?

They sat there, Zachary's arms around her, trying to warm her up, and then looked at each other, their eyes locking, blue on green. They stared at each other, lost for words. Rose felt an overwhelming feeling go over herself, one she never felt before with anyone else except him. She adjusted herself so she sat in front of him, his robe falling off her. Zachary's eyelids lowered until they were half-way over his eyes. He put his forehead on her own, his arms snaking around her again. They were so close, he could smell the faint traces of her strawberry-scented perfume on her hair.

Rose put her arms around his chest and pressed him to her, causing his heartbeat to go a hundred miles in his ribcage, which, oddly, he could feel her heartbeat go as fast as well. Zachary was sure his heart was going to burst out of his chest when Rose brought her face close to his own.

She pressed her lips onto his own, making Zachary's eyes to widened quite a bit. It took him a moment but he relaxed, closing his eyes and moving along with what Rose was doing. Rose felt a great relief go over her body, she was _happy_. All too soon, they separated.

"R-Rose," said Zachary breathlessly, loosening one of his arms and bringing his hand to the side of her face. "I-i'm not dreaming, right?"

Rose laughed, mimicking his action and putting her own hand on the side of his face. "No, you're not."

"Oh, good," said Zachary, sounding lost for words. "I-i'd hate this to be a-another dream..."

Rose laughed again, making him laugh too in response. She loosened her other arm and she wrapped them around his shoulders, kissing him again. He tightened his grip around her and they stayed like that for quite some time until they had to properly breath again.

"R-Rose?" asked Zachary, trying to catch his breath. "N-not to ruin the mood or anything, b-but why did you-?"

Rose looked at him, bringing both of her hands to either side of his face. "Kiss you?" Zachary nodded.

"Because i've always liked you, Zach," said Rose simply, a small smile on her face. "For awhile now, actually, but i never knew you'd like me back, i'd never deserve someone like you..."

Zachary kissed her lightly, cutting her off. He looked at her straight in the eye. "I don't want anyone else but you."

He had a gleam in his eye that made it look as though he was begging for her to believe him. It made Rose know he was more than truthfully about it. "I'm mad about you, Rose." he said softly.

Rose smiled at him and said, "I'm mad about you too."

A wide smile spread on Zachary's face and he hugged her, which she gave him back. Rose loosened her grip after a few moments and Zachary held onto her hand. He lifted it up to his mouth and he kissed. He let go of it, putting his hands on either side of her face and craning his neck upwards. He placed a kiss on her forehead, making Rose scrunch up her nose and smile.

"It's funny, isn't it?" said Rose, brushing the black strands of hair out of his eyes. "We're starting this almost an exact year after the rest of them..."

Zachary put his forehead on hers once again. "It's worth the wait."

Rose couldn't have agreed more.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: That felt good. <strong>


	52. St Mungo's

After they were certain that Filch and his cat were on the other side of the castle, Rose and Zachary quickly made their way back to the stone wall leading into Slytherin common room. Rose pushed herself up on her toes and kissed Zachary again. He wrapped his arms around her middle and brought her closer to him. They separated after a moment and Rose said softly, "'Night, Zach."

Zachary gave her one kiss to the tip of her nose and smiled at her. "Night, Rose."

Though he'd rather stay with her for the remainder of the night (despite the lingering feeling that it was past midnight still hung over his brain) Zachary reluctantly left when the stone wall closed behind Rose's fiery hair. He turned and, with a new-found bounce in his step, made his way back to the Ravenclaw Tower.

He reached the bronze eagle-knocker on the door at the very top of the spiral staircase that lead up to the Tower. The eagle straightened itself out when Zachary stood in front of it and said in its clear, official- sounding voice, "Large amounts are given; you will never hate it. Overlooking destiny, you need this for you. Various ways and special days you want it for life. Everyone will encounter it at any age. What is it?"

Zachary's mouth twisted into a smile. "That's Love, i presume."

"Quite right you are." said the knocker. It went silent once more and the door swung inward. Zachary walked over the threshold and when he was far enough, the door snapped shut behind him.

The Ravenclaw common room was a wide, circular room with a midnight blue carpet, arched windows hung with soft blue and bronze silks, and a domed ceiling painted with stars. During the day, they had an excellent view of the school grounds. However, all that could be seen now was the frost-speckled, dark night sky.

"Oh, 'bout time the big ol' fighter got back!" said a voice. Zachary looked over to one of the tables in the room and saw that his fellow fifth years were sitting there waiting for him. Branin waved him over.

"Took you long enough," said Anthony Goldstein. "What kept you?"

"He was getting his nose fixed by Madam Pomfrey, obviously." said Michael Corner, pointing to Zachary's now non-broken nose.

"No, i fixed that myself," said Zachary, taking a seat next to Terry Boot.

"So what? You were taking a nice stroll by yourself?" asked Branin.

"No," said Zachary scratchily. "I mean, i guess i did take a bit of a stroll, but i had Rose with me,..."

"_Oh_," said Anthony with a grin. "You did, did you?"

"Yes?" said Zachary, frowning slightly.

Terry and Michael giggled. "You were gone for a long time," said Anthony, fighting back a laugh. "What were you two doing? Having a good snog for once?"

The four of them burst into laughter as Zachary stared impassively at them. Terry, his laughter being fought back, "Well, what was it then?"

Zachary's mouth slowly went upwards into a smile. Terry blinked at him and _ssh_-ed the others to stop laughing. "Wait, you don't mean that you and-?"

The other three stared at Zachary as he simply went on smiling at them.

"Oh my god, you didn't!" said Michael, his eyes wide. "Did you-?"

Zachary's cheeks went pale pink under their stares and he reluctantly nodded.

"My boy is a man!" said Anthony as Terry and Branin both patted Zachary on the back.

"How was it?" asked Michael.

"How was what?" said Zachary, his brows furrowed.

"Rose, ya' lovebird! Is she a good kisser?" asked Michael, looking excited.

"Oh, um," said Zachary, looking very embarssed. "She's, er, really good, i guess..."

"He means she's the best snogger this side of the globe." said Branin as the others started laughing again, Zachary's face still a pale pink colour. A few moments later, Cho Chang walked into the common room, tear stains going down her face but looking slightly happy.

"And look at that!" said Anthony, still laughing and waving his hand at Cho. "Did you get a good snogging too?"

Cho's cheeks went red. "That's none of your business."

"That means yes." giggled Terry as Cho huffed and made her way back to bed.

* * *

><p>Harry was in a deep sleep after returning from St Mungo's. He felt he had journeyed miles and miles. It seemed impossible that less than twenty-four hours ago Cho Chang had been approaching him under the mistletoe. He was so tired. He was scared to sleep, and yet he did not know how long he could fight it. Dumbledore had told him to stay, that must mean he was allowed to sleep. But he was scared, what if it happened again...?<p>

He was sinking into shadows. It was as though a film in his head had been waiting to start. He was walking down a deserted corridor toward a plain black door like he had in his dreams for the past few months, past rough stone walls, torches, and an open doorway onto a flight of stone  
>steps leading downstairs on the left. He reached the black door but could not open it. He stood gazing at it, desperate for entry. Something he wanted with all his heart lay beyond. A prize beyond his dreams, if only his scar would stop prickling, then he would be able to think more clearly...<p>

Someone whacked him on the head and it startled him, snapping his eyes open. He groaned into a sitting position as a familar voice said, "FRED!" as another one said, "What? I'm waking him up..."

"Thanks for that one, mate," said Harry groggily, rubbing his head. Fred and Rose sat on the end of his bed. Fred was beaming at him while Rose looked quite worried. "Oh Harry, are you alright? Mum and dad told us everything, the whole dreaming about Mr Weasley getting attacked by that snake, of course Fred hitting you doesn't help at all, and Mrs Weasley said you were asleep up here and-"

"Yeah, and then George and Fred told us about whatever you guys heard on the Extendable Ears," said Fred, cutting Rose off her mile-a-minute rambling. "Something 'bout you being possessed and stuff..."

Rose glared at him from the corner of her eye as Harry said, "Ah, it's always confidential with those two. When did you get here?"

"About five minutes ago." said Fred. "We would have gotten here earlier but we had to-"

"Where's your sister?" asked Harry abruptly, noticing that Alice wasn't with them.

"Oh," said Fred, smirking slightly. "That's the reason we're later, _she's_ visiting with the Greenleys for a few days, and we had to drop her off. By the way, Scotland is _lovely_ around this time of year."

"She'll be back before Christmas," said Rose, rolling her eyes at Fred's amused face. She sighed. "We'll leave you be now, i guess."

"Yeah, unless you want to come down for dinner or something," said Fred, shrugging his shoulders. "If not we'll just say you were sleeping and we didn't want to disturb you..."

"Unless they heard voices going off up here." Harry pointed out.

"It's not like they know we weren't arguing whether or not to wake you up," winked Fred. "We happen to bicker from time to time, if you didn't know."

"Do you really?" said Harry sarcastically. "I never caught on."

"Just get some rest, smart arse." said Rose as Fred giggled again.

* * *

><p>From the outside, the Greenley's hillside home was more like a castle than a manor. However, that's what Alice expected it was considering it was his family, with it's grey stone walls and what looked like towers from each corner. The snow covered thick over what must have been vividly green trees, plants and the fields surrounding the area overlooking the North Sea, which was surrounded by now-frosty white and dark grey mountains and water a dark grey. However, despite the cold exterior, the inside of the home was large and warm, and it was almost too-obvious that an all-Gryffindor family dwelled in it. Its rustic furnishings were mixed into into the reds and golds of the place. As Matthew's father, Ethan, led them around, showing Alice on a sort of tour of the place, Alice held Matthew's hand very tightly, as she was, surprisingly, nervous, despite Matthew whispering so only she could hear, 'Don't worry, they love you already.'.<p>

"And here's the Greenley crest," said Mr Greenley, waving a thick hand at the wall in the large opening hallway they were now in. The wall was decorated in old paintings and yellow-tinged black and white moving photographs of other family members. His hand directed their attention to the silver and red crest that hung in the middle of the wall, with its three red stars and a green fleur de lis in the middle. The saying '_Viresco_' was over it.

"For all ya' language buffs," said Ethan in his thick scottish accent. "That there means 'I flourish' in the old speak."

"I though it was 'Grow Green'." said Michael dismissively. Maybe it was the fact that his mother, Martha, had forced him into a rather ugly christmas sweater with little scottish terriers on it, but he seemed rather annoyed. Next to each other, Michael and Matthew almost didn't look like they were related. Michael was gangly and shorter with an almost always-angry look to him, which strangely brought the attention up to his straight brown hair and cold grey eyes, while Matthew was tall and athletic, his wavy auburn hair being contrasted by his blue and green-tinged eyes.

"All minor details, it still looks fancy as hell though, don't it?" laughed Mr Greenley loudly, smacking his eldest son on the back, making him flinch.

"The tea's done!" said Mrs Greenley's voice from the sitting room.

"Ah, better get goin' then," said Mr Greenley. "I still got lots more to show yeh, my dear."

"Oh, good." said Alice weakly. Matthew gave her a small smile, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze, and they followed his father into the sitting room. Like every other room in the place, it was large and toasty, with a large stone fireplace taking up most of one wall and with maroon and brown couches and tables. The high panelled windows were adorned with thick maroon hangings and, by what Alice could tell, the widest wall in the room was covered in what must have been Mr Greenley's many Quidditch accomplishments, as many trophies and an old Montrose Magpies jersey and robe set, plus a rather tarnished-looking broom, were the main focal of the wall itself.

"Those were the good ol' days," said Mr Greenley, nodding to the wall before taking a seat on one of the couches in front of the fireplace. "O' course, that was before little Matty here decided to show up, not like i don't love him fer it!"

He laughed mostly to himself as they others took the space on the couch opposite of him. Most likely on purpose, Matthew sat in the middle, Alice and Michael on either side of him. His brother noticed.

"So Matty," said Michael with a smirk on his thin face, his grey eyes twinkling maliciously in the firelight. "You won't let your little girlfriend sit between, eh? What for? You afraid my devilishly good looks will whisk her away from you?"

"I'm not sure where you think that dung-pile you call a face is 'devilishly handsome'," said Matthew, his voice going in a drone. "But by all means, if that makes you feel better about yourself, keep going with it."

Michael looked angry and went to retort when his mother said, "Oh honestly you two, will you go one day without bickering?"

Mrs Greenley was built rather like her eldest son, rail-thin and small, and like = him she had dark brown hair and, more significantly, the same blue and green eyes that Matthew had. Her hair was cut just below her ears and she, for the most part, looked rather stern.

"Sorry mum." Matthew and Michael both said at once.

"Good," said Mrs Greenley, taking the sit next to her husband. She turned her attention to Alice. "Now, dear, maybe you'd like telling us a bit about yourself? We can't confirm Matthew's accounts until we need the facts from the source!"

Alice felt her face heat up as they directed their attention to her. Michael looked around his brother with his arms crossed over his chest, looking slightly curious, as Matthew gave her another squeeze of the hand.

"Oh, um," started Alice, her voice shaking slightly. "I'm not sure where to start..."

"Which house are ye' in?" said Mr Greenley, waving his hand at her.

"I'm in Slytherin." said Alice automatically. Michael turned and said in a very audible whisper, "A Slytherin? _Really_ Matt?"

"We're not all bad," added Alice, her voice getting a little stronger. "It's a very biased opinion of us even though they don't know us enough to judge. It's not like every Gryffindor are big-headed prats who just want to fight everyone!"

"Damn right," said Mr Greenley, nodding appreciatively at her. "Hell, if all the little Snakes were like ya', why would anyone dislike 'em?"

"T-thanks," said Alice, blushing slightly. Michael looked affronted as Matthew smiled to himself. Mrs Greenley, however, was staring at her with narrowed eyes, as if she was scanning her for hidden evils.

"Don't ya' have your dad fer ya' Head o' House?" asked Mr Greenley.

"Oh, yeah," said Alice.

"How's that like?" asked Mrs Greenley, her thin hands clenched on her lap.

"It's not bad, i suppose," said Alice, brushing some of her hair back from her face. "I mean, he started before i was born and he would bring me and my brother and sister to the castle before we could actually go and it was pretty neat..."

"Ah, Matty told us 'about ya' brother," said Mr Greenley. "Big trouble maker, innit he?"

"That's a bit of an understatement, actually." said Alice.

Mrs Greenley made a sour face. She was probably one who was a no-nonsense type who found people like Fred unworthy of her time. No wonder Matthew couldn't try out for his house's Quidditch team sooner, she'd rip him a new one for doing such an "unintelligent" sport like that. It made you wonder how those two got together in the first place...

"So if yer dad's the Head o' House, don't the other kids don't try 'n kiss up to ya' then?" asked Mr Greenley.

"Oh yes, they always do," said Alice. "It's kinda annoying, actually. Especially this one named Evan, he's always trying to get extra points in Potions for whatever reason he can muster."

"Ah well," said Mr Greenley. "At least we all know that Matty mustn't have been too annoyin', eh?"

Michael gave out a loud snort of laugher at Matthew's pink face.

"Speakin' o' Matty," said Mr Greenley knowingly. "Would ya' like to see some ol' pictures of him?"

"Oh, um," said Alice. "I don't think-"

"Nonsense," said Mr Greenley, waving her comment off and getting up. He swaggered over to one bookshelf along the wall and got out a thick leather book. "Everyone gotta have a baby book, eh?"

"Dad, c'mon," said Matthew weakly, his face getting nearly as red as his hair. Michael bit his lip to stop his laughter. Matthew turned to him and whispered, "At least i'm not wearing the dumb sweater!"

"Grandmum made this!" Michael whispered back.

"I don't care!"

"Sit on over here, Al," said Mr Greenley, patting the small space next to him on the sofa across of them. Alice gave Matthew an apprehensive look and, reluctantly, got up and made her way over. Mrs Greenley watched her with narrowed eyes as Alice took the space besides her husband. Matthew and Michael were still silently bickering.

"Ah, where do we start then?" said Mr Greenley, patting the book gingerly. Alice shurgged her shoulder slightly and he said, "Let's start at the beginning then."

He flipped open the book to the first page, which had a moving picture of a much younger Mrs Greenley on it, laying on a massive stack of pillows and looking tired, holding a wiggling bundle of blankets in her arms.

"Ah, '79 was a good year fer me," said Mr Greenley in a sort of dreamy voice. "Mikey here was nearly ten by the time we had Matty, and my my, they were the best o' friends since the start!"

Matthew whacked his fist in Michael's stomach, making him bend over and put his hands over his abdomen and groan in obvious pain, "You hit like a girl." Their father paid no notice to them.

"He's our little Crab," said Mrs Greenley with a slightly forced smile to Alice. "He was born in June, but i'm sure you know that already...?"

"Not the best o' nicknames, dear..." Mr Greenley said weakly.

"Y-yes." said Alice. Mrs Greenley went on smiling at her with that strained smile of hers as Mr Greenley went on. "Oh, this is a good one, here's Matty when he was six on a broom fer the firs' time! Look it-"

He pointed to a picture and Alice looked. An obviously much younger Matthew waved back at them, his hair covering his eyes and smiling at them with one of his front teeth missing. He was on a broom much bigger than himself and he was zooming around with much ease, almost as if it was second nature to him. Michael, about fifteen or so, was in the background, looking very sullen.

"Doesn't got the natural wing," explained Mr Greenley. "He's more of the get-chased-by-mummies-in-tombs sorta person, ya' know what i mean?"

"Er..." said Alice.

"Anyway," said Mr Greenley, continuing on. "Let's see yer little boyfriend when he started Hogwarts, eh?"

He flipped to another page and waved his hand at it. The picture of this one was now much taller Matthew, his hair still in his eyes but he at least had all his teeth. He couldn't have been more than eleven and he waved at the camera with a large grin, a few of his other Gryffindors waving back next to him.

"Aww." said Alice despite himself.

"I know," said Mr Greenley, nodding his head. "I help make cute boys, don't i?"

His laugh boomed around the large room and shook the walls slightly. He slapped his knee and said, "Just you wait," said Mr Greenley, still laughing. "You two will be having yer own books fer ya' babies soon enough!"

Matthew's face blushed once again as Mr Greenley added, smiling widely, "But ya' better name 'em after me, that's the rule!"

* * *

><p>The Wright's home had a sort of quirkiness to it. It was a bit lopsided and it looked almost artsy, which many details of plants and hand-made additions all over the place. Mrs Zelena found it rather endearing, as Evan's mother had made them and they were just has beautiful as they must have been when she made them first. At this point, their parents were down having tea, chatting about whatever they spoke about, while Ina sat on Evan's bed in his room upstairs, looking at the patchwork quilt.<p>

"My grandmum made that," said Evan, noticing Ina's curious-looking eyes.

"Hmm?" said Ina, her hand grazing over the varied fabric. "Did she? She did a lovely job of it."

"You reckon?" said Evan, taking a seat next to her. He patted the quilt. "She's still shacking it up in New York."

"How exactly is she still in America?" asked Ina, looking at him. Evan sighed, blowing a few blond curls of his eyes and said, "Well, think of this way, my grandad got a job over here and they moved, and it was a few years later that the old Care for Magical Creatures teacher comes over to their house and is all, 'Hey, how are you? Yeah, your son has magical powers, i don't know if you noticed or not, but it's true.'"

Ina laughed and Evan smiled before continuing. "O' course then he goes to Hogwarts, right? And then he meets my mum and hey! She's a muggle-born too! Then, well, you know what happens afterwards..."

"You pop out?" asked Ina, smiling.

"Oh but o' course," said Evan silkly, wrapping his arms around her and pushing her down against the bed spread. She giggled as Evan kissed her cheeks. "Evan-! Stop!"

"No," said Evan in-between kisses, sounding bubbly. "You're too beautiful to keep myself at bay-"

"Gross," said a voice. Evan stopped mid-kiss and looked around his shoulder and saw Jackson standing in the doorway, grinning from ear to ear. "There are adults in the house, you know."

"You always know the door was closed, you damn git?" said Evan, sitting up and staring at Jackson, his eyes wide in warning. Jackson giggled and left before Evan could throw anything at him, closing the door behind him.

"Little prat," mumbled Evan. He turned back to Ina. "Now, where were we...?"

He went in to kiss her again when he noticed that she had a silver picture-frame in her hands, looking at it with her full attention. "Is this your mother?"

"What-? Oh..." said Evan as Ina turned the picture-frame to him. "Yeah, that's her..."

"She's very pretty," said Ina softly, noticing the wet look in his eyes.

Ina was right. She was a petite woman with a round face and her blond hair cut into a bob haircut, curling at the ends. The thing Ina noticed about her that really struck her, however, was her gold and brown eyes, which Evan had inherited from besides her blond hair. She beamed up at them and waved, wearing a flory sundress and sitting with a much younger Evan in her lap. Ina heard a loud sniff and tore her attention away from the picture.

"You know," said Evan, rubbing his eye and not looking at her. "I really hate getting all stuffed up every time someone talks 'bout her, it's really not good for my creditability as a man."

"Everyone cries once in awhile." said Ina reassuringly.

"Yeah, i know, but..." Evan trailed off.

Ina sighed and wrapped her arms around him, putting her head on his shoulder. "You have all the right in the world to feel sad every once in awhile, it doesn't make you any less of a person."

"You think?" said Evan, putting his own arms around her.

"Of course i do," said Ina, looking at him. They were silent for a few moments, a soft rustling going against his bedroom window, when a loud squarking noise made them jump apart.

Evan moved and looked out his window. "Oh hey," he said. "There's a fox out there, look!"

Ina moved next to him, and sure enough, when she looked she saw a bright orange fox standing plain as day in the brilliantly white snow.

"Let's get a closer then, shall we?" said Ina, smiling at him. Evan grinned back and said, "It's like you read my mind!"

They got up, grabbing their boots and pulling onto their feet and tying them quickly. They threw their coats on and, most likely not by accident, Ina took Evan's house scarf while Evan took hers. They made their way down the hall and down the rickety stairs, which lead them into the main living room of the room, with its toasty fireplace and herbal accents.

Ina looked very much like her parents. Soren Zelena, her father, was the one where she got her long nose from while her two older sisters got their black hair and dark blue eyes, which were a result of from past Greek ancestors on his side. Soren's dark hair, beard and moustache were streaked with silver and white and he was rather intimidating. Adela Zelena, Ina's mother, however, was very warm and pretty, with her slanted brown eyes and dark brown hair, which was pulled back into a long braid down her back by little golden threads. They both had darken skin and looked rather impressive next to each other.

"And there's Evan as a little bumblebee," they heard Evan's father, Caleb, say. He looked rather a lot like his two sons, though he had massive dark brown curls and his eyes were a brown colour, and he was mush larger than the two of them, with thick arms and legs. "His mummy always knew he'd be a Hufflepuff like the two of us, eh?" He noticed the two of the speeding past them. "Oi, where yer goin'?"

"Fox, must see it-" said Evan quickly, tightening Ina's green and silver scarf around his neck.

"Ah, what little adventurers they are!" said Mrs Zelena as they disappeared into the kitchen.

He opened the door from the kitchen out into the cold wind and stepped outside into the snow holding it open for Ina. Ina pulled her coat more tightly around her, the door snapping with a click when they made their way into the massive snow-filled field the house stood in. Evan stopped just outside of his father's overgrown (and frost covered) garden. Ina couldn't help but hear little gnomes grumbling when she got caught up to him.

"'Ello foxy!" said Evan in a goofy voice, waving to the bright orange fox, which was sitting there. Ina giggled and he said, "What?"

The fox straightened itself out and went into an attack position, even though it didn't look like it was after anything. They watched as it flicked its tail and jumped into the air, landing front first into the snow, its rear-end poking out into the air and kicking its feet.

"Oh, stuck the landing there!" said Evan. He stomped his way over to the fox through the thick snow and carefully bent down and picked it out of the it. The fox looked around curiously as Evan lifted it down onto the snow once again and wiped off its face.

"You're such the humanitarian." giggled Ina as Evan stomped his way back to her near the garden.

"Hey," said Evan seriously. "That fox probably has a fox wife and a fox home and little fox babies which he has to take care of, i'm just doing my duty as a decent person."

"Who knew foxes had such interesting lives." snickered Ina.

"See? Even someone as brilliant as you can learn somethin' from someone as thick as me." said Evan with a grin.

Ina smiled and wrapped her arms around him again. Evan followed her example and did the same thing, pulling her closer to him and kissing her, not caring that he could plainly hear his younger brother laughing in the now open doorway of the kitchen.

* * *

><p>It was late at night and by what they could tell, everyone was asleep. Alice looked around Matthew's room. It reminded her slightly of Fred's room, with moving posters and banners all over over the walls, except they were of Quidditch teams and of his friends in Gryffindor. Alice looked around at one old poster of the Chudley Cannons as Matthew laid on his bed, picking at his black and white Montrose Magpies jersey.<p>

"Does your mum hate me?" asked Alice suddenly, making Matthew look over to her. "What do you mean?" he asked, his brows furrowed.

"I don't know," said Alice, walking over to the bed and sitting on the edge of it. "I mean, earlier when we were talking she was sorta, uh, scanning me."

"How so?" asked Matthew, sitting up straighter.

"Like she was just looking at me weird," said Alice. She sighed. "Does she not like us together or something?"

Matthew sighed and brushed some auburn strands out of his eyes. "My mum is weird, i can tell you that."

"I got that." said Alice.

"No, not like _that_," said Matthew, frowning slightly. "She's like a stereotypical Slytherin in that she only thinks certain people are up to her status-"

"But she's a Gryffindor." added Alice.

"Yes, but that's kinda her problem," said Matthew. "I don't think she, er, _likes_ Slytherins..."

"_Why_?" snapped Alice. "Because we're all 'evil'? I think she might need to re-think that if-"

Matthew put his arms around her, calming her down slightly. "It's okay," he said soothingly. "I think you're one of the few she's okay with..."

"Like how?" asked Alice, a muscle moving in her jaw.

"Well, i think you definitely proved that Slytherins aren't all bigots, right?" said Matthew. He bent down and put his head on her shoulder, "I think she can put any prejudices she has aside for our sake."

Alice turned and pushed him down on his back, hoovering over him, her hands on his shoulders. Matthew's face burned red and she smiled. "You always know how to make anyone feel better, you know that?"

"I try my best." said Matthew, the end of his mouth twisting upwards. Alice bent down and kissed him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You don't think she'll be mad if i sleep in here tonight, do you?" asked Alice sleepily, rolling off him and snuggling up to his side, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I don't think so." responded Matthew quietly.

Alice just smiled at him and she drifted off to sleep, her soft breathing the only noise in the room.

Matthew smiled at her sleeping form and kissed her gently on the forehead and, without waking her, pulled one of his blankets around her, not bothering to cover himself.

* * *

><p>It was two days later, after more life stories and Mrs Greenley constant testing of her for wrong-doing that Alice made her way back to Grimmauld Place in sub-urban London.<p>

"Is _this_ where you live?" snapped Michael as Matthew and Alice walked in front of them. Matthew was dragging her trunk while his other hand was wrapped around Alice's gloved one. Their parents had insisted that Michael make sure Alice got back to where her family was for the holidays just for safety reasons.

"Stay here," said Alice, speaking to Michael at the corner of courtyard. Michael, looking more than pleased to not going any further with them, stayed where he was. Alice nodded and showed Matthew a piece of parchment with the hidden Black's home's address on it.

"Why are you showing me that for?" asked Matthew as they walked down the sidewalk.

"Because i don't want a ponce like your brother get word of the Order headquarters." said Alice. She may have told him about it, as she knew he'd never sell them out, that and she knew they were all on the same side.

"Because he's a nasty git?" asked Matthew.

"Because he's a nasty git." repeated Alice. They walked until they ended up at the steps of where the home was and walked up to the door. Alice poked Matthew in the side and he waved his arm in one of the windows wildly. After a moment there was shuffling behind the door and, oddly, Lupin opened the door.

"Professor Lupin?" asked Matthew, his brows shooting upwards in surprise.

"Oh, hello Matthew," said Lupin kindly. "You brought Alice back, good. You had a good time, hopefully?"

"Oh yes," said Alice, smiling at Matthew. "His family was lovely."

"Excellent." said Lupin. Matthew, feeling a bit awkward, bent down and pecked Alice on the cheek.

"You don't want me to give her father any news of you two snogging on the front steps of this place, eh?" said Lupin as he let Alice pass him into the home.

"Uh, yeah..." said Matthew, looking embarrassed.

"Don't worry," said Lupin, smiling kindly at him. "Her father likes you, whether he wants to admit it or not."

Matthew felt a bit better walking back to his brother as Lupin gave him one last goodbye and closed the door.

* * *

><p>St. Mungo's was much like any muggle hospital, except that it was hidden within an old department building and that instead of people with broken legs and common sicknesses, it was full of people with accidentally sprouted wings and some with trumpets for ears. The Healers, in robes of ranging colours from, much to Fred's satisfaction, lime-green to pearly white, went about their business as the children set out of the ward Mr Weasley was in. Mrs Weasley was yelling at him for using silly muggle remedies (using something called "stitches") and they, feeling quite embarrassed, left them to get some tea.<p>

"Typical Dad," said Ginny, shaking her head as they set off up the corridor. "Stitches ... I ask you..."

"Well, you know, they do work well on non-magical wounds," said Hermione fairly. "I suppose something in that snake's venom dissolves them or something. I wonder where the tearoom is?"

"Fifth floor," said Harry. Rose gave him a confused look at he added, "There was a sign over the Welcome Witch's desk."

They walked along the corridor through a set of double doors and found a rickety staircase lined with more portraits of brutal- looking Healers. As they climbed it, the various Healers called out to them, diagnosing odd complaints and suggesting horrible remedies. Ron was seriously affronted when a medieval wizard called out that he clearly had a bad case of spattergroit.

"And what's that supposed to be?" he asked angrily, as the Healer pursued him through six more portraits, shoving the occupants out of the way.

"'Tis a most grievous affliction of the skin, young master, that will leave you pockmarked and more gruesome even than you are now —"

"Watch who you're calling gruesome!" said Ron, his ears turning red.

"The only remedy is to take the liver of a toad, bind it tight about your throat, stand naked by the full moon in a barrel of eels' eyes —"

"I have not got spattergroit!"

"But the unsightly blemishes upon your visage, young master —"

"They're freckles!" said Ron furiously. "Now get back in your own picture and leave me alone!"

Fred and the Twins held back giggles as Ron rounded on the others, who were all keeping determinedly straight faces.

"What floor's this?" he snapped, trying to keep his cool.

"I think it's the fifth," said Hermione.

"Nah, it's the fourth," said Harry, "one more —"

But as he stepped onto the landing he came to an abrupt halt, staring at the small window set into the double doors that marked the start of a corridor signposted spell damage. A man was peering out at them all with his nose pressed against the glass. He had wavy blond  
>hair, bright blue eyes, and a broad vacant smile that revealed dazzlingly white teeth.<p>

"Oh my god," said Fred, staring wide-eyed. "You have got to be kidding me..."

"Blimey!" said Ron, also staring at the man.

"Oh my goodness," said Hermione suddenly, sounding breathless. "Professor Lockhart!"

Their ex-Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher pushed open the doors and moved toward them, wearing a long lilac dressing gown.

"Well, hello there!" he said. "I expect you'd like my autograph, would you?"

"Hasn't changed much, has he?" Harry muttered to Ginny, who grinned.

"Er — how are you, Professor?" said Ron, sounding slightly guilty. It had been Ron's malfunctioning wand that had damaged Professor Lockhart's memory so badly that he had landed here in the first place, though, as Lockhart had been attempting to permanently wipe their memories at the time, Harry's sympathy was limited.

"I'm very well indeed, thank you!" said Lockhart exuberantly, pulling a rather battered peacock-feather quill from his pocket. "Now, how many autographs would you like? I can do joined-up writing now, you know!"

"Good show, man!" said Fred happily. He had never enjoy Lockhart in his normal state of mind, but him like this, memory-less and more of an idiot than before, he was positively enjoyable in Fred's view.

"Er — we don't want any at the moment, thanks," said Ron, raising his eyebrows at Harry, who asked, "Professor, should you be wandering around the corridors? Shouldn't you be in a ward?"

The smile faded slowly from Lockhart's face. For a few moments he gazed intently at Harry, then he said, "Haven't we met?"

"Er, yeah, we have," said Harry. "You used to teach us at Hogwarts, remember?"

"Teach?" repeated Lockhart, looking faintly unsettled. "Me? Did I?" And then the smile reappeared upon his face so suddenly it was rather alarming. "Taught you everything you know, I expect, did I? Well, how about those autographs, then? Shall we say a round dozen, you can give them to all your little friends then and nobody will be left out!"

"Ah, god bless him." said Fred, putting his hands above where his heart would be on his chest. "If only Sam were here, she'd _love_ this."

Just then a head poked out of a door at the far end of the corridor and a voice said, "Gilderoy, you naughty boy, where have you wandered off to?"

A motherly looking Healer wearing a tinsel wreath in her hair came bustling up the corridor, smiling warmly at Harry and the others. "Oh Gilderoy, you've got visitors! How lovely, and on Christmas Day too! Do you know, he never gets visitors, poor lamb, and I can't think why, he's such a sweetie, aren't you?"

"We're doing autographs!" Gilderoy told the Healer with another glittering smile. "They want loads of them, won't take no for an answer! I just hope we've got enough photographs!"

"Listen to him," said the Healer, taking Lockhart's arm and beaming fondly at him as though he were a precocious two-year- old. "He was rather well known a few years ago; we very much hope that this liking for giving autographs is a sign that his memory might be coming back a little bit. Will you step this way? He's in a closed ward, you know, he must have slipped out while I was bringing in the Christmas presents, the door's usually kept locked - not that he's dangerous! But," she lowered her voice to a whisper, "bit of a danger to himself, bless him. Doesn't know who he is, you see, wanders off and can't remember how to get back. It is nice of you to have come to see him —"

"Er," said Ron, gesturing uselessly at the floor above, "actually, we were just — er —"

But the Healer was smiling expectantly at them, and Ron's feeble mutter of "going to have a cup of tea" trailed away into nothingness.

They looked at one another rather hopelessly and then followed Lockhart and his Healer along the corridor.

"Let's not stay long," Ron said quietly.

The Healer pointed her wand at the door of the Janus Thickey ward and muttered "_Alohomora_." The door swung open and she led the way inside, keeping a firm grasp on Gilderoy's arm until she had settled him into an armchair beside his bed.

"This is our long-term resident ward," she informed them in a low voice. "For permanent spell damage, you know. Of course, with intensive remedial potions and charms and a bit of luck, we can produce some improvement. I got a few more expert Healers coming in later to check up on all of them, but that's not for awhile. But, Gilderoy does seem to be getting back some sense of himself, and we've seen a real improvement in Mr. Bode, he seems to be regaining the power of speech very well, though he isn't speaking any language we recognise yet. Well, I must finish giving out the Christmas presents, I'll leave you all to chat..."

They looked around. The place was much more adorned with personal touches then the ward Mr Weasley was in. For example, the wall around Lockhart's  
>was plastered with picture of himself and written on in disjointed, childish writing. The moment he had been deposited in his chair by the Healer, Gilderoy pulled a fresh stack of photographs toward him, seized a quill, and started signing them all feverishly.<p>

"You can put them in envelopes," he said to Ginny, throwing the signed pictures into her lap one by one as he finished them. "I am not forgotten, you know, no, I still receive a very great deal of fan mail. Gladys Gudgeon writes weekly... I just wish I knew why..."

He paused, looking faintly puzzled, then beamed again and returned to his signing with renewed vigor. "I suspect it is simply my good looks..."

"He's definitely got her personality back." said Alice in an undertone, making Rose giggle.

A sallow-skinned, mournful-looking wizard lay in the bed opposite of Lockhart, staring at the ceiling; he was mumbling to himself and seemed quite unaware of anything around him. Two beds along was a woman whose entire head was covered in fur; Something similar to that happened to Hermione during their second year, although fortunately the damage, in her case, had not been permanent. At the far end of the ward flowery curtains had been drawn around two beds to give the occupants and their visitors some privacy. Fred, however, was much more interested in one who didn't look in anyway suffering from anything physical, at least.

"Here you are, Agnes," said the Healer brightly to the furry-faced woman, handing her a small pile of Christmas presents. "See, not forgotten, are you? And your son's sent an owl to say he's visiting tonight, so that's nice, isn't it?"

Agnes gave several loud barks.

"And look, Broderick, you've been sent a potted plant and a lovely calendar with a different fancy hippogriff for each month, they'll brighten things up, won't they?" said the Healer, bustling along to the mumbling man, setting a rather ugly plant with long, swaying tentacles on the bedside cabinet and fixing the calendar to the wall with her wand.

"Where's Fred?" asked Rose after a moment, looking around.

"Oh dear, we lost him in the permanent damage ward," said Alice. "At least he's in the right place..."

"Hello!" said Fred, causing them to look at his direction. "What's your name, my good man?"

Fred stood next to the bed of a rather young man, no older then the Twins, laying in bed. He had sun-kissed skin and dark hair. At first glance you'd think he was Sam's cousin on her dad's side. Oddly enough, there seemed to be nothing physically wrong with him. In fact, he had a wide grin on his face.

"What's up with him?" asked Rose, walking up to him.

"Dunno," said Fred, shrugging.

They looked for a chart or something to see what was wrong with him, when the door opened again and clicked shut once more, and a famailar voice said, "Rose?"

She spun around and, surprisingly, saw Zachary standing there, in dark blue robes and a clipbaord in his hands, looking just as surprised as she was.

"Zach...?" said Rose, but she was cut off as Fred said, "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"I work here." said Zachary simply, as if they should have known already.

"You _work_ here?" asked Fred, his brows shooting upwards. "Aren't you like, fifteen?"

"I only work on minor patients," snapped Zachary, frowning. "And i turned sixteen in October, if you must know."

"Oh, Rose likes them older, i get it." said Fred knowingly, causing both Rose and Zachary's faces to blush pink, which Fred couldn't help up notice.

"If you, ah, work here," said Hermione, trying to defuse some of the tension after a few awkward moments. "What's wrong with this fellow?"

"Oh, him?" asked Zachary, his cheeks still a little pink and looking towards the man. He was playing on a little bright green rectangle, which was admitting little electronic like sounds and odd, computer-sounding animals noises.

There's nothing wrong him, per say..." said Zachary slowly.

"So why is he here then?" asked Fred, bending down to see what he was looking at on the rectangle, which by what he saw was a sort of muggle video gaming device. His head was close to the other's and the patient, grinning at him, turned from his game and quickly pecked Fred on the cheek before putting his attention back to his game again.

Fred straightened up and his eyes were wide. He pointed a finger to the man. "Did he just kiss me?"

Alice and Ginny giggled as Rose nodded and said, "Should have brought you tea first, at least."

"See, er, _that's_ his problem," said Zachary, his brows furrowed. "He got a bad Love Potion some time ago and it makes him like everyone else way more than he normally would... But it makes him hate the person who gave it to him, actually..."

"Poor girl..." said Alice.

"Or boy." added Ron, snickering.

"What? You mean i'm not insanely attractive that everyone doesn't want a piece of this?" said Fred, waving to himself. "That's silly, everyone loves me."

"Uh huh," said Zachary, looking in no way amused. "It must have been really tampered with though, Rodrigo here hasn't snapped out of it yet..."

"How are ya', Rodrigo?" asked Fred Weasley, stepping up next to bed and grinning down at him. The man looked up and said, "Oh! A ginger! Neat!"

"Ah, he loves the ginger race as well!" said George, stepping up next to his twin. "Bless him."

"Ooh, there's two of them!" said Rodrigo, grinning from ear to ear. "No one said my birthday was early this year!"

"Oh my god," said Fred, going down and hugging the patient named Rodrigo and smiling, who was smiling back. "Rose, can we please adopt him please? I must have him for myself-"

Rose gave him a stern look and Fred's smile flattered. "Please?"

"No." said Rose in a drone/

"Why must you _always_ ruin my fun?" snapped Fred.

"Because that's my job as your older sister, duh." said Rose, looking annoyed. Zachary stood next to her, glancing at her from the corner of his eye, when the ward door opened again and two more Healers came striding into view.

"Ah, Zachary, there you are, your mother was worried over where you went off to." said an official-sounding voice.

They spun away from the patient named Rodrigo and Rose did a slight double-take.

The healer who spoke look almost explicitly like Zachary, with the same pointy chin, face and hair, though his slightly curled up at the edges. He was maybe a few inches taller than him and, what Rose noticed, his eyes were a musky grey colour, not the blue she was used to with Zachary. The other Healer, this one a woman, was smaller than him and very attractive, with high cheekbones and golden hair with she kept back in a long braid down her back, and she, which Rose noticed, had Zachary's blue eyes. Both were in robes of sharp white.

"Oh, sorry, Dad..." said Zachary weakly. "I was just checking up on some patients up here..."

"Well, that's quite alright," said his father kindly, looking rather impressive in his white robes. Rose noticed the tag on his chest that read, 'Jack Leon' on it. He must have been higher up than most, seeing at the Healer that was there looked quite honoured to have them there. "Just don't run off before telling us, alright?"

Zachary nodded and his mother, with a tag bearing the name, 'Anna Leon', said, "Who are these, Zach? Your school friends?"

"Oh, yeah-" started Zachary, but he was cut off as Fred said, pointing to Rose. "Well, _she's_ his girlfriend, but that's besides the point..."

Rose spun around and made a very angry face at her brother, who backed away slightly in surprising fear. Mrs Leon just said, "Well, we're checking up on the Longbottoms, so don't try and make any suddenly loud noises for the time being..."

Rose turned on her heal once again, her eyes wide. "Wait, what...?

Zachary's parents both walked towards the flowery curtains on the other side of the ward. The curtains had been drawn back from the two beds at the end of the ward and two visitors were walking back down the aisle between the beds: a formidable-looking old witch wearing a long green dress, a moth- eaten fox fur, and a pointed hat decorated with what was unmistakably a stuffed vulture and, trailing behind her looking thoroughly depressed — Neville.

"Neville!" said Ron, causing them to jump slightly. This didn't feel right...

Neville jumped and cowered as though a bullet had narrowly missed him.

"It's us, Neville!" said Ron brightly. "Have you seen? Lockhart's here! Who've you been visiting?"

"Friends of yours, Neville, dear?" said Neville's grandmother graciously, bearing down upon them all. Neville looked as though he would rather be anywhere in the world but here. A dull purple flush was creeping up his plump face and he was not making eye contact with any of them. Ron glanced back the others, who, reluctantly, moved away from Rodrigo's bed and near him instead. Zachary stayed where he was, not wanted to intrude.

"Ah, yes," said his grandmother, looking closely at Harry and sticking out a shriveled, clawlike hand for him to shake. "Yes, yes, I know who you are, of course. Neville speaks most highly of you."

"Er — thanks," said Harry, shaking hands. Neville did not look at him, but stared at his own feet, the colour deepening in his face all the while.

"And you five are clearly Weasleys," Mrs Longbottom continued, proffering her hand regally to Ron, Ginny, the Twins, and, much to her annoyance, Rose.

"No, no," said Fred, waving his hand and putting his arm around Rose and dragging her over to him, his dark hair contrasting with hers. "She's ours, unfortunately..." he motioned to Alice, who was on his other side, looking worried.

"Yes, well," she continued. "It was the hair that threw me off. But I know your parents," she looked at Ron and Ginny, "— not well, of course — but fine people, fine people. That must make you the Snape children, eh?"

"The one and," Fred looked at each of his sisters. "Other two, i guess..."

"Wonderful," said Mrs Longbottom, shaking Rose and Alice's hands vigorously, as Fred's were around each of their shoulder now. "And you must be Hermione Granger?"

Hermione looked rather startled that Mrs. Longbottom knew her name, but shook hands all the same.

"Yes, Neville's told me all about you. Helped him out of a few sticky spots, haven't you? He's a good boy," she said, casting a sternly appraising look down her rather bony nose at Neville, "but he hasn't got his father's talent, I'm afraid to say..." And she jerked her head in the direction of the two beds at the end of the ward, so that the stuffed vulture on her hat trembled alarmingly. Mr Leon was scribbling on clipboard, his dark brows furrowed, as his wife checked on the man laying in the bed.

"What?" said Ron, looking amazed. Harry looked like he wanted desperately to stomp on Ron's foot when Ron added, "Is that your dad down the end, Neville?"

"What's this?" said Mrs. Longbottom sharply. "Haven't you told your friends about your parents, Neville?"

Neville took a deep breath, looked up at the ceiling, and shook his head. Rose felt a stabbing wave of sadness for him.

"Well, it's nothing to be ashamed of!" said Mrs. Longbottom angrily. "You should be proud, Neville, proud! They didn't give their health and their sanity so their only son would be ashamed of them, you know!"

"I'm not ashamed," said Neville very faintly, still looking anywhere but at Harry and the others. Ron was now standing on tiptoe to look over at the inhabitants of the two beds.

"Well, you've got a funny way of showing it!" said Mrs. Longbottom. "My son and his wife," she said, turning haughtily to face them. "were tortured into insanity by You-Know-Who's followers."

Hermione and Ginny both clapped their hands over their mouths. Rose and Alice stood there in stunned silence while any hint of smiling on Fred's or the Twins faces were now long gone. Ron stopped craning his neck to catch a glimpse of Neville's parents and looked mortified.

"They were Aurors, you know, and very well respected within the Wizarding community," Mrs. Longbottom went on. "Highly gifted, the pair of them. I — yes, Alice dear, what is it?"

Rose's sister gave a tiny, scared squeak of noise as Neville's mother had come edging down the ward in her nightdress.

Harry had hung an old photograph of the original Order of the Phoenix in the Room of Requirement some time ago, which Moody have given him turing the summer. When Harry had looked at it, he saw his own parents waving back him, however, another pair he noticed was Neville's own mother and father. Mrs Longbottom then looked very much like her son, the same kind, round face and smile.

Now, after the tragic events that followed soon after that picture was taken, her face was thin and worn now, her eyes seemed overlarge, and her hair,  
>which had turned white, was wispy and dead-looking. She did not seem to want to speak, or perhaps she was not able to, but she made timid motions toward Neville, holding something in her outstretched hand.<p>

"Again?" said Mrs. Longbottom, sounding slightly weary. "Very well, Alice dear, very well — Neville, take it, whatever it is..."

But Neville had already stretched out his hand, into which his mother dropped an empty Droobles Blowing Gum wrapper.

"Very nice, dear," said Neville's grandmother in a falsely cheery voice, patting his mother on the shoulder. But Neville said quietly, "Thanks Mum."

His mother tottered away, back up the ward, humming to herself.

Neville looked around at the others, his expression defiant, as though daring them to laugh, but by the looks on their faces, they did not think they had ever found anything less funny in their lives.

"Well, we'd better get back," sighed Mrs. Longbottom, drawing on long green gloves. "Very nice to have met you all. Neville, put that wrapper in the bin, she must have given you enough of them to paper your bedroom by now..."

But as they left, Harry was sure he saw Neville slip the wrapper into his pocket. The door closed behind them.

"I never knew," said Hermione, who looked tearful. The others said the same. Afterwards, they all looked at Harry.

"I did," he said glumly. "Dumbledore told me but I promised I wouldn't mention it ... that's what Bellatrix Lestrange got sent to Azkaban for, using the Cruciatus Curse on Neville's parents until they lost their minds."

"Bellatrix Lestrange did _that_?" whispered Hermione, horrified. "That woman Kreacher's got a photo of in his den?"

The picture in question was an old one, showing a dark woman with a strong jaw and heavy-lidded, dark eyes and thick, long hair to match. Fred made the joke a long time ago that Charisse must have been her long-lost, secret daughter, but now that seemed rather ill-found joke for him to say.

There was a long silence, broken by Lockhart's angry voice. "Look, I didn't learn joined-up writing for nothing, you know!"

"C'mon, let's go..." said George weakly. His twin nodded and they lead them out of the ward, ignoring Lockhart completely. Fred waved back at Rodrigo and he waved back gingerly, saying, "See you later, Freddie!" Zachary's parents gave one last check to the Longbottoms and they, too, left the ward, leaving Zachary there by himself.

Or at least he thought.

The door opened again and Rose slipped back in. "Rose...?" said Zachary, turning away Rodrigo, who was humming a cartoon theme song to himself, when Rose wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Zachary responded back and held her to him, his arms around her waist and swaying there, kissing tenderly.

Of course, the mood was a bit ruined when Rodrigo said a few moments later, "Oh, you two will have the cutest kids!", making Zachary pull away from her and blush a deep pink colour. He then added, "Hey, you know you look like Prince Eric and Ariel? Weird!"

"I think i get why Fred likes him." said Zachary, his hands on her back. Rose smiled, her arms around his waist, and kissed him again.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Freaking Rodrigo, man, he owes me big time.<strong>

**(Yes, Rodrigo is a friend of ours, he's insisted we add him in, you're welcome, you got to kiss Fred and i got you a green Gameboy.)**

**(P.S. i like reviews. :D) **


	53. Occlumency

Rose slinked out of the ward after saying her goodbye to Zachary and headed back after her siblings, and upon seeing Ginny's hair trailing in front of her, she sped off after them.

She was barely within two feet of them when she heard Fred's voice say from behind, "Well, well, have a good snogging then, eh?"

Rose turned on her heel and saw Fred towering over her, his annoying wicked grin on his face. "Well?"

"Well what?" said Rose, her face red with what must have been anger and embarrassment, her eyes deliberately not looking at his. How the hell did he sneak up on her like that?

"Oh come _on_," said Fred, looking like he was trying to fight back a laugh. "You sneak back for what? Pat him on the shoulder goodbye? As if, I saw how you two looked at each other, plus, you have the 'I've-just-got-snogged' glow on your face right now."

Whatever 'glow' that was on her face must have been washed away by now as her cheeks went even more flushed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Really?" said Fred, cocking an eyebrow at her. "Because ever since Alice and Matty went out that they were dating, i did my math. They should have kissed around, eh, early January of last year? Anyway, i remember Alice coming back from the library and she was all bubbly and had this weird glow to her, just like you do now, so, in that is the case, wouldn't that mean you and Zachy just snogged?"

Rose considered him for a moment, cocking her head to the side and wondering how and why he had such a good memory, when she suddenly turned on her heel and speeding away from him after the others quickly, heading down the stairs after them.

"Oi!" said Fred, chasing after her. "That doesn't answer my question!"

"Like it matters!" she snapped in a deadly whisper, stepping down that stairs and looking annoyed, looking back at him from over her shoulder. "Why do you care?"

"Because if they play their cards right, i'm gonna be their brother-in-law in a few years time, and i can't be related by marriage to gits, you know that." said Fred quickly, shooting up to her speed with his longer legs.

"Oh well, thanks for the concern!" snapped Rose.

"Is that a 'yes' then?" Fred asked in a giggly tone.

"SHUT UP!"

It was before they knew it that they ended back on the ward where Mr Weasley was, to overhear him say, "... and after the potions didn't work all that proper on the gashes, dear Leon used a few drops of this clear liquid he had in a little glass vial in his pocket. Apparently every male in the family gets one of those when they turn seventeen, and they only use it to heal the most important of cases, and i was one of them! Whatever that was, it's damn useful, i'm sure this would be my deathbed without it!"

"Now that's really cheery to hear." said Fred, frowning.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure Dumbledore is certain about this?" asked Sirius in a rushed tone, giving up on trying to find Kreacher for the hundredth or so time.<p>

"Well, unless Harry keeps having those, ah, visions, then yes, we'll have to go through with this." said Severus, tapping his fingers on the table, leaning back on his chair.

"Go through with what?" said a voice, and Severus looked over his shoulder and saw Fred standing behind him, sipping on a bottle of butterbeer.

"When did you get here?" asked Severus, raising a brow to his son.

Fred shrugged his shoulders. "About five minutes ago?"

"What for?" asked Sirius. "Not spying to see what we were talking about like always, were you?"

"No," said Fred, looking slightly embarrassed for some reason. "I didn't want to stay in the bedroom right now..."

"And why is that?" asked Severus, looking at him curiously.

Fred scracthed his chin in impulse. "Rose was sketching at it was freaking me out..."

"What'd she draw?" asked Sirius, taking a seat across from Severus and looking interested.

"It was - uh - You-Know- Who..." said Fred weakly, staring at the ground.

"How would she be able to draw him?" asked Severus. "She's never seen him-"

"Harry was explaining what he looked like," Fred blurted out, cutting his father off mid-sentence. "Ron was interested and he was describing him and Rose was sketching along to him and she showed us and Harry said it was really spot on, and it, kinda, scared me, a bit..."

Sirius gave him a surprised look, Severus, however, was a bit more sympathetic about it. "What about it 'scared' you, exactly?"

Fred gave a small intake of breath. "H-his eyes, they were all red and they looked like a c-cat's and-"

He shuddered slightly, rubbing his arm, and Severus said in a surprisingly soothing voice. "Don't worry, it's just a little doodle, you won't have to face him anytime soon..."

"I h-hope not," said Fred, regaining his wits about him. He gave them curious looks. "What were you guys talking about anyway? Before i got down here all jittered, i mean."

Severus gave Sirius a side-long look. "Er..." said Sirius, not exactly sure what to say, when the kitchen door creaked open.

"Um, hello?" said Harry, poking his head in and looking confused. "Mrs Weasley said you wanted to see me...?"

"Ah, yes," said Severus, turning and facing him. "Please take a seat, Harry."

Harry gave a questioning look at Fred. "Are you talking to him too..?"

"Nope, i'm just not leaving." said Fred, taking a seat next to his father, and grinning finally. Harry thought for a moment and shrugged his shoulders, walking over to the table and taking a seat next to Sirius.

Harry gave Fred a curious look. "Where'd you go? We were wondering where you went-"

"I'll tell you later." said Fred weakly, tapping on his butterbeer bottle.

"Yes, well, you do that," said Severus, looking at Fred from the corner of his eye before looking back at Harry. "But we have different matters to discuss."

Severus have him a serious look, much like he did during Potions class. "By what the Headmaster has told us, you've been having reoccurring dreams in the past few months, am i correct?"

Harry gulped and nodded his head. "Yeah."

"And they're all the same image of you going down a long, pitch-black hallway?" asked Severus.

"It's only that, every time." said Harry in an empty sort of voice. "I always reach out but I can hardly ever get past the door, except when Mr Weasley was attacked, of course.

Severus nodded his head, indicating that he understood. "Now, obviously these have not all been unuseful, as yoi uust said, we wouldn't have been able to save Mr Weasley without your information. _However_," he added a stressed tone to it. "The Headmaster thinks it's essential that we put a stop to them as soon as possible."

"What?" said Harry, his eyes wide. "But you just said they were useful-"

"Yes, well," said Severus, looking unamused. "It was not my order to do so, it was his, and i'm just following what i was told."

"Ah," said Fred, shaking his head and looking up at the ceiling. "Following instructions is so boring, innit? That's why i just do what i want."

Sirius gave a stiffened laugh and Severus continued, ignoring them. "With that said, i've been told to tell you that you'll be learning a new skill this term."

"Which is what, exactly?" asked Harry weakly, looking not all too excited for whatever he was about to tell him.

"Occlumency." said Severus simply.

"Occlu-whatsy?" asked Fred, turning to him and looking comically confused. Despite themselves, Harry and Sirius both gave out snorts of laughter and Severus, after rolling his eyes, said, "Occlu_mency, it's a form of magic designed just for resistance of external penetration."_

"That sounds dirtier than it should." giggled Fred, making Severus roll his eyes again.

"Why do i need to study it for?" asked Harry, finally getting control of his laughter again.

"I told you, the Headmaster is insisting on you learning it, as in to adapting the skill into your, ah,_ daily life_, per say." said Severus.

"And who will be teaching me this, then?" asked Harry, almost certain that he already knew the answer.

The end of Severus' mouth twisted upwards. "That would me, but i'm sure you already got that, didn't you?"

"I had my suspicions." said Harry. "Is there, uh, anything i should be doing before hand to prepare myself for this?"

"Try emptying yourself of emotion," said Severus. "The less you feel, the better this should work."

"Won't that make him all starey, though?" asked Fred.

Severus thought for a moment. "Somewhat, i suppose."

Sirius shook his head. "Is that what you were doing back when we first started the Order? Because i thought you were just staring at me weird."

"Well," said Severus, smirking. "If you were trying to divulge any information from any known Death Eaters like, oh i don't know, Lucius Malfoy, keeping your emotions at bay will help you in the long run. Also, they'll never know if you use Legilimency against them as well, a very useful skill, if i do say so myself."

"Okay, but what's 'Legilimency' then?" asked Harry. "Will i have to learn that too?"

"I'm afraid you will not have to," said Severus. "Legilimency is the skill of going into one's brain and getting any and all information from them, seeing into their thoughts, so to speak, and being able to being able to interpret the findings. Which in this case, Occlumency will protect you from Legilimency, if you can take it up, i mean."

"That sounds freaky." said Fred, scratching his chin absentmindedly.

"I'm sure it does to you," said Severus, turning to him. "However, if you ever want to know how i can tell when you're lying, then i just told you, so let that soak in."

Fred frowned. "Oh come on! Don't use Legilimency against your own kid!"

"Stop lying and i'll stop." said Severus, smirking when Harry and Sirius gave another burst of laughter at Fred's dumbstruck face.

* * *

><p>"So," said Rose a week later during breakfast. "How's Occulemency?"<p>

"Awful." said Harry in a drone. "I can't get the hang of it."

"And why is that?" asked Hermione, scribbling furiously on a piece of parchment which she didn't want anyone else to look at.

"I dunno, i can't get my emotions down?" said Harry. "I mean, your dad is really trying to help, he's putting up with me, but it's not working_ at all._"

"Well, keep up with it, it should work eventually." said Rose, reaching over the table and patting his gently on the arm.

"Whatever you say." said Harry, putting his face against his hand and looking a bit defeated. Harry huffed until he heard an annoyed sound of breathing and looked over his shoulder and saw Fred towering over him, who was looking down the Gryffindor table with a disgusted look on his face, shaking his head slightly.

"What's up with you?" asked Rose, raising a brow to her brother.

"Do you ever see something so cute that i makes you wanna puke?" asked Fred seriously. "Because i'm sure Matt and Alice want that to happen to me."

They followed his finger as Fred pointed towards the end of the table, where Matthew sat on one of the stones benches, Alice towering over him with her hands on his shoulders and swaying there, giggling as he put his arms around her waist and pulled her down to him for a tight hug, his face burying into her dark hair.

"It's disgustingly cute," said Fred, shaking his head again and turning back to them. "Which makes me wonder, why don't you and Zachy do that?"

Rose's cheeks blushed nearly as red as her hair as the others turned their attention to her, their brows shooting upwards.

"Oh you _bad_ girl," said Fred, grinning wickedly at her, looking more than pleased with himself. "You haven't told them that you and Zach are tongue rugby partners, have you?"

"What's 'rugby'?" asked Ron in a whisper, but they didn't answer.

"You and Zach are an item? Since when?" asked Harry, looking curious.

"S-since December?" said Rose weakly, wishing hard that she could whack Fred upside the head with a cauldron when she could.

"Well go on ya'," said Harry, waving his hand at her. "Maybe you lot can met up with me and Cho later on Valentine's Day then for a double date."

"Wait, you're going out with Cho?" asked Rose, her brows furrowed. "Since when?"

"...Since December." said Harry, looking slightly embarrassed.

Fred clapped his hands together. "Oh, that is just too delicious, you both started dating around the same day, didn't you? Ah, precious! Is Chair dating Haskell now too? Should i get cakes for you guys, a congratulatory pat on the back or something? "

"Ew," said Harry and Ron at the same time. "Can you imagine, it would be like the spawn of the devil dating a bi-polar werewolf."

"That's exactly what it would be, actually." said Hermione, scribbling again on her parchment. "But i digress."

"Ah," said Fred dreamily. "But imagine their kids? Pure evil, i reckon."

"For the love of Merlin," said Rose earnestly. "Don't jinx it, i don't think the Earth would be able to the bundle of crazy they would reproduce."

Fred shrugged. "Still a funny mental image though - Oi, honestly, get a room you two!" he yelled, waving his hand at the end of Gryffindor table when he noticed Matthew kissing Alice's chin.

* * *

><p>Despite being Valentine's Day, the February sky was murky and grey with thick rain clouds, threatening to start pouring on them as students walked in and out of the many wooden buildings of Hogsmeade. However, even in the dulled sunlight, Zachary still stared at how Rose's hair still shined so vividly in the grey overcast.<p>

Zachary had determinedly made so that she had the best time she could have, bringing Rose anywhere she fancied and buying her a few things here and there from a few of the shoppes in Hogsmeade, and keeping their hands entwined as they walked around the village, Zachary trying his very hardest not to have a smug look on his face when they past Dean and Seamus when they strolled out of Honeydukes only a few moments earlier.

Rose stopped them in the centre of the village and turned to Zachary, beaming up at him and pushing herself up on her toes, pressing her lips to his. Zachary smiled against her mouth and wrapped his arms around her, making them sway and hardly caring that a few students would pass them and give little wolf-whistle or _'Get a room!'_ as they kissed.

They separated after a moment and Rose smiled at him. "I'm having a great birthday, Zach."

Zachary grinned back her and placed a kiss on her nose. "I'm glad for that, but i haven't given you my birthday gift yet..."

"Well, you can give it to me over tea." said Rose sweetly. She grabbed his hand. "C'mon, there's a tea shop over here."

Zachary followed her lead as they walked over to a cute little tea shop, which had an ornate sign dawning the name 'Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop' above its front door.

"Cute place." said Zachary as Rose lead them inside after pushing the door open, a tuneful tinkle of a bell going off when they stepped over the threshold. The shop was decorated quite frilly and frankly, a bit tacky. Since it was Valentine's Day, many bright red and pink hearts hung everywhere, and, much to some annoyance, tiny golden cherubs where hoovering over each round table, throwing heart-shaped confetti on the couples underneath them.

Much to Zachary's amusement, Rose crinkled her nose and say, "Sheesh, she goes for frills, doesn't she? C'mon, let's try to get a lazy cherub..."

Rose lead them to a table in the corner, and, much to their surprised, saw Harry and Cho there, sitting at their own table and wiping confetti off their drinks.

"Hi Harry!" said Rose kindly, waving at him as they past. Harry reluctantly waved back and Cho gave Rose a seething look when she turned her back to them, but they paid no notice to it, nor did they even realise it.

Even when most of the couples were kissing over their sugar bowls, completely forgetting their tea, Zachary and Rose were just as happy to just _talk _to each other.

"Let's be honest here," said Zachary a few minutes later after they received their tea from a little stout witch with a shiny black bun (which by what Rose told him was Madam Puddifoot herself). "How long do you reckon it's going to be before a full-scale riot just breaks out?"

"Riot as in what, exactly?" asked Rose, flicking the little heart shapes out of her tea before taking a sip.

"Dunno, i mean, Umbridge is running everyone up a wall," said Zachary, spinning a spoonful of sugar in his tea. "With all those new decrees and giving everyone detention and what not."

"I know what you mean," said Rose solemnly. "Fred still has scars on his hands from Umbridge's blood quill."

"As if that doesn't completely prove that's she pure evil, right?" said Zachary, looking dumbfound.

Rose gave out a giggle. "I know, i imagine she's like, Wargrave's Auntie, or something."

"She looks up to her enough, i wouldn't be surprised." said Zachary, the end of his mouth turning upwards. "I'm surprised Alice isn't totally disgusted by pink now because of her."

"Well, she definitely likes it a little less, if that's what you mean-" laughed Rose.

However, whatever else Rose was going to say about Alice's lacking love for the colour pink was lost as Cho's voice suddenly boomed around the room.

"I _thought_," she said, tears spattering down onto the table. "I thought you'd u-u- understand! I need to talk about it! Surely you n-need to talk about it t-too! I mean, you saw it happen, d- didn't you?"

Despite themselves, they turned their attention to them, Harry's eyes wide as Cho went on, many other couples breaking apart and watching the nightmarish situation Harry was now in.

"Well — I have talked about it," Harry said in a whisper which unfortunately carried. "to Ron and Hermione, and —"

"Oh, you'll talk to Hermione Granger!" she said shrilly, her face now shining with tears, and several more kissing couples broke apart to stare. "But you won't talk to me! P-perhaps it would be best if we just . . . just p-paid and you went and met up with Hermione G-Granger, like you obviously want to!"

Harry stared at her, utterly bewildered, as she seized a frilly napkin and dabbed at her shining face with it.

"Cho?" Harry asked weakly.

"Go on, _leave_!" she said, now crying into the napkin. "I don't know why you asked me out in the first place if you're going to make arrangements to meet other girls right after me. . . . How many are you meeting after Hermione?"

"It's not like that!" said Harry.

Cho sprang to her feet. The whole tearoom was quiet, and everybody was watching them now. "I'll see you around, Harry," she said dramatically, and hiccuping slightly she dashed to the door, wrenched it open, and hurried off into the now pouring rain.

"Cho!" Harry called after her, but the door had already swung shut behind her with a tuneful tinkle.

There was total silence within the tea shop. Every eye was upon Harry. He threw a Galleon down onto the table, shook pink confetti out of his eyes, and followed Cho out of the door.

"And you didn't believe me when i said she was a drama queen!" Zachary said a whisper, turning back to Rose's surprised face.

* * *

><p>"Hey Harry," said Matthew later that day, walking over to their end of the Gryffindor table. "Havin' a good Valentine's Day?<p>

Harry looked up at him, his annoyed eyes saying more than he needed to hear.

"I overheard Rhys talkin' about it," said Matthew innocently, looking worried at Harry's annoyed face. "He brought his date to that tea shop and they, kinda, er, overheard-"

"With Cho shouting like she was, i'm surprised people in Greenland didn't hear here." said Harry bitterly, putting his head on his propped arm, poking at his chicken leg.

"Oh c'mon," said Matthew, taking the free space next to him. "Don't beat yourself up about it, maybe she was just out of it fer a bit..."

"Well, we all can't have stable girlfriends like you." said Harry rashly.

Matthew sighed, looking dreamily up into space. "I know, right? Alice is just so - Hey, i didn't mean it like that!" he added, noticing Harry's unamused expression, looking like he was about to throw something at him.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione said sadly, making them turn their attention to her instead. "I'm sorry, but you were a bit tactless."

"Me, _tactless_?" said Harry, outraged. "One minute we were getting on fine, next minute she was telling me that Roger Davies asked her out, and how she used to go and snog Cedric in that stupid tea shop — how was I supposed to feel about that?"

"Well, you see," said Hermione, with the patient air of one explaining that one plus one equals two to an overemotional toddler. "You shouldn't have told her that you wanted to meet me halfway through your date."

"Yeah, that would look good, right?" said Matthew sarcastically. "'I've got another date after this, hope ya' don't mind or nothin'."

"Exactly," said Hermione simply. She saw their confused looks and she huffed and said quite clearly, "You should have said it was really annoying, but I'd made you promise to come along to the Three Broomsticks, and you really didn't want to go, you'd much rather spend the whole day with her, but unfortunately you thought you really ought to meet me and would she please, please come along with you, and hopefully you'd be able to get away more quickly? And it might have been a good idea to mention how ugly you think I am too," Hermione added as an afterthought.

"But I don't think you're ugly." said Harry, bemused.

Hermione laughed. "Harry, you're worse than Ron - Well, no, you're not," she sighed, as Ron himself came stumping into the Hall splattered with  
>mud and looking grumpy. "Look — you upset Cho when you said you were going to meet me, so she tried to make you jealous. It was her way of trying to find out how much you liked her."<p>

"Is that what she was doing?" said Harry as Ron dropped onto the bench opposite them and pulled every dish within reach toward himself. "Well, wouldn't it have been easier if she'd just asked me whether I liked her better than you?"

"I don't reckon girls don't often ask questions like that, mate." said Matthew weakly.

"Well, they should!" said Harry forcefully. "Then I could've just told her I fancy her, and she wouldn't have had to get herself all worked up again about Cedric dying!"

"I'm not saying what she did was sensible," said Hermione, as Ginny joined them, just as muddy as Ron and looking equally disgruntled. "I'm just trying to make you see how she was feeling at the time."

"You should write a book," Ron told Hermione as he cut up his potatoes. "Translating mad things girls do so boys can understand them."

"Or you can ask Matthew," said Hermione, looking annoyed now. "He's just fine with Alice, and he's boy, aren't you?"

"Well, i hope i'm a boy," said Matthew, looking puzzled. "It would be real awkward to explain why i have this on my neck if i wasn't."

He pointed to his Adam's Apple, which bobbed up and down when he started laughing with the rest of them at his dumb joke.

"So, how was Quidditch practice?" asked Harry, their laughter dying down.

"It was a nightmare," said Ron in a surly voice.

"Oh come on," said Hermione, looking at Ginny, "I'm sure it wasn't that —"

"Yes, it was," said Ginny. "It was appalling. Angelina was nearly in tears by the end of it."

"Damn." said Matthew in an aggravated voice. "Better luck next time then, eh?"

"Matt, just take my spot," said Ron miserably. "Then we might actually make a point next time."

It was about an half hour later, when they had arrived back at the Gryffindor Tower that the Weasley Twins showed up.

"Ron and Ginny not here?" asked Fred Weasley, looking around as he pulled up a chair and, when Harry shook his head, he said, "Good. We were watching their practice. They're going to be slaughtered. They're complete rubbish without us."

"Come on, Ginny's not bad," said George fairly, sitting down next to Fred. "Actually, I dunno how she got so good, seeing how we never let her play with us..."

"She's been breaking into your broom shed in the garden since the age of six and taking each of your brooms out in turn when you weren't looking," said Hermione from behind her tottering pile of Ancient Rune books.

"Oh," said George, looking mildly impressed. "Well — that'd explain it."

"Has Ron saved a goal yet?" asked Hermione, peering over the top o_f Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms_.

"Well, he can do it if he doesn't think anyone's watching him," said Fred Weasley, rolling his eyes. "So all we have to do is ask the crowd to turn their backs and talk among themselves every time the Quaffle goes up his end on Saturday."

He got up again and moved restlessly to the window, staring out across the dark grounds. "You know, Quidditch was about the only thing in this place worth staying for."

"Preach it." said Matthew, who was next to George on the sofa, flipping through a Transfiguration book.

Hermione cast him a stern look. "You've got exams coming!"

"Told you already, we're not fussed about N.E.W.T.s," said George.

"The Snackboxes are ready to roll," added his twin. "We found out how to get rid of those boils, just a couple of drops of murtlap essence sorts them, Elvendork put us onto it."

George yawned widely and looked out disconsolately at the cloudy night sky. "Yeah, say we just up and leave tomorrow on our brooms, we'd have our little prodigy to take off where we'd leave off, he'd surpass us even i bet."

"We're so proud of our little Elvenork." Fred Weasley giggled, both him and George beaming with pride.

"I dunno if I even want to watch this match though," said George sullenly. "If Zacharias Smith beats us I might have to kill myself."

"Kill him, more like." said his twin firmly.

"That's the trouble with Quidditch," said Hermione absentmindedly, once again bent over her Rune translation. "It creates all this bad feeling and tension between the Houses."

She looked up from her Runes book to see the four of them staring at her with mingled expressions of disgust and being offended.

"Well, it does!" she said impatiently. "It's only a game, isn't it?"

"Hermione," said Harry, shaking his head. "You're good on feelings and stuff, but you just don't understand about Quidditch."

"Maybe not," she said darkly, returning to her translation again. "but at least my happiness doesn't depend on Ron's goalkeeping ability."

Even though they would rather have jumped off the Astronomy Tower than admit it to her, by the time he had watched the game the following Saturday he would have given any number of Galleons not to care about Quidditch either.

The very best thing you could say about the match was that it was short; the Gryffindor spectators had to endure only twenty-two minutes of agony. It was hard to say what the worst thing was: Harry thought it was a close-run contest between Ron's fourteenth failed save, Sloper missing the Bludger but hitting Angelina in the mouth with his bat, and Kirke shrieking and falling backward off his broom as Zacharias Smith zoomed at him carrying the Quaffle. The miracle was that Gryffindor only lost by ten points: Ginny managed to snatch the Snitch from right under Hufflepuff Seeker Summerby's nose, so that the final score was two hundred and forty versus two hundred and thirty.

"Good catch," Harry told Ginny back in the common room, where the atmosphere closely resembled that of a particularly dismal funeral.

"I was lucky," she shrugged. "It wasn't a very fast Snitch and Summerby's got a cold, he sneezed and closed his eyes at exactly the wrong moment. Anyway, once you're back on the team —"

"Ginny, I've got a lifelong ban."

"You're banned as long as Umbridge is in the school," Ginny corrected him. "There's a difference. Anyway, once you're back, I think I'll try out for Chaser. Angelina and Alicia are both leaving next year and I prefer goal-scoring to Seeking anyway."

"Do you really?" said Matthew, walking up to them. "I was thinking about trying out fer Chaser too."

"You any good?" asked Ginny.

Matthew shrugged. "They say i got my dad's arm."

"Well, we'll have the Cup by the first game then." said Harry knowingly, nodding at him.

Harry looked over at Ron, who was hunched in a corner, staring at his knees, a bottle of butterbeer clutched in his hand.

"Angelina still won't let him resign," Ginny said, as though reading their minds. "She says she knows he's got it in him."

"Now, the question is, how do we get that out of him?" Matthew asked, looking down at her.

"Dunno," said Ginny. "But having Quaffles thrown at him is obviously not the answer."

* * *

><p>"Oh, god, this is great," said Fred happily in mid-March, sitting next to Harry with his arm around his shoulders, patting his arm. "Too great, i'm assuming this is Luna's early birthday gift to me."<p>

Alice gave them a puzzled look until Rose grabbed the magazine Fred was looking at to show her Harry's sheepish face on the front of the March issue of _The Quibbler. _In large red letters across his picture were the words: _HARRY POTTER SPEAKS OUT AT LAST: THE TRUTH ABOUT HE-WHO- MUST-NOT-BE NAMED AND THE NIGHT I SAW HIM RETURN._

"It's good, isn't it?" said Luna, who had drifted over to the Gryffindor table and now squeezed herself onto the bench between Fred and Harry. "It came out yesterday, I asked Dad to send you a free copy. I expect all these," she waved a hand at the assembled owls scrabbling around on the table in front of Harry. "are letters from readers."

"That's what I thought," said Hermione eagerly. "Harry, d'you mind if we — ?"

"Help yourself." said Harry, looking slightly bemused.

"Oh, fan mail, this is even better." said Fred, grabbing letters and giving to his sisters and the Weasley Twins and ripping them up.

"This one's from a bloke who thinks you're off your rocker," said Ron, glancing down his letter. "Ah well, we can't all have winners..."

"This woman recommends you try a good course of Shock Spells at St. Mungo's," said Rose, looking disappointed and crumpling up a second.

"This one looks okay, though," said Harry slowly, scanning a long letter from a witch in Paisley. "Hey, she says she believes me!"

"This one's in two minds," said Fred, his eyes darting down his letter. "Says you don't come across as a mad person, but he really doesn't want to believe You-Know- Who's back so he doesn't know what to think now ... Well, that's a nice waste of parchment..."

"Here's another one you've convinced, Harry!" said Hermione excitedly. "_ 'Having read your side of the story I am forced to the conclusion that the Daily Prophet has treated you very unfairly. . . . Little _ _though I want to think that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned, I am forced to accept that you are telling the truth. . . .'_ Oh this is wonderful!"

"Another one who thinks you're barking," said Ron, throwing a crumpled letter over his shoulder. "But this one says you've got her converted, and she now thinks you're a real hero — she's put in a photograph too — wow —"

Fred craned his neck and Ron showed him the picture. Fred gave out a whistle. "Lookin' good..."

"What is going on here?" said a falsely sweet, girlish voice, which made their skin crawl.

Harry looked up with his hands full of envelopes. Professor Umbridge was standing behind Fred and Luna, her bulging toad's eyes scanning the mess of owls and letters on the table in front of Harry. Behind her he saw many of the students watching them avidly.

"Why have you got all these letters, Mr Potter?" she asked slowly.

"Is that a crime now?" said Fred loudly. "Getting mail?"

"Be careful, Mr Snape, or I shall have to put you in detention,"said Umbridge, her eyes flashing dangeously

"_Fine_," snapped Fred. "I can get another scar to match the one of my right hand, huh?"

"Well, Mr Potter?" said Umbridge, ignoring his completely.

Harry hesitated "People have written to me because I gave an interview, about what happened to me last June."

"An interview?" repeated Umbridge, her voice thinner and higher than ever. "What do you mean?"

"I mean a reporter asked me questions and I answered them," said Harry. "Here —" And he threw the copy of The Quibbler at her. She caught it and stared down at the cover. Her pale, doughy face turned an ugly, patchy violet.

"When did you do this?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"Last Hogsmeade weekend," said Harry.

She looked up at him, incandescent with rage, the magazine shaking in her stubby fingers.

"There will be no more Hogsmeade trips for you, Mr Potter," she whispered. "How you dare ... how you could ... " She took a deep breath. "I have tried again and again to teach you not to tell lies. The message, apparently, has still not sunk in. Fifty points from Gryffindor and another week's worth of detentions."

She stalked away, clutching _The Quibbler_ to her chest, the eyes of many students following her.

"Crazy ol' bat." said Fred, frowning. "Wonder what she's gonna do now..."

"Oh," said Hermione, looking quite pleased for whatever reason. "I have an idea..."

By mid-morning enormous signs had been put up all over the school, not just on House notice boards, but in the corridors and classrooms too, announcing that any student in possession of _The Quibbler _would be immediately expelled.

"Well ain't that fasinating," said Matthew, looking at the poster from over his Charms textbook. "Too bad whatever Umbridge says, we all do the opposite."

"I think that was Hermione's plan all along." said Alice, a devilish grin on her face that would have made Fred proud to call himself her brother. "I saw a few Third years down there who transfigured their copies into looking like library books."

"Good to know they took my advice," said Matthew. He gave a wink and turned his book downwards, showing Alice an article about Nargles and their use in shampoos in what she _thought_ was his Charms book.

* * *

><p>A flash of memories flew pass Harry's line of vision, seeing him in primary school and so forth. It was before he knew it that he was on the stone ground, <em>again<em>.

"Well, that was something at least," Severus said weakly, extending a hand to him. Harry took it and he lifted him up and onto his feet again.

"That last memory," said Severus, watching as Harry straightened himself out again "What was it?"

"I don't know," said Harry, rubbing his head. "You mean the one where my cousin tried to make me stand in the toilet?"

"No," said Severus softly, looking puzzled. "I mean the one concerning a man kneeling in the middle of a darkened room..."

"It's - uh - nothing," said Harry, not sounding convincing in the slightest and glancing at the Pensieve on Severus' desk, wondering what was in it.

Severus noticed Harry's curious eyes. "I don't suggest looking in that, you won't like what you see, i assure you."

Severus cocked a brow to him. "But that vision, however..."

Harry looked guilty and said, "I-it's the only recent dream i've had, but it's nothing, really-"

"I don't think someone being tortured is 'nothing'," said Severus coldly. "How recently did this happen?"

"Only a few days ago..." said Harry.

Severus considered him for a moment. "I see, not anything more than the dark corridor?"

"Nothing." said Harry.

"Very well," said Severus, sounding oddly disappointed. "Are you ready to go again?"

Harry tensed up, but reluctantly nodded his head. "F-fine, let's just go..."

Severus raised his wand. "One — two — three — _Legilimens_!"

A hundred dementors were swooping toward Harry across the lake in the grounds, Rose and Hermione's voices in his ears. He screwed up his face in concentration. They were coming closer. He could see the dark holes beneath their hoods, yet he could also see Severus standing in front of him, his eyes fixed upon Harry's face, muttering under his breath, and somehow, Severus was growing clearer, and the dementors were growing fainter...

Harry didn't know what came over him, but he raised his own wand and shouted, "_Protego_!"

Severus staggered; his wand flew upward, away from Harry — suddenly Harry's mind was teeming with memories that were not his own — a hook-nosed man was shouting at a cowering woman, while a small dark-haired boy cried in a corner - A lank-haired teenager sat alone in a dark bedroom, pointing his wand at the ceiling, shooting down flies - A blond girl was laughing as a scrawny boy tried to mount a bucking broomstick —

Harry felt as though he had been pushed hard in the chest; he took several staggering steps backward, nearly hitting the wall. Severus was shaking slightly, very white in the face.

"Well, that was certainly an improvement..." said Severus, panting slightly.

Harry felt unnerved. "W-was that your -?"

"Father?" Severus said, finishing his sentence. Harry nodded. "I'm afraid so."

"I never would have guessed," said Harry, looking concerned. "T-they never talk about him..."

"Yes, well," said Severus bitterly. "He died when they were five or so, i do not ever want to burden them with the mere thought of him."

Severus looked like he was unlatched, staring down at the ground, his dark eyes unfocused as if imaging whatever else his father had done to him, his face full of what must have been years of suppressed anger for his father. Yes, maybe he was a bit of a strict teacher, but even Harry couldn't imagine Rose or the Twins cowered in a corner and crying while he yelled at their mother. That just wasn't him, he'd never hurt them in anyway, it was amazing that he could be like that with a paternal figure like _that_ raising him in his younger years.

"I'm s-sorry." said Harry, not exactly sure what to say.

"Don't speak of it," said Severus, waving his comment off and regaining his cool demeanour once again. "Come along, let's try once more-"

It felt like a split second later after Harry had straightened himself out again that Severus yelled, "_Legilimens_!"

He was hurtling along the dark corridor, which Harry knew by now was heading toward the Department of Mysteries, past the blank stone walls, past the torches — the plain black door was growing ever larger; he was moving so fast he was going to collide with it, he was feet from it and he could see that chink of faint blue light again —

The door had flown open! He was through it at last, inside a blackwalled, black-floored circular room lit with blue-flamed candles, and there were more doors all around him — he needed to go on — but which door ought he to take — ?

"POTTER!"

Harry opened his eyes. He was flat on his back again with no memory of having gotten there; he was also panting as though he really had run the length of the Department of Mysteries corridor, really had sprinted through the black door and found the circular room.

"He's getting closer..." Severus said softly, his eyes wide in shock. "How can he -?"

A woman screamed from somewhere outside the room, cutting him off.

Severus' head jerked upward; he was gazing at the ceiling.

"What the — ?" he muttered.

Harry could hear a muffled commotion coming from what he thought might be the entrance hall. Severus looked around at him, frowning.

"Did you see anything unusual on your way down here?"

Harry shook his head. Somewhere above them, the woman screamed again. Severus strode to his office door, his wand still held at the ready, and swept out of sight. Harry followed after him.

The screams were indeed coming from the entrance hall; they grew louder as Harry ran toward the stone steps leading up from the dungeons. When he reached the top he found the entrance hall packed.

Students had come flooding out of the Great Hall, where dinner was still in progress, to see what was going on. Others had crammed themselves onto the marble staircase. Harry pushed forward through a knot of tall Slytherins and saw that the onlookers had formed a great ring, some of them looking shocked, others even frightened. Professor McGonagall was directly opposite Harry on the other side of the hall; she looked as though what she was watching made her feel faintly sick.

Professor Trelawney was standing in the middle of the entrance hall with her wand in one hand and an empty sherry bottle in the other, looking utterly mad. Her hair was sticking up on end, her glasses were lopsided so that one eye was magnified more than the other; her innumerable shawls and scarves were trailing haphazardly from her shoulders, giving the impression that she was falling apart at the seams. Two large trunks lay on the floor beside her, one of them upside down; it looked very much as though it had been thrown down the stairs after her. Professor Trelawney was staring, apparently terrified, at something Harry could not see but that seemed to be standing at the foot of the stairs.

"No!" she shrieked. "NO! This cannot be happening. . . . It cannot . . . I refuse to accept it!"

"You didn't realize this was coming?" said a high girlish voice, sounding callously amused, and Harry, moving slightly to his right, saw that Trelawney's terrifying vision was nothing other than Professor Umbridge. "Incapable though you are of predicting even tomorrow's weather, you must surely have realised that your pitiful performance during my inspections, and lack of any improvement, would make it inevitable you would be sacked?"

"You c-_can't_!" howled Professor Trelawney, tears streaming down her face from behind her enormous lenses, "you c-can't sack me! I've b-been here sixteen years! H-Hogwarts is m-my h-_home_!"

"It _was_ your home," said Professor Umbridge, and Harry was revolted to see the enjoyment stretching her toadlike face as she watched Professor Trelawney sink, sobbing uncontrollably, onto one of her trunks. "Until an hour ago, when the Minister of Magic countersigned the order for your dismissal. Now kindly remove yourself from this hall. You are embarrassing us."

But she stood and watched, with an expression of gloating enjoyment, as Professor Trelawney shuddered and moaned, rocking backward and forward on her trunk in paroxysms of grief. Harry heard a sob to his left and looked around. Lavender and Parvati were both crying silently, their arms around each other. Then he heard footsteps. Professor McGonagall had broken away from the spectators, marched straight up to Professor Trelawney and was patting her firmly on the back while withdrawing a large handkerchief from within her robes.

"There, there, Sybill - Calm down - Blow your nose on this - It's not as bad as you think, now - You are not going to have to leave Hogwarts - "

"Oh _really_, Professor McGonagall?" said Umbridge in a deadly voice, taking a few steps forward. "And your authority for that statement is - ?"

"That would be mine," said a deep voice. The oak front doors had swung open. Students beside them scuttled out of the way as Dumbledore appeared in the entrance. What he had been doing out in the grounds Harry could not imagine, but there was something impressive about the sight of him framed in the doorway against an oddly misty night. Leaving the doors wide behind him, he strode forward through the circle of onlookers toward the place where Professor Trelawney sat, tearstained and trembling, upon her trunk, Professor McGonagall alongside her.

"Yours, Professor Dumbledore?" said Umbridge with a singularly unpleasant little laugh. "I'm afraid you do not understand the position. I have here" — she pulled a parchment scroll from within her robes — "an Order of Dismissal signed by myself and the Minister of Magic. _Under the terms of Educational Decree Number Twenty-three, the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts has the power to inspect, place upon probation, and sack any teacher she_ — that is to say, I — feel is not performing up to the standard required by the Ministry of Magic. I have decided that Professor Trelawney is not up to scratch. I have dismissed her."

To Harry's very great surprise, Dumbledore continued to smile. He looked down at Professor Trelawney, who was still sobbing and choking on her trunk, and said, "You are quite right, of course, Professor Umbridge. As High Inquisitor you have every right to dismiss my teachers. You do not, however, have the authority to send them away from the castle. I am afraid," he went on, with a courteous little bow. "That the power to do that still resides with the Headmaster, and it is my wish that Professor Trelawney continue to live at Hogwarts."

At this, Professor Trelawney gave a wild little laugh in which a hiccup was barely hidden.

"No — no, I'll g- go, Dumbledore! I sh-shall l-leave Hogwarts and s-seek my fortune elsewhere —"

"No," said Dumbledore sharply. "It is my wish that you remain, Sybill."

He turned to Professor McGonagall. "Might I ask you to escort Sybill back upstairs, Professor McGonagall?"

"Of course," said McGonagall. "Up you get, Sybill..."

Professor Sprout came hurrying forward out of the crowd and grabbed Professor Trelawney's other arm. Together they guided her past Umbridge and up the marble stairs. Professor Flitwick went scurrying after them, his wand held out before him; he squeaked, "Locomotor trunks!" and Professor Trelawney's luggage rose into the air and proceeded up the staircase after her, Professor Flitwick bringing up the rear.

Professor Umbridge was standing stock-still, staring at Dumbledore, who continued to smile benignly.

"And what," she said in a whisper that nevertheless carried all around the entrance hall, "are you going to do with her once I appoint a new Divination teacher who needs her lodgings?"

"Oh, that won't be a problem," said Dumbledore pleasantly. "You see, I have already found us a new Divination teacher, and he will prefer lodgings on the ground floor."

"You've _found_ — ?" said Umbridge shrilly. "You've found? Might I remind you, Dumbledore, that under Educational Decree Twentytwo —"

"— the Ministry has the right to appoint a suitable candidate if — and only if — the headmaster is unable to find one," said Dumbledore. "And I am happy to say that on this occasion I have succeeded. May I introduce you?"

He turned to face the open front doors, through which night mist was now drifting. Harry heard hooves. There was a shocked murmur around the hall and those nearest the doors hastily moved even farther backward, some of them tripping over in their haste to clear a path for the newcomer.

Through the mist came a face Harry had seen once before on a dark, dangerous night in the Forbidden Forest: white-blond hair and astonishingly blue eyes, the head and torso of a man joined to the palomino body of a horse.

"This is Firenze," said Dumbledore happily to a thunderstruck Umbridge. "I think you'll find him suitable."

* * *

><p>"Professor Dumbledore has kindly arranged this classroom for us," said Firenze the very next day, when everyone had settled down in the forest-like home they now studied in with him. "in imitation of my natural habitat. I would have preferred to teach you in the Forbidden Forest, which was — until Monday — my home - but this is not possible."<p>

"Please — er — sir —" said Parvati breathlessly, raising her hand. "Why not? We've been in there with Hagrid, we're not frightened!"

Rose rolled her eyes, sitting next to Sam, who was looking around the room like everyone else with widened eyes. Rose didn't know why, but an awful lot of the girls got all giddy when Firenze joined them, thinking as if he'd scoop them up and run off into the sunset with them, kissing like frivolously teenagers.

"It is not a question of your bravery," said Firenze. "But of my position, i can no longer return to the forest. My herd has banished me."

"_Herd_?" said Lavender in a confused voice, and Rose could tell by her tone of voice that she was thinking of cows. "What — oh!" Comprehension dawned on her face. "There are more of you?" she said, stunned.

"Did Hagrid breed you, like the thestrals?" asked Dean eagerly.

Firenze turned his head very slowly to face Dean, who seemed to realise at once that he had said something very offensive.

"I didn't — I meant — sorry," he finished in a hushed voice.

"Centaurs are not the servants or playthings of humans," said Firenze quietly. There was a pause, then Parvati raised her hand again.

"Please, sir . . . why have the other centaurs banished you?"

"Because I have agreed to work for Professor Dumbledore," said Firenze. "They see this as a betrayal of our kind."

"Let us begin," said Firenze, suddenly changing the subject. He swished his long palomino tail, raised his hand toward the leafy canopy overhead then lowered it slowly, and as he did so, the light in the room dimmed, so that they now seemed to be sitting in a forest clearing by twilight, and stars emerged upon the ceiling. There were oohs and gasps, and Rose could hear Sam said audibly, "Cool!"

"Lie back upon the floor," said Firenze in his calm voice. "And observe the heavens. Here is written, for those who can see, the fortune of our races."

"If i fall asleep, wake up, okay?" said Sam, laying down between Rose and Ina, putting her hands behind her head..

"I know that you have learned the names of the planets and their moons in Astronomy," said Firenze's calm voice. "And that you have mapped the stars' progress through the heavens. Centaurs have unraveled the mysteries of these movements over centuries. Our findings teach us that the future may be glimpsed in the sky above us..."

"Professor Trelawney did Astrology with us!" said Parvati excitedly, raising her hand in front of her so that it stuck up in the air as she lay on her back. "Mars causes accidents and burns and things like that, and when it makes an angle to Saturn, like now" — she drew a right angle in the air above her — "that means that people need to be extra careful when handling hot things —"

"That," said Firenze calmly, "is human nonsense."

Parvati's hand fell limply to her side.

"That stung." said Sam in a whisper, making Ina giggle.

"Trivial hurts, tiny human accidents," said Firenze, as his hooves thudded over the mossy floor. "These are of no more significance than the scurryings of ants to the wide universe, and are unaffected by planetary movements."

"Professor Trelawney —" began Parvati, in a hurt and indignant voice.

"— is a _human_," said Firenze simply. "And is therefore blinkered and fettered by the limitations of your kind."

"Sybill Trelawney may have Seen, I do not know," continued Firenze, and they heard the swishing of his tail again as he walked up and down before them, "but she wastes her time, in the main, on the self-flattering nonsense humans call fortune- telling. I, however, am here to explain the wisdom of centaurs, which is impersonal and impartial. We watch the skies for the great tides of evil or change that are sometimes marked there. It may take ten years to be sure of what we are seeing."

Sam's hand rose into the hair. "Sir," she said. "My mum's a Seer, and she's real' good at it too, does she count or ...?"

"If she is such, then i am sure her skills are up to par," said Firenze. "However, being of your kind, she is limited in that right. Of course, i have not seen her abilities in the flesh, for all i can tell, she might be greater than i at the art of Seeing than i, but that is yet to be seen."

Sam stared up at the ceiling, not exactly sure whether that was a compliment or not.

Firenze pointed to the red star directly above Harry. "In the past decade, the indications have been that Wizard-kind is living through nothing more than a brief calm between two wars. Mars, bringer of battle, shines brightly above us, suggesting that the fight must break out again soon. How soon, centaurs may attempt to divine by the burning of certain herbs and leaves, by the observation of fume and flame. . . ."

It was awhile later that they burned sage and mallowsweet there on the classroom floor, and Firenze told them to look for certain shapes and symbols in the pungent fumes, but he seemed perfectly unconcerned that not one of them could see any of the signs he described, telling them that humans were hardly ever good at this, that it took centaurs years and years to become competent, and finished by telling them that it was foolish to put too much faith in such things anyway, because even centaurs sometimes read them wrongly. He was nothing like any human teacher any of them had ever had. His priority did not seem to be to teach them what he knew, but rather to impress upon them that nothing, not even centaurs' knowledge, was foolproof.

"He's not very definite on anything, is he?" said Ina in a low voice as they put out their mallowsweet fire. "I think we could do with a few more details about this war we're about to have, don't you think?"

* * *

><p>As the professors started into a storm-fire of reminding them all that their O.W.L.s were rapidly approaching, Harry set the D.A. upon what they were most looking forward to, that being Patronuses.<p>

"Oh it's so cute - FRED! Tell your patronus to put mine down!" Sam snapped, her little silvery Rorcupine dangling in the air by the claw of Fred's own Raven.

"Aw, he's just trying to get acquainted is all." Fred giggled, flicking his wand, causing the Raven disappear and making the Porcupine land in Sam's outstretched hand in a gently breeze.

"Heh, you got a cute one," said Matthew, wiggling his finger at the Dove that was fluttering around Alice's head. "Nearly as cute as you."

"You think?" Alice said, smiling. "Where's yours?"

"Oh, hold on," said Matthew. He flicked his wand and shouted, _"Expecto Patronum_!" and a silvery form of large dog bounded outwards.

"Ah, a Scottish Deerhound, eh?" said Harry, walking over and checking on their progress. "Very fitting."

Alice's Dove landed on the Deerhound's head, rubbing its head on the Hound's own. The dog looked up at it and started wagging its tail.

Harry nodded at their improvement when he heard a growl, and saw a silver wolf approaching them, its eyes narrowed at the Deerhound.

"Okay, Haskell, really?" Harry asked, his hands on his hips as Branin walked over, the silvery trail from the Wolf going back to his wand.

"What?" Branin asked innocently. Harry pointed at the Wolf as it snapped at the Deerhound, making it look confused.

"We're supposed to be thinking _happy_ thoughts." Harry said in a stressed voice.

"I am!" Branin said indignantly.

"It doesn't involve me getting my head ripped of my lizard people, does it?" Matthew asked, looking unamused.

"Well, i'm not putting it past me, if that' what you mean." Branin snapped, flicking his wand and making the Wolf disappear before stalking away from them.

Rose started giggling as her silvery Fox wrapped around her neck, flicking its tail and brushing its face against her cheek.

Zachary looked at hers while his own Eagle flew around the room, watching as the others' produced their own.

"An Eagle, eh?" asked Evan, walking over to them. "Ina's got an Owl, but that's hardly the point, check this out-"

Evan said the incantation loudly, much to their surprise, a bright Cougar bounded out of the tip of his wand.

"A bloody freckin' COUGAR!" Evan said happily. "I thought i was gettin' a Badger, but i didn't, HA!"

Harry walked over to Hermione as her patronus, a shining silver otter, was gamboling around her.

"They are sort of nice, aren't they?" she said, looking at it fondly.

The door of the Room of Requirement opened and then closed again; Harry looked around to see who had entered, but there did not seem to be anybody there. It was a few moments before he realised that the people close to the door had fallen silent. Next thing he knew, something was tugging at his robes somewhere near the knee. He looked down and saw, to his very great astonishment, Dobby the house-elf peering up at him from beneath his usual eight hats.

"Hi, Dobby!" he said. "What are you — what's wrong?" For the elf's eyes were wide with terror and he was shaking. The members of the D.A. closest to Harry had fallen silent now: Everybody in the room was watching Dobby. The few Patronuses people had managed to conjure faded away into silver mist, leaving the room looking much darker than before.

"Harry Potter, sir - " squeaked the elf, trembling from head to foot, "Harry Potter, sir - Dobby has come to warn you - but the house-elves have been warned not to tell - "

Dobby attempted to run face first into the wall, but Fred bent down, his dark hair getting in his eyes, and grabbing Dobby around the dollar, holding his back.

"What's happened, Dobby?" Harry asked, giving an appreciative nod at Fred for holding him back.

"Harry Potter - she - _she_ -"

Dobby hit himself hard on the nose with his free fist: Fred seized that too.

"Who's '_she_,' Dobby?"

But by the look in Dobby's tennis green eyes, he already knew the answer.

"Umbridge?" asked Harry, horrified.

Dobby nodded, then tried to bang his head off Fred's knees; He held him at bay.

"What about her? Dobby — she hasn't found out about this — about us — about the D.A.?"

He read the answer in the elf's stricken face. His hands held fast by Fred, the elf tried to kick himself and fell to the floor.

"Is she coming?" Harry asked quietly.

Dobby let out a howl, and began beating his bare feet hard on the floor. "Yes, Harry Potter, yes!"

Harry straightened up and looked around at the motionless, terrified people gazing at the thrashing elf, which Fred let go of almost instantly.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?" Harry bellowed. "_RUN_!"

They all pelted toward the exit at once, forming a scrum at the door, then people burst through; Harry could hear them sprinting along the corridors and hoped they had the sense not to try and make it all the way to their dormitories. It was only ten to nine, if they just took refuge in the library or the Owlery, which were both nearer —

Fred grabbed Harry around the wrist. "Come on!"

Harry scooped up Dobby, who was still attempting to do himself serious injury, and ran with the elf in his arms to join the back of the queue, Fred pushing them forward.

"Dobby — this is an order — get back down to the kitchen with the other elves, and if she asks you whether you warned me, lie and say no!" said Harry. "And I forbid you to hurt yourself!" he added, dropping the elf as he made it over the threshold at last and slamming the door behind him.

"Thank you, Harry Potter!" squeaked Dobby, and he streaked off.

Harry glanced left and right, the others were all moving so fast that he caught only glimpses of flying heels at either end of the corridor before they vanished. He started to run right; there was a boys' bathroom up ahead, he could pretend he'd been in there all the time if he could just reach it —

"_AAARGH_!"

Something caught him around the ankles and he fell spectacularly, skidding along on his front for six feet before coming to a halt. Someone behind him was laughing. He rolled over onto his back and saw Malfoy concealed in a niche beneath an ugly dragon-shaped vase.

"Trip Jinx, Potter!" he said. "Hey, Professor — PROFESSOR! I've got one!"

Umbridge came bustling around the far corner, breathless but wearing a delighted smile, and, much to Harry's horror, her claw-like fingers gripped on Fred's arm, his bright green eyes flinching in pain.

"It's him!" she said jubilantly at the sight of Harry on the floor. "Excellent, Draco, excellent, oh, very good — fifty points to Slytherin! I'll take him from here - Stand up, Potter!"

Harry got to his feet, glaring at the pair of them. He had never seen Umbridge looking so happy. She seized his arm in a vicelike grip and turned, beaming broadly, to Malfoy. "You hop along and see if you can round up anymore of them, Draco," she said. "Tell the others to look in the library — anybody out of breath — check the bathrooms, Miss Parkinson can do the girls' ones — off you go — and you two," she added in her softest, most dangerous voice, as Malfoy walked away. "You can come with me to the Headmaster's office, i should have you two would be behind this," She glared at Fred, who stared back at her, his eyes narrowed and flashing at her. "Just wait until your parents hear about this, they won't be able to save you this time, oh no..."

They were at the stone gargoyle within minutes. Harry wondered how many of the others had been caught. He thought of Ron — Mrs Weasley would kill him — and of how Hermione would feel if she was expelled before she could take her O.W.L.s. Of course, Fred's sisters would probably be facing even more hell if they got caught, as they were never involved in those sort of things...

"Fizzing Whizbee," sang Umbridge, and the stone gargoyle jumped aside, the wall behind split open, and they ascended the moving stone staircase. They reached the polished door with the griffin knocker, but Umbridge did not bother to knock, she strode straight inside, still holding tight to Harry and Fred, who was trying to drag them back to no avail.

The office was full of people. Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, his expression serene, the tips of his long fingers together. Professor McGonagall stood rigidly beside him, her face extremely tense. Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, was rocking backward and forward on his toes beside the fire, apparently immensely pleased with the situation. Kingsley Shacklebolt and a tough-looking wizard Harry did not recognize with very short, wiry hair were positioned on either side of the door like guards, and Fred had a scowl on his face much like his father would get when he saw the freckled, bespectacled form of Percy Weasley hovered excitedly beside the wall, a quill and a heavy scroll of parchment in his hands, apparently poised to take notes.

The portraits of old headmasters and mistresses were not shamming sleep tonight. All of them were watching what was happening below, alert and serious. As Harry entered, a few flitted into neighboring frames and whispered urgently into their neighbors' ears.

They pulled himself free of Umbridge's grasp as the door swung shut behind them. Cornelius Fudge was glaring at him with a kind of vicious satisfaction upon his face.

"Well," he said. "Well, well, well..."

Harry replied with the dirtiest look he could muster. His heart drummed madly inside him, but his brain was oddly cool and clear. Fred stood erect, looking oddly proud for whatever reason.

"He was heading back to Gryffindor Tower, this one to the Slytherin dungeons" said Umbridge. There was an indecent excitement in her voice, the same callous pleasure Harry had heard as she watched Professor Trelawney dissolving with misery in the entrance hall. "The Malfoy boy cornered him, i, however, go this one."

She pointed to Fred, who look just about to dropkick her at any second.

"Did he, did he?" said Fudge appreciatively, ignoring Fred completely as if he was invisible. "I must remember to tell Lucius. Well, Potter, I expect you know why you are here?"

"Yeh — no." said Harry, making Fred give him a confused look.

"I beg your pardon?" said Fudge.

"No," said Harry, firmly.

"You don't know why you are here?"

"No, I don't." said Harry.

Fudge looked incredulously from Harry to Professor Umbridge.

"Nor your friend here?" he asked, indicating Fred finally.

"I dunno," said Harry. He looked at Fred. "What do you reckon?"

Fred looked like he was trying not to smile. _"No idea._"

"So you have no idea," said Fudge in a voice positively sagging with sarcasm. "Why Professor Umbridge has brought you to this office? You are not aware that you have broken any school rules?"

"School rules?" said Harry. "_No_."

"Or Ministry decrees?" amended Fudge angrily.

"Not that we're aware of." said Fred blandly.

"So it's news to the both of you, is it," said Fudge, his voice now thick with anger. "That an illegal student organisation has been discovered within this school?"

"Yes, it is." said Harry, hoisting an unconvincing look of innocent surprise onto his face.

"I think, Minister," said Umbridge silkily from beside him. "We might make better progress if I fetch our informant."

"Yes, yes, do," said Fudge, nodding, and he glanced maliciously at Dumbledore as Umbridge left the room. "There's nothing like a good witness, is there, Dumbledore?"

"Nothing at all, Cornelius," said Dumbledore gravely, inclining his head.

There was a wait of several minutes, in which nobody looked at each other, then they heard the door open behind him. Umbridge moved past him into the room, gripping by the shoulder Cho's curlyhaired friend Marietta, who was hiding her face in her hands.

"Don't be scared, dear, don't be frightened," said Professor Umbridge softly, patting her on the back, "It's quite all right, now. You have done the right thing. The Minister is very pleased with you. He'll be telling your mother what a good girl you've been. Marietta's mother, Minister," she added, looking up at Fudge, "is Madam Edgecombe from the Department of Magical Transportation. Floo Network office — she's been helping us police the Hogwarts fires, you know."

"Jolly good, jolly good!" said Fudge heartily. "Like mother, like daughter, eh? Well, come on, now, dear, look up, don't be shy, let's hear what you've got to — galloping gargoyles!"

As Marietta raised her head, Fudge leapt backward in shock, nearly landing himself in the fire. He cursed and stamped on the hem of his cloak, which had started to smoke, and Marietta gave a wail and pulled the neck of her robes right up to her eyes, but not before the whole room had seen that her face was horribly disfigured by a series of close-set purple pustules that had spread across her nose and cheeks to form the word "_SNEAK_."

"_Ugh_," said Fred despite himself. "This is definitely a down-grade from kissin' Matty, isn't it?"

Harry gave him a confused look. "It was before he knew Alice, don't worry." Fred added, sticking his thumb up at him and winking. "No catfights yet."

"Never mind the spots now, dear," said Umbridge impatiently, shooting daggers at Fred. "Just take your robes away from your mouth and tell the Minister —"

But Marietta gave another muffled wail and shook her head frantically.

"Oh, very well, you silly girl, I'll tell him," snapped Umbridge. She hitched her sickly smile back onto her face and said, "Well, Minister, Miss Edgecombe here came to my office shortly after dinner this evening and told me she had something she wanted to tell me. She said that if I proceeded to a secret room on the seventh floor, sometimes known as the Room of Requirement, I would find out something to my advantage. I questioned her a little further and she admitted that there was to be some kind of meeting there. Unfortunately at that point this hex," she waved impatiently at Marietta's concealed face, "came into operation and upon catching sight of her face in my mirror the girl became too distressed to tell me any more."

"Well, now," said Fudge, fixing Marietta with what he evidently imagined was a kind and fatherly look. "It is very brave of you, my dear, coming to tell Professor Umbridge, you did exactly the right thing. Now, will you tell me what happened at this meeting? What was its purpose? Who was there?"

But Marietta would not speak. She merely shook her head again, her eyes wide and fearful.

"Haven't we got a counterjinx for this?" Fudge asked Umbridge impatiently, gesturing at Marietta's face. "So she can speak freely?"

"I have not yet managed to find one," Umbridge admitted grudgingly, and by the look on his face, Harry could tell that Fred felt just as proud for Hermione and her jinxing ability. "But it doesn't matter if she won't speak, I can take up the story from here.

"You will remember, Minister, that I sent you a report back in October that Potter had met a number of fellow students in the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade —"

"And what is your evidence for that?" cut in Professor McGonagall.

"I have testimony from Willy Widdershins, Minerva, who happened to be in the bar at the time. He was heavily bandaged, it is true, but his hearing was quite unimpaired," said Umbridge smugly. "He heard every word Potter said and hastened straight to the school to report to me —"

"Oh, so that's why he wasn't prosecuted for setting up all those regurgitating toilets!" said Professor McGonagall, raising her eyebrows. "What an interesting insight into our justice system!"

"Blatant corruption!" roared the portrait of the corpulent, rednosed wizard on the wall behind Dumbledore's desk.

Fred bit back a laugh as the portrait said, "The Ministry did not cut deals with petty criminals in my day, no sir, they did not!"

"Thank you, Fortescue, that will do," said Dumbledore softly.

"The purpose of Potter's meeting with these students," continued Professor Umbridge, "was to persuade them to join an illegal society, whose aim was to learn spells and curses the Ministry has decided are inappropriate for school-age —"

"I think you'll find you're wrong there, Dolores," said Dumbledore quietly, peering at her over the half-moon spectacles perched halfway down his crooked nose.

"Oho!" said Fudge, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet again. "Yes, do let's hear the latest cock-and-bull story designed to pull Potter and his little friend out of trouble! Go on, then, Dumbledore, go on — Willy Widdershins was lying, was he? Or was it Potter's identical twin in the Hog's Head that day? Or is there the usual simple explanation involving a reversal of time, a dead man coming back to life, and a couple of invisible dementors?"

"Since when am i 'little'?" Fred said weakly as Percy Weasley let out a hearty laugh. "Oh, very good, Minister, very good!"

that Dumbledore was smiling gently at him. "Cornelius, I do not deny — and nor, I am sure, does Harry — that he was in the Hog's Head that day, nor that he was trying to recruit students to a Defense Against the Dark Arts group. I am merely pointing out that Dolores is quite wrong to suggest that such a group was, at that time, illegal. If you remember, the Ministry decree banning all student societies was not put into effect until two days after Harry's Hogsmeade meeting, so he was not breaking any rules in the Hog's Head at all."

Percy looked as though he had been struck in the face by something very heavy. Fudge remained motionless in mid-bounce, his mouth hanging open. Umbridge recovered first.

"That's all very fine, Headmaster," she said, smiling sweetly. "But we are now nearly six months on from the introduction of Educational Decree Number Twenty- four. If the first meeting was not illegal, all those that have happened since most certainly are."

"Well," said Dumbledore, surveying her with polite interest over the top of his interlocked fingers, "they certainly would be, if they had continued after the decree came into effect. Do you have any evidence that these meetings continued?"

As Dumbledore spoke, Harry heard a rustle behind him and rather thought Kingsley whispered something. He could have sworn too that he felt something brush against his side, a gentle something like a draft or bird wings, but looking down he saw nothing there.

"_Evidence_?" repeated Umbridge with that horrible wide toad-like smile. "Have you not been listening, Dumbledore? Why do you think Miss Edgecombe is here?"

"Oh, can she tell us about six months' worth of meetings?" said Dumbledore, raising his eyebrows. "I was under the impression that she was merely reporting a meeting tonight."

"Miss Edgecombe," said Umbridge at once, "tell us how long these meetings have been going on, dear. You can simply nod or shake your head, I'm sure that won't make the spots worse. Have they been happening regularly over the last six months?"

"Just nod or shake your head, dear," Umbridge said coaxingly to Marietta. "Come on, now, that won't activate the jinx further..."

Everyone in the room was gazing at the top of Marietta's face. Only her eyes were visible between the pulled up robes and her curly fringe.

Perhaps it was a trick of the firelight, but her eyes looked oddly blank.

And then — to their utter amazement — Marietta shook her head.

Umbridge looked quickly at Fudge and then back at Marietta. "I don't think you understood the question, did you, dear? I'm asking whether you've been going to these meetings for the past six months? You have, haven't you?"

Again, Marietta shook her head.

"What do you mean by shaking your head, dear?" said Umbridge in a testy voice.

"I would have thought her meaning was quite clear," said Professor McGonagall harshly. "There have been no secret meetings for the past six months. Is that correct, Miss Edgecombe?"

Marietta nodded.

"But there was a meeting tonight!" said Umbridge furiously.

"There was a meeting, Miss Edgecombe, you told me about it, in the Room of Requirement! And Potter was the leader, was he not, Potter organised it, Potter — why are you shaking your head, girl?"

"Well, usually when a person shakes their head," said McGonagall coldly. "They mean 'no.' So unless Miss Edgecombe is using a form of sign language as yet unknown to humans —"

Professor Umbridge seized Marietta, pulled her around to face her, and began shaking her very hard. A split second later Dumbledore was on his feet, his wand raised. Kingsley started forward and Umbridge leapt back from Marietta, waving her hands in the air as though they had been burned.

"I cannot allow you to manhandle my students, Dolores," said Dumbledore, and for the first time, he looked angry.

"You want to calm yourself, Madam Umbridge," said Kingsley in his deep, slow voice. "You don't want to get yourself into trouble now."

"No," said Umbridge breathlessly, glancing up at the towering figure of Kingsley. "I mean, yes — you're right, Shacklebolt — I — I forgot myself."

"You sure did," said Fred knowingly, nodding his head in agreement. "You might want some therapy, i reckon."

"Quiet, you!" Umbridge snapped, making Fred grin quite widely in satisfaction.

Marietta was standing exactly where Umbridge had released her. She seemed neither perturbed by Umbridge's sudden attack, nor relieved by her release. She was still clutching her robe up to her oddly blank eyes, staring straight ahead of her. A sudden suspicion connected to Kingsley's whisper and the thing he had felt shoot past him sprang into Harry's mind. Harry looked over at Fred, and by the look of it, he connected two-and0two together as well.

"Dolores," said Fudge, with the air of trying to settle something once and for all, "the meeting tonight — the one we know definitely happened —"

"Yes," said Umbridge, pulling herself together, "Yes, well, Miss Edgecombe tipped me off and I proceeded at once to the seventh floor, accompanied by certain trustworthy students, so as to catch those in the meeting red-handed. It appears that they were forewarned of my arrival, however, because when we reached the seventh floor they were running in every direction. It does not matter, however. I have all their names here, Miss Parkinson ran into the Room of Requirement for me to see if they had left anything behind. We needed evidence and the room provided..."

And to to their horror, she withdrew from her pocket the list of names that had been pinned upon the Room of Requirement's wall and handed it to Fudge.

"The moment I saw Potter's name on the list, I knew what we were dealing with," she said softly.

'Ah _shet_.' said Fred in a whisper. 'Mum is gonna _kill us!'_

"_Excellent_," said Fudge, a smile spreading across his face. "Excellent, Dolores. And - by thunder - "

He looked up at Dumbledore, who was still standing beside Marietta, his wand held loosely in his hand.

"See what they've named themselves?" said Fudge quietly. "Dumbledore's Army."

Dumbledore reached out and took the piece of parchment from Fudge. He gazed at the heading scribbled by Hermione months before and for a moment seemed unable to speak. Then he looked up, smiling.

"Well, the game is up," he said simply. "Would you like a written confession from me, Cornelius — or will a statement before these witnesses suffice?"

Harry saw McGonagall and Kingsley look at each other. There was fear in both faces. He did not understand what was going on, and neither, apparently, did Fudge.

"Statement?" said Fudge slowly. "What — I don't — ?"

"Dumbledore's Army, Cornelius," said Dumbledore, still smiling as he waved the list of names before Fudge's face. "Not Potter's Army. _Dumbledore's_ Army."

"But — but —"

Understanding blazed suddenly in Fudge's face. He took a horrified step backward, yelped, and jumped out of the fire again.

"_You_?" he whispered, stamping again on his smoldering cloak.

"That's right," said Dumbledore pleasantly.

"You organized this?"

"I did," said Dumbledore.

"You recruited these students for — for your army?"

"Tonight was supposed to be the first meeting," said Dumbledore, nodding. "Merely to see whether they would be interested in joining me. I see now that it was a mistake to invite Miss Edgecombe, of course."

Marietta nodded. Fudge looked from her to Dumbledore, his chest swelling.

"Then you have been plotting against me!" he yelled.

"That's right," said Dumbledore cheerfully. " shouted Harry.

Kingsley flashed a look of warning at him, McGonagall widened her eyes threateningly, but it had suddenly dawned upon Harry what Dumbledore was about to do, and he could not let it happen.

"No — Professor Dumbledore!"

"Be quiet, Harry, or I am afraid you will have to leave my office," said Dumbledore calmly. Fred gave them wide-eyed glances. He looked to be enjoying himself quite a bit, actually, due to all this drama, it was right up his alley.

"Yes, shut up, Potter!" barked Fudge, who was still ogling Dumbledore with a kind of horrified delight. "Well, well, well — I came here tonight expecting to expel Potter and instead —"

"Instead you get to arrest me," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It's like losing a Knut and finding a Galleon, isn't it?"

"Weasley!" cried Fudge, now positively quivering with delight. "Weasley, have you written it all down, everything he's said, his confession, have you got it?"

"Yes, sir, I think so, sir!" said Percy eagerly, whose nose was splattered with ink from the speed of his note- taking.

"The bit about how he's been trying to build up an army against the Ministry, how he's been working to destabilize me?"

"Yes, sir, I've got it, yes!" said Percy, scanning his notes joyfully.

"Very well, then," said Fudge, now radiant with glee. "Duplicate your notes, Weasley, and send a copy to the Daily Prophet at once. If we send a fast owl we should make the morning edition!" Percy dashed from the room, slamming the door behind him, and Fudge turned back to Dumbledore. "You will now be escorted back to the Ministry, where you will be formally charged and then sent to Azkaban to await trial!"

"Ah," said Dumbledore gently, "yes. Yes, I thought we might hit that little snag."

"_Snag_?" said Fudge, his voice still vibrating with joy. "I see no snag, Dumbledore!"

"Well," said Dumbledore apologetically, "I'm afraid I do."

"Oh really?"

"Well — it's just that you seem to be laboring under the delusion that I am going to — what is the phrase? 'Come quietly' I am afraid I am not going to come quietly at all, Cornelius. I have absolutely no intention of being sent to Azkaban. I could break out, of course — but what a waste of time, and frankly, I can think of a whole host of things I would rather be doing."

Umbridge's face was growing steadily redder, she looked as though she was being filled with boiling water. Fudge stared at Dumbledore with a very silly expression on his face, as though he had just been stunned by a sudden blow and could not quite believe it had happened. He made a small choking noise and then looked around at

Kingsley and the man with short gray hair, who alone of everyone in the room had remained entirely silent so far.

The latter gave Fudge a reassuring nod and moved forward a little, away from the wall. Harry saw his hand drift, almost casually, toward his pocket.

"Don't be silly, Dawlish," said Dumbledore kindly. "I'm sure you are an excellent Auror, I seem to remember that you achieved 'Outstanding' in all your N.E.W.T.s, but if you attempt to — er — 'bring me in' by force, I will have to hurt you."

The man called Dawlish blinked, looking rather foolish. He looked toward Fudge again, but this time seemed to be hoping for a clue as to what to do next.

"So," sneered Fudge, recovering himself, "you intend to take on Dawlish, Shacklebolt, Dolores, and myself single-handed, do you, Dumbledore?"

"Merlin's beard, no," said Dumbledore, smiling. "Not unless you are foolish enough to force me to."

"He will not be single-handed!" said Professor McGonagall loudly, plunging her hand inside her robes.

"Oh yes he will, Minerva!" said Dumbledore sharply. "Hogwarts needs you!"

"Damn right it does!" said Fred, making Harry beam.

"Enough of this rubbish!" said Fudge, pulling out his own wand. "Dawlish! Shacklebolt! Take him!"

A streak of silver light flashed around the room. There was a bang like a gunshot, and the floor trembled. A hand grabbed the scruff of Harry's neck and forced him down on the floor as a second silver flash went off — several of the portraits yelled, Fawkes screeched, and a cloud of dust filled the air. Coughing in the dust, Harry saw a dark figure fall to the ground with a crash in front of him. There was a shriek and a thud and somebody cried, "No!" Then the sound of breaking glass, frantically scuffling footsteps, a groan — and silence.

Harry struggled around to see who was half- strangling him and saw Professor McGonagall crouched beside him. She had forced both him and Fred, who had his hand around Marietta's collar, out of harm's way. Dust was still floating gently down through the air onto them. Panting slightly, Harry saw a very tall figure moving toward them.

"Are you all right?" said Dumbledore.

"Yes!" said Professor McGonagall, getting up and dragging Harry and Fred. who was still grasping Marietta's collar, pulling her along.

The dust was clearing. The wreckage of the office loomed into view: Dumbledore's desk had been overturned, all of the spindly tables had been knocked to the floor, their silver instruments in pieces. Fudge, Umbridge, Kingsley, and Dawlish lay motionless on the floor. Fawkes the phoenix soared in wide circles above them, singing softly.

"Unfortunately, I had to hex Kingsley too, or it would have looked very suspicious," said Dumbledore in a low voice. "He was remarkably quick on the uptake, modifying Miss Edgecombe's memory like that while everyone was looking the other way — thank him for me, won't you, Minerva?

"Now, they will all awake very soon and it will be best if they do not know that we had time to communicate — you must act as though no time has passed, as though they were merely knocked to the ground, they will not remember —"

"Where will you go, Dumbledore?" whispered Professor McGonagall. "Grimmauld Place?"

"Oh no," said Dumbledore with a grim smile. "I am not leaving to go into hiding. Fudge will soon wish he'd never dislodged me from Hogwarts, I promise you..."

"Professor Dumbledore - " Harry began.

"Listen to me, Harry," he said urgently, "You must study Occlumency as hard as you can, do you understand me? Do everything Professor Snape tells you and practice it particularly every night before sleeping so that you can close your mind to bad dreams — you will understand why soon enough, but you must promise me you will."

"I promise." Harry said without missing a beat.

"I'll make sure to slap him if he needs reminding." said Fred serenely.

"You do that, Frederick," said Dumbledore, giving him a slight wink.

The man called Dawlish was stirring. Dumbledore seized Harry's wrist. "Remember — _close your mind_ —"

At Dumbledore's touch, Harry's scar prickled with a searing pain.

"— you will understand," whispered Dumbledore.

Fawkes circled the office and swooped low over him. Dumbledore released Harry, raised his hand, and grasped the phoenix's long golden tail. There was a flash of fire and the pair of them had gone.

"Where is he?" yelled Fudge, pushing himself up from the ground. _"Where is he?"_

"I don't know!" shouted Kingsley, also leaping to his feet.

"Well, he can't have Disapparated!" cried Umbridge. "You can't inside this school —"

"The stairs!" cried Dawlish, and he flung himself upon the door, wrenched it open, and disappeared, followed closely by Kingsley and Umbridge. Fudge hesitated, then got to his feet slowly, brushing dust from his front. There was a long and painful silence.

"Well, Minerva," said Fudge nastily, straightening his torn shirtsleeve. "I'm afraid this is the end of your friend Dumbledore."

"You think so, do you?" said Professor McGonagall scornfully.

Fudge seemed not to hear her. He was looking around at the wrecked office. A few of the portraits hissed at him; one or two even made rude hand gestures.

"You'd better get those two off to bed," said Fudge, looking back at Professor McGonagall with a dismissive nod toward Harry, Fred, and a still very blank-looking Marietta.

She said nothing, but marched the three of them to the door. As it swung closed behind them, Harry heard Phineas Nigellus's voice.

"You know, Minister, I disagree with Dumbledore on _many_ counts, but you cannot deny he's got style..."

* * *

><p>How any of the students knew a good portion of the story of Dumbledore flight is a bit of a mystery, but as you can guess, Fred was more than happy to answer any and all questions he got, as he was wasn't the one stuck in the hospital wing, and Harry refused to answer any at all.<p>

"It was brilliant, really," said Fred for the fifteenth time that hour during a passing period. "Just a flash of red and yellow then -"

He made an exploding motion with hand, causing amazing grasps, making his grin even more widely that before.

"You're lucky Dumbledore took the list," Hermione said in a deadly whisper, glaring at him from the corner of her brown eyes. "You wouldn't be so happy with we all got in trouble."

Fred shrugged. "I don't know about that one, i'd love to see Alice or Rose get in trouble, actually..."

"Oh, thanks for that one, Frederick." said Rose, appearing suddenly next to him with Sam and Ina.

"Love you too, Rosie darling." said Fred with a wink.

"Dumbledore will be back before long," said Ernie Macmillan confidently, appearing next to Harry. "They couldn't keep him away in our second year and they won't be able to this time. The Fat Friar told me," He dropped his voice conspiratorially, so that they had to lean closer to him to hear, " - that Umbridge tried to get back into his office last night after they'd searched the castle and grounds for him. Couldn't get past the gargoyle. The Head's office has sealed itself against her." Ernie smirked. "Apparently she had a right little tantrum..."

"Oh, I expect she really fancied herself sitting up there in the Head's office," said Hermione viciously, as they walked up to the entrance hall. "Lording it over all the other teachers, the stupid puffed-up, power-crazy old —"

"Now, do you really want to finish that sentence, Granger?"

Draco Malfoy had slid out from behind the door, followed by Crabbe and Goyle. His pale, pointed face was alight with malice.

"Afraid I'm going to have to dock a few points from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff," he drawled.

"It's only teachers that can dock points from Houses, Malfoy." said Ernie at once.

"Yeah, we're prefects too, remember?" snarled Ron.

"I know prefects can't dock points, Weasel King," sneered Malfoy; Crabbe and Goyle sniggered. "But members of the Inquisitorial Squad —"

"The _what_?" said Rose sharply.

"The Inquisitorial Squad, Snape," said Draco, pointing toward a tiny silver _I_ upon his robes just beneath his prefect's badge. "A select group of students who are supportive of the Ministry of Magic, handpicked by Professor Umbridge. Anyway, members of the Inquisitorial Squad do have the power to dock points. So, Granger, I'll have five from you for being rude about our new headmistress. Macmillan, five for contradicting me. Five because I don't like you, Potter, Weasley, your shirt's untucked, so I'll have another five for that - "

"Oh that's it!" Ina snapped suddenly, pushing Rose aside and stomping in front of Draco, bringing herself to her full height, making Draco looking much shorter than her, surprisingly.

"Where do you get off, Malfoy?" she said viciously. "You abuse your power for what, kicks? You're just scared little boy who belittles everyone for your own gain of self-importance. You're a deceitful, selfish, cruel little arsehole who," She glared at Crabbe and Goyle, "Use threats and brawn to scare others. Well you know what? Take as many points as you like, because winning a cup means nothing when you win it on lying instead _earning_ it. I have power too, you know, and i know how to use it, so bugger off, ferret."

Draco stared at her, his pale grey eyes wide in shock. Ina was breathing quite heavily, some of her dark brown hair falling onto her angry face. Draco gave Crabbe and Goyle glances from the corner of his eyes and they dashed off, looking shaken.

Ina huffed, smiling wickedly when they gave her impressed looks. Ina indicated her head towards the door and they headed into the Great Hall, looking mighty pleased with her.

She headed off towards the Hufflepuff table, grabbing Evan and nearly pushing him off the stone bench with her enthusiasm when she pressed her lips to his, causing him to be very taken a back.

Harry laughed at it until he noticed the large glass vials near the staff table. The Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff ones had obviously gone down in their house coloured gems, though by what they already guessed, the Slytherin was the only one untouched.

"I wish i was in Gryffindor instead," Fred said hotly. "Then we wouldn't have to be lumped up with all these arses."

"We know that feeling, Elvendork," said a voice, and they turned to see the Weasley Twins standing next to Harry. "Noticed the points now, have ya'?"

"They took about fourty off us just now, i think." said Ron bitterly.

"We just saw Sullivan taking about seventy off of Matthew just now, actually." said George.

"What for?" asked Harry.

"Because he's dating a Half-blood, duh." said Fred Weasley, looking annoyed. "Then Wargrave came around and just lashed Al off because she's related to our dear Freddie here."

"_Great_," said Fred, a muscle moving in his jaw. "Chair can make my life even worse now!"

"Yeah, but she won't take points off ya'," said Harry. "You're still in the same house, and if they've got a say in anything, they'd rather have you cause a muck instead of taking points off."

"Ah," said Rose. "Our _one_ advantage."

"Yeah, well, Montague tried to do us during break," said George.

"What do you mean, '_tried_'?" said Ron quickly.

"He never managed to get all the words out," said Fred, "due to the fact that we forced him headfirst into that Vanishing Cabinet on the first floor."

Hermione looked very shocked. "But you'll get into terrible trouble!"

"Not until Montague reappears, and that could take weeks, I dunno where we sent him," said Fred Weasley coolly. "Anyway ... we've decided we don't care about getting into trouble anymore."

"Have you ever?" asked Hermione.

" 'Course we have," said George. "Never been expelled, have we?"

"We've always known where to draw the line," said his twin.

"We might have put a toe across it occasionally," said George.

"But we've always stopped short of causing real _mayhem_,"

"But now?" said Ron tentatively.

"Well, now —" said George.

"— what with Dumbledore gone —" said Fred Weasley.

"— we reckon a bit of mayhem —" said George.

"— is exactly what our dear new Head _deserves_."

"You mustn't!" whispered Hermione. "You really mustn't! She'd love a reason to expel you!"

"You don't get it, Hermione, do you?" said George, smiling at her.

"We don't care about staying anymore. We'd walk out right now if we weren't determined to do our bit for Dumbledore first. So anyway," he checked his watch, "phase one is about to begin. I'd get in the Great Hall for lunch if I were you, that way the teachers will see you can't have had anything to do with it. Elvendork, you comin'?"

"But of course," said Fred happily. He winked at Harry.

"Anything to do with what?" said Hermione anxiously.

"You'll see," said George. "Run along, now."

The three of them dashed away from them, heading straight back out into the Entrance Hall and disappearing into the crowd.

"That foul little toad!" Lily snapped, nearly whacked Severus in the stomach with her fist in anger as they walked down a deserted corridor. "Her, _Headmistress_? We might as well just pack our bags now, there won't be a Hogwarts after this."

"You don't think a riot will ensue instead?" Severus asked, raised a brow to her.

Lily gave him a confused look. "C'mon Sev, who would start a riot _here_? Everyone is too scared to do anything against her or she'll send us to Azkaban-!"

As she said that, a sudden BOOM! went off, startling them, making Lily grab his arm.

"What the hell was that?" she said, looking around. She got her answer when a dragon, comprised entirely of green-and-gold sparks were soared up and down past the panelled windows, emitting loud fiery blasts and bangs as they went, followed shortly by a shocking-pink Catherine wheels five feet in diameter whizzing lethally through the air.

Severus smiled. "No riot, eh?"

"What?" Lily said, looked bemused. "Who'd set off fireworks-?"

Realisation dawned over her face. "Remind me to make Frederick's grade in Muggle Studies an "Overly-Outstanding', will you?"

"Likewise." said Severus, beaming proudly as a rocket made entirely of silver stars shot pass them, making their hair blow by the rushing movement.

* * *

><p>Severus pointed his wand at Harry once again. "One — two —"<p>

Harry braced himself for another whirl of blurred memories when the office door banged open and Draco Malfoy sped in.

"Professor Snape, sir — oh — sorry —" Draco was looking at Snape and Harry in some surprise.

"It's all right, Draco," said Severus, lowering his wand. "Potter is here for a little Remedial Potions."

Harry had not seen Draco look so gleeful since Umbridge had turned up to inspect Hagrid.

"I didn't know," he said, leering at Harry, who knew his face was burning.

"Well, Draco, what is it?" asked Severus.

"It's Professor Umbridge, sir — she needs your help," said Draco. "They've found Montague, sir. He's turned up jammed inside a toilet on the fourth floor."

"How did he get in there?" demanded Severus.

"I don't know, sir, he's a bit confused..."

"Very well, very well — Potter," said Severus, looking annoyed. "We shall resume this lesson tomorrow evening instead."

He turned and swept from his office. Draco mouthed _"Remedial Potions?"_ at Harry behind Severus' back before following him.

Seething, Harry replaced his wand inside his robes and made to leave the room.

But then, a sparkling light caught his eye.

Harry turned, looking at the Pensieve that Severus had put certain memories into. What exactly did he have in there, Harry wondered. Severus wouldn't be back for awhile, Montague was the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch Team, even Severus still showed his favouritism towards his own house, he'd want to make sure he was alright...

Plus, Harry had already seen what Severus' father had done to him and his mother, what could be worse than _that_?

Harry walked the remaining few feet to the Pensieve and stood over it, gazing into its depths. He hesitated, listening, then pulled out his  
>wand again. The office and the corridor beyond were completely silent. He gave the contents of the Pensieve a small prod with the end of his wand. The silvery stuff within began to swirl very fast.<p>

Harry leaned forward over it and saw that it had become transparent. He was, once again, looking down into a room as though through a circular window in the ceiling. In fact, unless he was much mistaken, he was looking down upon the Great Hall...

At once, the floor of the office lurched, tipping Harry headfirst into the Pensieve. He was falling through cold blackness, spinning furiously as he went, and then —

Harry was standing in the middle of the Great Hall, but the four House tables were gone. Instead there were more than a hundred smaller tables, all facing the same way, at each of which sat a student, head bent low, scribbling on a roll of parchment. The only sound was the scratching of quills and the occasional rustle as somebody adjusted their parchment. It was clearly exam time.

Sunshine was streaming through the high windows onto the bent heads, which shone chestnut and copper and gold in the bright light.

Harry looked around carefully. Severus had to be here somewhere. This was his memory...

And there he was, at a table right behind Harry. Harry stared.

Severus-the- teenager had a stringy, pallid look about him, definitely not nearly as well groomed and healthy looking as Fred was, like a plant kept in the dark. His hair was lank and greasy and was flopping onto the table, his hooked nose barely half an inch from the surface of the parchment as he scribbled. Harry moved around behind Severus and read the heading of the examination paper: _Defence Against the Dark Arts — Ordinary Wizarding Level_

So he had to be fifteen or sixteen, around Harry's own age. His hand was flying across the parchment; he had written at least a foot more than his closest neighbors, and yet his writing was minuscule and cramped.

_"Five more minutes!"_

The voice made Harry jump; turning, he saw the top of Professor Flitwick's head moving between the desks a short distance away. Professor Flitwick was walking past a boy with untidy black hair - _very_ untidy black hair-

Harry moved quickly, stopping in front of the desk and gazed down at his fifteen year-old father.

Excitement exploded in the pit of his stomach: It was as though he was looking at himself but with deliberate mistakes. James's eyes were hazel, his nose was slightly longer than Harry's, and there was no scar on his forehead, but they had the same thin face, same mouth, same eyebrows. James's hair stuck up at the back exactly as Harry's did, his hands could have been Harry's, and Harry could tell that when James stood up, they would be within an inch of each other's heights.

James yawned hugely and rumpled up his hair, making it even messier than it had been. Then, with a glance toward Professor Flitwick, he turned in his seat and grinned at a boy sitting four seats behind him.

With another shock of excitement, Harry saw Sirius give James the thumbs-up. Sirius was lounging in his chair at his ease, tilting it back on two legs. He was very good-looking; his dark hair fell into his eyes with a sort of casual elegance neither James's nor Harry's could ever have achieved (though for some reason, Fred had, making Harry smile to himself), and a girl sitting behind him was eyeing him hopefully, though he didn't seem to have noticed. And two seats along from this girl — Harry's stomach gave another pleasurable squirm — was Remus Lupin. He looked rather pale and peaky (was the full moon approaching?) and was absorbed in the exam: As he reread his answers he scratched his chin with the end of his quill, frowning slightly. So that meant Wormtail had to be around here somewhere too...

And sure enough, Harry spotted him within seconds: a small, mousy-haired boy with a pointed nose. Wormtail looked anxious; he was chewing his fingernails, staring down at his paper, scuffing the ground with his toes. Every now and then he glanced hopefully at his neighbor's paper. Harry stared at Wormtail for a moment, then back at James, who was doodling a Golden Snitch on a spare piece of parchment. Harry looked around and, much to his surprise, saw his mother, Mary, sitting only a few desks away from James, looking hopeful and, upon realising that she was staring, quickly went back to looking at her paper, her fire-like hair, more blond in this light, flashing in the sunshine, her cheeks bright red from embarrassment .

"Quills down, please!" squeaked Professor Flitwick. "That means you too, Stebbins! Please remain seated while I collect your parchment! Accio!"

More than a hundred rolls of parchment zoomed into the air and into Professor Flitwick's outstretched arms, knocking him backward off his feet. Several people laughed. A couple of students at the front desks got up, took hold of Professor Flitwick beneath the elbows, and lifted him onto his feet again.

"Thank you - thank you," panted Professor Flitwick. "Very well, everybody, you're free to go!"

Harry looked down at his father, who jumped to his feet, stuffed his quill and the exam question paper into his bag, which he slung over his back, and stood waiting for Sirius to join him.

Harry looked around and glimpsed Severus a short way away, moving between the tables toward the doors into the entrance hall, still absorbed in his own examination paper. Round-shouldered yet angular, he walked in a twitchy manner that recalled a spider, his oily hair swinging about his face.

A gang of chattering girls separated Severus from James and Sirius, and by planting himself in the midst of this group, Harry managed to keep Severus in sight while straining his ears to catch the voices of James and his friends.

"Did you like question ten, Moony?" asked Sirius as they emerged into the entrance hall.

"Loved it," said Remus briskly. " 'Give five signs that identify the werewolf.' Excellent question."

"D'you think you managed to get all the signs?" said James in tones of mock concern.

"Think I did," said Remus seriously, as they joined the crowd thronging around the front doors eager to get out into the sunlit grounds. "One: He's sitting on my chair. Two: He's wearing my clothes. Three: His name's Remus Lupin..."

Wormtail was the only one who didn't laugh.

"I got the snout shape, the pupils of the eyes, and the tufted tail," he said anxiously, "but I couldn't think what else —"

"How thick are you, Wormtail?" said James impatiently. "You run round with a werewolf once a month —"

"Keep your voice down," implored Remus.

Harry looked anxiously behind him again. Severus remained close by, still buried in his examination questions; but this was Severus' memory, and Harry was sure that if Severus chose to wander off in a different direction once outside in the grounds, he, Harry, would not be able to follow James any farther. To his intense relief, however, when James and his three friends strode off down the lawn toward the lake, Severus followed, still poring over the paper and apparently with no fixed idea of where he was going. By jogging a little ahead of him, Harry managed to maintain a close watch on James and the others.

"Well, I thought that paper was a piece of cake," he heard Sirius say. "I'll be surprised if I don't get Outstanding on it at least."

"Me too," said James. He put his hand in his pocket and took out a struggling Golden Snitch.

"Where'd you get that?"

"Nicked it," said James casually. He started playing with the Snitch, allowing it to fly as much as a foot away and seizing it again; his reflexes were excellent.

Wormtail watched him in awe.

They stopped in the shade of the very same beech tree on the edge of the lake and threw themselves down on the grass. Harry looked over his shoulder yet again and saw, to his delight, that Severus had settled himself on the grass in the dense shadows of a clump of bushes. He was as deeply immersed in the O.W.L. paper as ever, which left Harry free to sit down on the grass between the beech and the bushes and watch the foursome under the tree.

The sunlight was dazzling on the smooth surface of the Lake, on the bank of which the group of laughing girls who had just left the Great Hall were sitting with shoes and socks off, cooling their feet in the water. Harry could plainly see that Mary was next to a girl with oddly familiar looking red hair...

Remus had pulled out a book and was reading. Sirius stared around at the students milling over the grass, looking rather haughty and bored, but very handsomely so. James was still playing with the Snitch, letting it zoom farther and farther away, almost escaping but always grabbed at the last second. Wormtail was watching him with his mouth open. Every time James made a particularly difficult catch, Wormtail gasped and applauded. After five minutes of this, Harry wondered why James didn't tell Wormtail to get a grip on himself, but James seemed to be enjoying the attention. Harry noticed his father  
>had a habit of rumpling up his hair as though to make sure it did not get too tidy, and also that he kept looking over at the girls by the water's edge.<p>

"Put that away, will you?" said Sirius finally, as James made a fine catch and Wormtail let out a cheer. "Before Wormtail wets himself from excitement."

Wormtail turned slightly pink but James grinned. "If it bothers you," he said, stuffing the Snitch back in his pocket.

Harry had the distinct impression that Sirius was the only one for whom James would have stopped showing off.

"I'm bored," said Sirius. "Wish it was full moon."

"You might," said Remus darkly from behind his book. "We've still got Transfiguration, if you're bored you could test me. Here." He held out his book.

Sirius snorted. "I don't need to look at that rubbish, I know it all."

"This'll liven you up, Padfoot," said James quietly. "Look who it is..."

Sirius's head turned. He had become very still, like a dog that has scented a rabbit.

"Excellent," he said softly. "_Snivellus_."

Harry turned to see what Sirius was looking at.

Severus was on his feet again, and was stowing the O.W.L. paper in his bag. Harry's brows furrowed. Something was wrong, Sirius call him _that_, did he?

As he emerged from the shadows of the bushes and set off across the grass, Sirius and James stood up. Remus and Wormtail remained sitting: Remus was still staring down at his book, though his eyes were not moving and a faint frown line had appeared between his eyebrows. Wormtail was looking from Sirius and James to Severus with a look of avid anticipation on his face.

"All right, Snivellus?" said James loudly.

Severus reacted so fast it was as though he had been expecting an attack: Dropping his bag, he plunged his hand inside his robes, and his wand was halfway into the air when James shouted, "_Expelliarmus_!"

Severus' wand flew twelve feet into the air and fell with a little thud in the grass behind him. Sirius let out a bark of laughter.

"_Impedimenta_!" he said, pointing his wand at Severus, who was knocked off his feet, halfway through a dive toward his own fallen wand.

No, something was very off here, why would his father be doing _that_-?

Students all around had turned to watch. Some of them had gotten to their feet and were edging nearer to watch. Some looked apprehensive, others entertained.

Severus lay panting on the ground. James and Sirius advanced on him, wands up, James glancing over his shoulder at the girls at the water's edge as he went. Wormtail was on his feet now, watching hungrily, edging around Remus to get a clearer view.

"How'd the exam go, Snivelly?" said James.

"I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment," said Sirius viciously. "There'll be great grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word."

Several people watching laughed; Severus was clearly unpopular, making Harry feel a wave of stabbing pity for him.

Wormtail sniggered shrilly. Severus was trying to get up, but the jinx was still operating on him; he was struggling, as though bound by invisible ropes.

"You — wait," he panted, staring up at James with an expression of purest loathing. "You — wait..."

"Wait for what?" said Sirius coolly. "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?"

Severus let out a stream of mixed swearwords and hexes, but his wand being ten feet away nothing happened.

"Wash out your mouth," said James coldly. "_Scourgify_!"

Pink soap bubbles streamed from Snape's mouth at once; the froth was covering his lips, making him gag, choking him —

"Leave him ALONE!"

James and Sirius looked around. James's free hand jumped to his hair again.

For a fleeting moment, Harry thought Rose was stomping over to them, but then it dawned on him from her Gryffindor coloured uniform that it was only a much younger version of her mother, Lily, looking quite red in the face in anger.

"All right, Evans?" said James, and the tone of his voice was suddenly pleasant, deeper, more mature.

"Leave him _alone_," Lily repeated. She was looking at James with every sign of great dislike. "What's he done to you?"

"_Well_," said James, appearing to deliberate the point, "It's more the fact that he _exists_, if you know what I mean..."

Harry felt a wave of confusion go through him as many of the surrounding watchers laughed, Sirius and Wormtail included, but Remus, still apparently intent on his book, didn't, and neither did Lily.

"You think you're funny," she said coldly. "But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him _alone_."

"I will if you go out with me, Evans," said James quickly. "Go on, Go out with me, and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."

Behind him, the Impediment Jinx was wearing off. Severus was beginning to inch toward his fallen wand, spitting out soapsuds as he crawled.

"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the Giant _Squid_," said Lily harshly.

"Bad luck, Prongs," said Sirius briskly, turning back to Severus. "OY!"

But too late; Severus had directed his wand straight at James; there was a flash of light and a gash appeared on the side of James's face, spattering his robes with blood. James whirled about; a second flash of light later, Snape was hanging upside down in the air, his robes falling over his head to reveal skinny, pallid legs and a pair of greying underpants.

Many people in the small crowd watching cheered. Sirius, James, and Wormtail roared with laughter.

"Let him down!" Lily shouted again, her face contorted in fury.

"Certainly," said James and he jerked his wand upward. Severus fell into a crumpled heap on the ground. Disentangling himself from his robes, he got quickly to his feet, wand up, but Sirius said, _"Petrificus Totalus!_" and Severus keeled over again at once, rigid as a board, though his dark eyes still darted around, alit with embarrassment and anger.

_"LEAVE HIM ALONE!_" Lily shouted. She had her own wand out now. James and Sirius eyed it warily.

"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," said James earnestly.

"Take the curse off him, then!"

James sighed deeply, then turned to Severus and muttered the counter-curse.

"There you go." said James. "You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus-"

Severus whipped around to lash back at him, but he was cut off before he could even start.

"Is this Gryffindor brat giving you trouble?"

Harry turned his focus from them to two tall and brutish looking Slytherins striding over to him. By what Harry already found out about Voldemort's league, these two were Avery and Mulciber, he recognised them from their WANTED posters that he saw around Hogsmeade only weeks previously.

"Oi," said Sirius, walking up next to James with his wand held in his hand. "This is none of your business."

"Oh really?" sneered Avery. "Because if we didn't know any better, you were picking on a Slytherin, and if there's one thing Slytherins believe, it's sticking together."

"Oh, i bet you do." said Lily coldly.

Avery and Mulciber turned to her. "What was that?"

"I said_ 'I bet you do_.'" said Lily, her arms crossed over her chest. "Because if i remember correctly, I was here way before you two even showed up, defending my friend."

"And why exactly would he need help from a filthy little mudblood like you"? giggled Mulciber.

Sirius bared his teeth and his grip on his wand tightened. "Take that back!" said James, pointing his wand at the two of them.

"Mudblood, mudblood, mudblood-!" Avery and Mulciber chanted, pointing to Lily, whose face was turning nearly as dark red as her hair. Harry felt a large wave of pity remerge at the scene he was witnessing when, suddenly, Severus started yelling.

"DON'T CALL HER THAT!" screamed Severus to Avery and Mulciber, who stopped abruptly at his outburst. It was barely a split second later that there was two flashes of bright red, blurring Harry's vision. He rubbed his eyes and, sure enough, Avery and Mulciber were knocked out on the ground by two apparent stunning spells. James and Sirius looked momentarily shocked.

Severus was breathing deeply, Lily ran over and grabbed Severus's bag and his wrist. "Come on," she said in an rushed whisper. "I'll have Madam Pomfrey make sure you're okay." Lily pulled Severus away from the scene, where a crowd was hovering over Avery and Mulciber's unconscious bodies, poking to see if they still breathing.

Harry had half a mind to go check as well when another's grip went around his upper arm, pulling him upwards. Harry felt his stomach drop into his legs as he landed once again on the stone floor, the sunny summer day long gone.

"You have to admit, i did warn you." Severus said in an emotionless voice.

Harry turned, nearly backing into the desk when he saw a now full-grown Severus looking at him. Much to his surprise, Severus did not look as mad as he thought he would be.

"M-my dad, he d-did t-" stuttered Harry, breathing deeply. "Why didn't you-?"

"Tell you?" Severus said, cutting him off. "Why would i tell you about something i and you father did back when we were _fifteen_?"

Harry was confused. Then a thought sprang across his mind. "I-is that why you treated me like that in my first year?"

"What do you mean?" Severus asked, his brows knotted together.

"You were a right well git to me," said Harry quickly. "I didn't know _why_-"

Severus sighed, rubbing his head. "Yes, i admit it, after years of not seeing your father, some bad memories came back up with your arrive to this school, you look so much like him, however, i don't hold anything he did against you-"

"But how," said Harry, trying to regain his breathing. "You and them, i've seen pictures, they're told me stories about you guys being in the first Order together, that didn't look-"

"If you must know," Severus said. "After me and Lily got together, me and your father had to spend much more time with each other, and after that, we realised that our foolish bullying was completely unnecessary-"

"Y-yeah," said Harry, nodding. "He tried to ask out you wife too! I mean, she wasn't your wife then, but-"

"It happens." said Severus. "Of course, i don't know if i would ever be friendly with your father if it wasn't for her, i wouldn't be the person i am without her support for me..."

"What about me and Fred then?" Harry said, his eyes wide.

Severus gave him a confused look. "What about you two?"

"Does it ever irk you, seeing us so chummy with each other after what my dad did to you?" Harry asked, looking puzzled. "Wouldn't you imagine me bullying him like my dad did to you?"

"You're joking," said Severus. "You don't realise how proud it makes that you two aren't burdened with our childish dislike for each other? You may look like him, but you are not your father, your mother's kindness shows through you, and the fact that you and Frederick aren't going at each other every waking moment is much better than what might have happened had you two not clicked so well together."

"R-really?" Harry asked, his brows furrowed together.

"Really." said Severus. He helped Harry straighten himself out, looking up and down. "I do not think these Occlumency lessons are quite working..."

"You think?" Harry asked weakly, looking paler than usual. "What do you reckon is my problem?"

"You wear your emotions too highly on your sleeve," Severus said, his dark eyes boring into his. "I suggest we stop them for now."

Harry looked relieved. "However," Severus added, making Harry's smile flatter. "I still suggest on closing your mind before going to sleep, it's when you are most vulnerable then..."

"What do i do when i see Rose or something again?" Harry asked. "It's gonna be a bit hard to get what i just saw out of mind..."

"Do not dwell on it," Severus said seriously. "It's a thing of the past, put it behind you."

"You think i can do it?" Harry asked, sounding hopeful.

"If i can, then i'm more than positive that you can." Severus said, sounding positive.

Harry felt oddly better for some reason when he left his office.

Maybe he'd find Fred and just kiss him for the hell of it.

Harry thought for a moment, 'No, i still gotta get him dinner first' he said to himself, stepping up the stairs.

* * *

><p>Harry, somehow, in the following weeks, had not bothered to bring up what he saw in the Pensieve to anyone, and he intended to keep it that way. The weather grew breezier, brighter, and warmer as the holidays passed, but Harry was stuck with the rest of the fifth and seventh years, who were all trapped inside, traipsing back and forth to the library.<p>

It was driving Zachary up a wall.

"I just know i'm going to fail all of them," Zachary said one Saturday afternoon, his eyes twitching slightly as they sat in the Great Hall, eating the last of the food set out for lunch.

Rose put her arm around his shoulders, rubbing her hand on his arm. "Don't say that, you're gonna get 'Outstanding' on all your exams, right, Fred?"

"Hmm?" said Fred, who was designing a new form of disappearing powder. "Oh, uh, yeah, you'll do great, honest-"

Matthew, however, was no help.

"The exams weren't totally awful," he said, trying to reassure Harry the next day. "I mean, yeah, you might get stuck with an old loony who thinks you're about to whack them upside the head with a cauldron, but when they're breathing down your neck durin' your Potions exam, it's not completely your fault, you get edgy! O' course, that might be why i got a lower grade then i was hopin' fer, but what can you do?"

The Weasley Twins, not much to their surprise, decided to shake things up.

A final blow, so to speak.

Rose's feet swung slightly as she sat across her father, her hands clasped on her lap as Severus flipped through a Curse-Breaker pamphlet. He flicked it onto the stack of them on the small table in between them.

"So tell me," said Severus, looking at her with a calculating look on his face. "What exactly do you want to do once you graduate school?"

Rose knew damn well that her father already knew her answer, but for the sake of it she said, "I want to be an artist."

"Indeed?" Severus asked sarcastically, smiling at her. "I dare say you should be one, Professor Mucha speaks _most_ highly of you."

"Does he really, sir?" Rose asked sweetly, smiling back at him. "How kind of him to say!"

"It is, isn't it?" said Severus happily. "I've been told he has connections to the art world, maybe you cans speak to him later about it?"

"I intend to do so." said Rose. She giggled and Severus said, "It's much too boring, can we call this meeting adjourned?"

"Ugh, yes, please," said Rose, standing up and stretching her arms.

"Thank god," Severus said in a moan. "I still have about ten more career advice meetings left..."

Severus rubbed his eye when a loud _BOOM_! went off, making his shoot up into a standing position.

Rose turned and looked at the door. "What was that?"

"Let's go see, shall we?" Severus said, walking over to the door and allowing Rose to go before him.

They strolled over to one of the main corridors, which looked like it was the night when Trelawney had been sacked. Students were standing all around the walls in a great ring (some of them, for some reason. covered in a substance that looked very like Stinksap); teachers and ghosts were also in the crowd.

Prominent among the onlookers were members of the Inquisitorial Squad, who were all looking exceptionally pleased with themselves, and Peeves, who was bobbing overhead, gazed down upon The Weasley Twins, who stood in the middle of the floor with the unmistakable look of two people who had just been cornered.

"_So_!" said Umbridge triumphantly, whom standing just a few stairs in front of him, once more looking down upon her prey. "So, you think it amusing to turn a school corridor into a swamp, do you?"

"Pretty amusing, yeah," said Fred Weasley, looking back up at her without the slightest sign of fear.

Filch elbowed his way closer to Umbridge, almost crying with happiness.

"I've got the form, Headmistress," he said hoarsely, waving the piece of parchment wildly. "I've got the form and I've got the whips waiting. Oh, let me do it now..."

"Very good, Argus," she said. "You two," she went on, gazing down at the grinning Twins, "are about to learn what happens to wrongdoers in my school."

"You know what?" said Fred Weasley. "I don't think we are."

He turned to his twin.

"George," he said, "I think we've outgrown full-time education."

"Yeah, I've been feeling that way myself," said George lightly.

"Time to test our talents in the real world, d'you reckon?" asked  
>his twin.<p>

"Definitely," said George.

And before Umbridge could say a word, they raised their wands and said together, "Accio Brooms!"

Rose turned her head to the side when she heard a loud crash somewhere in the distance. Looking to his left, Severus ducked just in time — Fred and George's broomsticks, one still trailing the heavy chain and iron peg with which Umbridge had fastened them to the wall after they and Harry were banned form Quidditch, were hurtling along the corridor toward their owners. They turned left, streaked down the stairs, and stopped sharply in front of the twins, the chain clattering loudly on the flagged stone floor.

"We won't be seeing you," Fred Weasley told Professor Umbridge, swinging his leg over his broomstick.

"Yeah, don't bother to keep in touch," said George, mounting his own.

His twin looked around at the assembled students, and at the silent, watchful crowd.

"If anyone fancies buying a Portable Swamp, as demonstrated upstairs, come to number ninety-three, Diagon Alley — Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes," he said in a loud voice. "Our new premises!"

"Special discounts to Hogwarts students who swear they're going to use our products to get rid of this old bat," added George, pointing at Professor Umbridge.

_"STOP THEM!"_ shrieked Umbridge, but it was too late. As the Inquisitorial Squad closed in, the two of them kicked off from the floor, shooting fifteen feet into the air, the iron peg swinging dangerously below. Fred Weasley looked across the hall at the poltergeist bobbing on his level above the crowd.

"Give her hell from us, Peeves."

And Peeves, whom Rose had never seen take an order from a student before, swept his belled hat from his head and sprang to a salute as the brothers wheeled about to tumultuous applause from the students below and sped out of the open front doors into the glorious sunset.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Up next, Fred becomes the King of Hogwarts, <em>kinda<em>.**


	54. The Veil

**AN: I'm just going to thank Boomy now for most of Fred's dialogue in this chapter.**

* * *

><p>"Chair must be real pissed off now, huh?" Ron laughed, pointing her blotchy face at the Slytherin table, Vincent looking nearly as red as her.<p>

Indeed, after the Weasley Twins flight for freedom, Umbridge and her Inquisitorial Squad got a nice little surprise. The swamp the Twins had produced could not be removed as easily as they hoped, and after many attempts to rid themselves of it, Filch was forced to row students across the corridor for their classes.

Of course, after the Twins legendary escape, it left a lingering question over everyone's heads: Who'd take up their reign as Chief Master in Mischief at Hogwarts?

Well, the answer is quite too obvious, now isn't it?

Fred was taking his new found fame with gusto, becoming the leader in the revolt in which his two teachers had left him to carry on against the tyranny happening at Hogwarts. Evan was his Duke in his operations, and Sam was his Queen, or as he liked to put it. Fred couldn't even walk down the corridors without being swarmed but students, young and old, looking for the so called 'King Acid-Green', which he was referred to now so Umbridge would not know who they spoke about in common conversation, for the next best technology in pranking.

"Okay, Ginny," said Fred said, assembling his group in an empty corridor on sunny afternoon. "Get your Ravenclaws and Gryffindors and start setting up posts in the upper corridors, a new order of Dung Bombs just got in and we need to start droppin' them like hell, and make sure everyone has a Bubble-head Charm on their heads when goin' down the corridors, it might look a bit dumb, but it's a load better having an orb on their heads than getting shet in their hair, right?"

"Right on it, Acid-Green." Ginny said, grinning wickedly.

"That's my girl," said Fred happily. "Now, everyone line up, we've got individual assignments for ya'..."

The students lined up quickly, going forward as Fred gave them their tasks and Evan, holding a bright orange and purple sack with three violently pink W's on it, handed out their pre-paid for powders, fireworks, and exploding toys to each person who stepped up.

"Okay, Jules," said Fred, staring down his hooked nose at Sam's baby brother. "Since when were you into our cause?"

Julian shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno, I wasn't in the D.A., so why not?"

"Good show," Fred grinned at him. "Lets see, what can I have you do..."

Fred spotted a girl with below-in-ear, light blond hair, and a little heartshaped face.

"Oi, Dahlia!" Fred shouted, making the girl turned around, the light hitting her brown eyes and making them sparkle, Julian's cheeks going red all the while."Go on a date with Jules, will ya'?"

Dahlia looked at Julian and smiled kindly. "Okay." she said in her squeaky voice.

"Your job is to not be an idiot and ruin your chances with her," Fred said, patting him on the back a little too roughly and pushing Julian along, who looked stricken as Evan handed him a sudden bouqet of red roses.

"Who's next?" Fred said eagerly, clapping his hands together.

Fred groaned when Branin stepped in front of him. "What is it, Haskell?"

"I wanna help," Branin said, looking annoyed.

"And why is that?" Fred asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Because I hate Umbridge too, you idiot." Branin snapped back.

Fred gave him a nasty smile. "You do, do you? Well, I don't think calling the King of Hogwarts an 'idiot' is all too smart, now is it..."

"Since when were you the 'King of Hogwarts'?" Branin asked smartly, narrowing his eyes at him in disapproval.

"Ever since Umbridge realised that she couldn't stop me," said Fred wickedly, an evil glint in his eyes. "She can't lay a finger on me, not Evan, not Harry, no one. I've got this whole place under my control, and the sooner i can get Umbridge ran out of this place, the happier i'll be. I even have half-a-mind to dress everyone in a Guys Fawkes mask and just stampede her out of the castle while having _The Clash_ blast in the background."

Branin gave him a questioning look. "It's muggle punk band, you goon," Fred added, noticing his confused face and rolling his eyes. "You must be a Pure Blood, they never get my references. But that's besides the point, i think i might have the perfect job for you then, if you want to do it."

Branin was expecting a "Go jump into the Lake and don't come back up until you evolved into a mermaid" comment from Fred, but instead got, "How good are you with levitating spells?"

"Not bad." Branin said, looking slightly taken aback.

"'I'll take it," Fred said. "Have you ever been to Umbridge's office before?"

"No," said Branin. "But I heard it was really tacky..."

"That it is," said Fred, nodding. "Too many kitty plates and pink, a real eyesore. Now, I was walking to Herbology yesterday and couldn't help but notice that she likes keeping her window open..."

"So?" Branin asked.

"_So_," Fred said simply. "I want you to levitate something into her office through those windows, maybe some Nifflers or something, Hagrid's got a few, they'd tear the place up for her gaudy jewelery."

"Is that a request?" Branin asked, cocking a brow to him.

"It's an _order_," said Fred seriously. He pointed his finger away from him dramatically. "Now, get out of my sight and make me proud!"

"Also, get a girlfriend!" Fred yelled in an afterthought when Branin nearly turned the corner.

"He's going to kill ya', i hope you know that." said Evan, not looking in the slightest concerned to Fred and handing a Second year Hufflepuff a box full of Nosebleed Nougats.

Fred shrugged. "I'd like to see him try."

"I can give 'em one of my 'special' brownies, if yeh want." Evan smiled.

"And have him get all weird and clingy and he admits his secret fiery love for Matty finally?" Fred asked, grinning. Just then, a wild thought popped into his head. "We should give Chair one too, just for fun."

"Those brownies make people real frisky though." Evan pointed out.

"_Exactly_," said Fred. "I'd love to see the looks on their faces if anything happens."

"We'd need to get 'em a cake," said Evan dreamily. "That says 'Congrats on the se-'"

"Ahem," said a voice, and Evan looked to his side and saw Ina standing next to him, looking at him with a raised brow.

Evan grinned at her in a goofy manner. "What?"

"You two are so dirty-minded, you know that?" she said.

Evan smiled at her sweetly. "Says the girl who was yelling 'Oh, don't sto-"

Ina punched him in the arm, causing Evan to yelp out in pain and nearly drop his bag as Fred doubled-over in a flurry of laughter, holding his sides as Ina's face burned red.

Filch prowled the corridors with a horsewhip ready in his hands, desperate to catch miscreants, but the problem was that there were now so many of them due to Fred's instruction that he did not know which way to turn. The Inquisitorial Squad were attempting to help him, but odd things kept happening to its members. Warrington of the Slytherin Quidditch team reported to the hospital wing with a horrible skin complaint that made him look as though he had been coated in cornflakes. Pansy Parkinson, much to Hermione's delight, missed all her lessons the following day, as she had sprouted antlers. For added kicks, Charisse had been walking around the castle with ugly purple splotches on her face after Madam Pomfrey had to rid her face of slimy tentacles that had appeared during the night. Even dear Vincent got what was coming to him, as he couldn't say anything due to his tongue being stuck on the roof of his mouth, and that he kept getting his legs locked together every three or so steps and would promptly land on his face.

Meanwhile it became clear just how many Skiving Snackboxes the Twins had managed to sell before leaving Hogwarts. Umbridge only had to enter her classroom for the students assembled there to faint, vomit, develop dangerous fevers, or else spout blood from both nostrils. Shrieking with rage and frustration she attempted to trace the mysterious symptoms to their source, but the students told her stubbornly they were suffering "Umbridge-itis." After putting four successive classes in detention and failing to discover their secret she was forced to give up and allow the bleeding, swooning, sweating, and vomiting students to leave her classes in droves.

"I have to admit," said Rose happily, stuffing the other end of the bright candy into her mouth and instantly stopping the blood flow from her nose as they headed down the corridor. "These actually don't taste half-bad."

"Well, i think the look on Umbridge's face is even better." said Harry with a grin, stopping his raging fever after shallowing the other end of his candy. "Gets her every time, it's great!"

Much to Rose and Alice's surprise, their parents weren't nearly as mad at Fred as they thought they would be. On the contrary, they were encouraging it, and Umbridge knew it too.

"You must know who's behind all of this!" Umbridge snapped, her voice getting very shrill. She shook with anger as Severus and Lily sat in two hard, pink chairs as Umbridge raged at them from behind her desk. They looked like they were fighting back the urge to laugh.

"As we've already said," said Severus, smirking at her. "We have no idea who's being causing this ruckus, we're just innocent bystanders in this, just like the rest of the staff."

Umbridge put her stubby hands on her desk, which looked clawed at due to Nifflers going at it, and narrowed her eyes at them. "You mean to say," she said dangerously. "That you have no clue, not hint or inkling, that someone, say, oh, let me think, your own _son_, is behind all of this?"

"_Our_ Freddie?" said Lily, her eyes wide in fake-shock. She glanced at Severus then back to her. "That's nonsense! He's our little angel!"

"He'd never cause _this_." said Severus, looking like he was about to smile at her, but fighting it back. "He's innocent in this, i'm positive of it."

"Hardly!" Umbridge squeaked, her eyes ablaze with fury. "I saw what those Weasleys did with him by their sides, he's their little prodigy, isn't he? He's the forerunner for misbehaving at this school! And don't get me started on what he does in my class! He's got one nasty detention record-"

"_Detention record_?" said Severus, cocking a brow at her. "We've heard only good things from our fellow professors."

"Minerva said he was a pleasure to have in class," said Lily, nodding knowingly.

"Filius told me he's the top of his Charms class," said Severus.

"Pomona says he's got a knack for plants," Lily said, smiling widely. "Rubeus as well, the creatures really take to him,"

"And he's never caused any problems when he's in _our_ classes," Severus added proudly, addressing himself and Lily. "Any and all complaints on him are from _you_, actually, so how exactly are we supposed to believe you when your view on him is so _biased_?"

Umbridge stared at them, shaking slightly and looking lost for words as they smirked at her, looking quite pleased with themselves. Just then, an envelope pushed under Umbridge's door.

"Oh, what is it now?" she snapped, stomping on her tiny legs and swiping the envelope open after she bent down for it. A split second after the paper ripped, a bright flash of purple smoke and a _POP_! sounded. Severus and Lily looked over their shoulders and saw Umbridge's pudgy face covered in dark grey soot, her mousy hair on edge and blown upwards. Her eyes were wide and she coughed, causing a little smoke cloud to protrude out of her mouth. A toasted looking opening was on top of the envelope.

Severus tutted as Lily and him walked over to her, shaking their heads. "Let me guess, you think Fred did this, don't you?" he said as Lily pinched a little spark of fire on Umbridge's hair.

Umbridge looked about to boil over, trembling with rage. Severus winked at Lily and they departed from her office, hand-in-hand.

They walked down the stone corridor outside her office, and when they reached the corner, looked downwards and smiled.

"Might i suggest another pinch of Fire powder?" Severus said, looking down at Fred, who was hiding and covering his mouth so Umbridge couldn't over hear his laughter.

"How'd you know i did that?" he asked, still smiling.

"You did that to your cousin back when you were five, remember?" Lily said, giggling slightly.

Fred looked thoughtful for a moment. "Oh yeah, that was funny..."

But even with Fred's masterful reign of mischief could top the master of chaos, Peeves, who seemed to have taken Fred Weasley's parting words deeply to heart. Cackling madly, he soared through the school, upending tables, bursting out of blackboards, and toppling statues and vases. Twice he shut Mrs Norris inside suits of armor, from which she was rescued, yowling loudly, by the furious caretaker. He smashed lanterns and snuffed out candles, juggled burning torches over the heads of screaming students, caused neatly stacked piles of parchment to topple into fires or out of windows, flooded the second floor when he pulled off all the taps in the bathrooms, dropped a bag of tarantulas in the middle of the Great Hall during breakfast (which was funnier due to Ron's almost girl-like screaming and jumping onto the table to avoid contact with them) and, whenever he fancied a break, spent hours at a time floating along after Umbridge and blowing loud raspberries every time she spoke.

"You know," said Alice, watching next to her brother as Peeves soared through the air, dropping inks on Umbridge and nearly upturning her. "I think he's growing on me."

* * *

><p>After May came and went (and Ron helped Gryffindor miraculously win the Quidditch Cup despite his odd Quidditch-pitch-fright) June came around and, as you can guess, those damn O.W.L.s were heading straight for them.<p>

Hermione, Ina, and Zachary had taken to being in a close-knit group, becoming almost obsessed with making sure they knew everything beyond the book standard and reminding any and all around them to follow suit. Ernie had developed an irritating habit of interrogating people about their study habits.

"How many hours d'you think you're doing a day?" he demanded of Harry and Ron as they queued outside Herbology one day, a manic gleam in his eyes.

"I dunno," said Ron. "A few..."

"More or less than eight?"

"Less, I s'pose," said Ron, looking slightly alarmed.

"I'm doing eight," said Ernie, puffing out his chest. "Eight or nine. I'm getting an hour in before breakfast every day. Eight's my average. I can do ten on a good weekend day. I did nine and a half on Monday. Not so good on Tuesday — only seven and a quarter. Then on Wednesday —"

Meanwhile Draco Malfoy had found a different way to induce panic.

"Of course, it's not what you know," he was heard to tell Crabbe and Goyle loudly outside Potions a few days before the exams were to start, "it's who you _know_. Now, Father's been friendly with the head oF the Wizarding Examinations Authority for years — old Griselda Marchbanks — we've had her round for dinner and everything..."

"Oh you do, do you?" asked Rose, stepping up to him, her eyes glaring at him venomously and looking about to punch him again. "Because if that _was_ true, i wouldn't need to show up for my exams, you know, since my parents both _work_ here. It's not like i actually give a damn about my future, because obviously i plan to just laze about, living off Daddy's gold until i have a kid who's just as spoiled and lazy as me..."

Draco cocked a brow at her, grinning wickedly at her. "Very cute, but i don't need your snark, i already know what i plan to do after i leave school..."

"And what is that, Malfoy?" Rose asked acidly. "A person who donates gold just so they look good when they're really not, or a little Death Eater like your dad?"

Draco looked about to lunge at her when the dungeon door swung open and Severus called them in. Draco shot her a look of utter loathing and stalked into the stone room, making Rose feel quite pleased with herself.

Meanwhile a flourishing black-market trade in aids to concentration, mental agility, and wakefulness had sprung up among the fifth and seventh years, despite Matthew constantly repeating, "They never work, trust me, if they did i would have gotten a way better grade in Ancient Runes!"

Evan had taken to wrapping two beaded necklaces with a silver cross at the end around his hands, as if another heavenly force would help him write or perform the right actions. Ina had taken to spending hours in their dormitory meditating, humming old Hindu poems under her breath as she went else where in spirit. Sam went about her business, having almost always keeping her cool even in circumstances like this, surprisingly. Rose clung to her parents for whatever tips they could give her, which nearly landed her in the hospital wing as she almost had a panic attack when Lily didn't respond quickly enough to her Transfiguration question. Harry and Ron were much tempted by the bottle of Baruffio's Brain Elixir offered to them by Ravenclaw sixth year Eddie Carmichael, who swore it was solely responsible for the nine "Outstanding" O.W.L.s he had gained the previous summer and was offering the whole pint for a mere twelve Galleons. Ron assured Harry he would reimburse him for his half the moment he left Hogwarts and got a job, but before they could close the deal, Hermione had confiscated the bottle from Carmichael and poured the contents down a toilet.

Fred, however, having no serious exams like they were about to have, was having a great time as they slowly lost their minds.

"Listen," he said the day before the exams were to take place. "If any of your completely _bomb_ your exams, i'll make sure to get you a sweep up job at 'Wizarding Wheezes, okay?"

"That makes us feel so much better, Elvendork, thanks." said Harry sarcastically, mulling over three years worth of History of Magic notes spread across the the Gryffindor table, which looked more like his brainless doodling to keep himself from dozing off to sleep than actual writing.

"Oh come now," said Fred sweetly, looking down at him. "You lot will do just fine."

"Thank you for believing in us." Harry added.

"But of course." Fred said. He put his hands on either side of Harry's head and bent down and kissed on the top of the head.

"I swear to god," Ron laughed as Fred flounced away from their cramming session. "You get more affection from him than Cho ever gave you."

"I know," said Harry, grinning slightly. "We should just get married now."

"Who'd take the last name though?" Ron asked. "I don't think 'Harry Snape' would sound all that great."

"Ah, yes," said Harry. "But 'Fred Potter' has such a great ring to it, doesn't it?"

Once breakfast was over the following morning, the fifth and seventh years milled around in the entrance hall while the other students went off to lessons. Then, at half-past nine, they were called forward class by class to reenter the Great Hall, which was now arranged exactly as Harry had seen it in the Pensieve, which seemed like years ago now. The four House tables had been removed and replaced instead with many tables for one, all facing the staff-table end of the Hall where Professor McGonagall stood facing them. When they were all seated and quiet she said, "You may begin," and turned over an enormous hourglass on the desk beside her, on which were also spare quills, ink bottles, and rolls of parchment.

"Well, it wasn't too bad, was it?" asked Hermione anxiously in the entrance hall two hours later, still clutching the exam paper. "I'm not sure I did myself justice on Cheering Charms, I just ran out of time — did you put in the countercharm for hiccups? I wasn't sure whether I ought to, it felt like too much — and on question twenty-three —"

After the practical Charms exam that afternoon (where Ina was more than certain that she failed, due to her being momentarily distracted by the large wart of the examiner's nose and making her switch her Colour-Changing Charm for one that made her hair stick quite literally on end, as it went straight up into the air until Flitwick put it back) they got about five minutes of relaxation until going straight back to their common rooms after dinner and submerged themselves in studying for Transfiguration next day.

Zachary was sure he forgotten the word-by-word definition of a Switching Spell during his written exam next morning, but thought his practical could have been a lot worse. At least he managed to vanish the whole of his tabby cat, whereas poor Hannah Abbott lost her head completely at the next table and somehow managed to multiply her ferret into a flock of flamingos, causing the examination to be halted for ten minutes while the birds were captured and carried out of the Hall. As you can guess, Fred had to stop himself from making the one that got loose from the flock into his new pet later that day when it strutted next to him in the Third Floor corridor as he went to the loo.

They had their Herbology exam on Wednesday (Evan had gotten a nasty bite from one plant that looked like it had the head of flowery mountain lion, but his bandaged hand didn't tamper his hopes that he did favourable well) and then, on Thursday, Defence Against the Dark Arts. Here, for the first time, anyone who had participated in Dumbledore's Army were absolutely positive that they had passed with flying colours.

On Friday, when only those who need Ancient Runes did their exams and a few younger years got a free period, Rose sat in the Slytherin Common Room with Ina, poking through her sketchbook as Ina flipped through her Potions book, getting a head start on studying for their exam for Monday. A few Fourth years played Wizard's Chess over at one of the ebony-finished tables, cheering as the pieces bashed each other silly.

Rose looked around the green-tinged room and frowned. "Where the hell is Sam?"

Ina looked over her shoulder and shrugged. "No idea."

At that moment, the door of the boy's dormitory door swung open and Sam sauntered out of it, putting her teal blue hair back into her lazy ponytail as she stepped down the stairs with a smile on her face, pushing her skirt back down. Fred followed after her, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest as his eyes trailed after her swinging hips, his hair ruffled and looking mighty pleased with himself, licking the corner of his mouth with a grin, his tie undone and his dress shirt half-tucked in and creased.

"Oh, that's just blood disgusting," Rose said, crinkling her nose as Sam walked over to them.

"Yes, because i obviously never hear you leave your bed during the middle of the night to meet Zach." said Sam sarcastically, winking devilishly at her.

"Stupid squeaky floor board." Rose snapped under breath, making Sam laugh.

When Monday came around, they took their practical exam for Potions, which without Severus glaring down at them, most of them must have been in a better mood, or at least somewhat.

"Only four exams left." said Sam weakly once they headed back to their common room, her head spinning a little from the potion fumes.

On Tuesday's Care of Magical Creatures exam, the practical examination took place in the afternoon on the lawn on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where students were required to correctly identify the knarl hidden among a dozen hedgehogs (the trick was to offer them all milk in turn: knarls, highly suspicious creatures whose quills had many magical properties, generally went berserk at what they saw as an attempt to poison them); then demonstrate correct handling of a bowtruckle, feed and clean a fire-crab without sustaining serious burns, and choose, from a wide selection of food, the diet they would give a sick unicorn.

The Astronomy theory exam on Wednesday morning went well enough; Harry was not convinced he had got the names of all of Jupiter's moons right, but was at least confident that none of them was inhabited by mice. They had to wait until evening for their practical Astronomy; the afternoon was devoted instead to Divination, which was a train-wreck of an affair, as anyone could obviously tell.

When they reached the top of the Astronomy Tower at eleven o'clock that night they found a perfect night for stargazing, cloudless and still. The grounds were bathed in silvery moonlight, and there was a slight chill in the air. Each of them set up his or her telescope and, when the old examiner Professor Marchbanks gave the word, proceeded to fill in the blank star chart he or she had been given.

Professors Marchbanks and Tofty strolled among them, watching as they entered the precise positions of the stars and planets they were observing. All was quiet except for the rustle of parchment, the occasional creak of a telescope as it was adjusted on its stand, and the scribbling of many quills. Half an hour passed, then an hour; the little squares of reflected gold light flickering on the ground below started to vanish as lights in the castle windows were extinguished.

As they completed the constellation Orion on their charts, the front doors of the castle opened directly below the parapet where Harry was standing, so that light spilled down the stone steps a little way across the lawn. Harry glanced down as he made a slight adjustment to the position of his telescope and saw five or six elongated shadows moving over the brightly lit grass before the doors swung shut and the lawn became a sea of darkness once more.

Harry put his eye back to his telescope and refocused it, now examining Venus. He looked down at his chart to enter the planet there, but something distracted him. Pausing with his quill suspended over the parchment, he squinted down into the shadowy grounds and saw half a dozen figures walking over the lawn. If they had not been moving, and the moonlight had not been gilding the tops of their heads, they would have been indistinguishable from the dark ground on which they stood. Even at this distance, Harry had a funny feeling that he recognized the walk of the squattest among them, who seemed to be leading the group.

Harry turned and went, "_Psst_!" to Rose from the corner of his mouth.

"What?" Rose asked quietly, looking away from her chart.

Harry pointed downwards to the grounds as they heard a distant knock that echoed through the deserted grounds, followed immediately by the muffled barking of a large dog. There were lights on in Hagrid's windows and the people he had observed crossing the lawn were now silhouetted against them. The door opened and Harry could distinctly see six tiny but sharply defined figures walk over the threshold. The door closed again and there was silence.

Figures were now moving across the cabin windows, temporarily blocking the light. They heard a roar from the distant cabin that echoed through the darkness right to the top of the Astronomy Tower. Several of the people around Harry ducked out from behind their telescopes and peered instead in the direction of Hagrid's cabin.

Professor Tofty gave another dry little cough. "Try and concentrate, now, boys and girls," he said softly.

Most people returned to their telescopes. Harry looked to his left. Hermione was gazing transfixed at Hagrid's.

"Ahem — twenty minutes to go," said Professor Tofty.

Hermione jumped and returned at once to her star chart; Harry looked down at his own and noticed that he had mislabelled Venus as Mars. He bent to correct it.

There was a loud _BANG_! from the grounds. Several people said "Ouch!" as they poked themselves in the face with the ends of their telescopes, hastening to see what was going on below.

Hagrid's door had burst open and by the light flooding out of the cabin they saw him quite clearly, a massive figure roaring and brandishing his fists, surrounded by six people, all of whom, judging by the tiny threads of red light they were casting in his direction, seemed to be attempting to Stun him.

"No!" cried Hermione loudly.

"My dear!" said Professor Tofty in a scandalized voice. "This is an examination!"

But nobody was paying the slightest attention to their star charts anymore: Jets of red light were still flying beside Hagrid's cabin, yet somehow they seemed to be bouncing off him. He was still upright and still, as far as Harry could see, fighting. Cries and yells echoed across the grounds; a man yelled, "Be reasonable, Hagrid!" and Hagrid roared, "Reasonable be damned, yeh won' take me like this, Dawlish!"

Harry could plainly see the tiny outline of Fang, attempting to defend Hagrid, leaping at the wizards surrounding him until a Stunning Spell caught him and he fell to the ground. Hagrid gave a howl of fury, lifted the culprit bodily from the ground, and threw him: The man flew what looked like ten feet and did not get up again.

"Look!" squealed Parvati, who was leaning over the parapet and pointing to the foot of the castle where the front doors seemed to have opened again; more light had spilled out onto the dark lawn and a single long black shadow was now rippling across the lawn.

"Now, really!" said Professor Tofty anxiously. "Only sixteen minutes left, you know!"

But nobody paid him the slightest attention: They were watching the person now sprinting toward the battle beside Hagrid's cabin.

"How dare you!" the figure shouted as she ran. "How dare you!"

"It's McGonagall!" whispered Hermione.

"Leave him alone! Alone, I say!" said Professor McGonagall's voice through the darkness. "On what grounds are you attacking him? He has done nothing, nothing to warrant such —"

Hermione, Parvati, and Lavender all screamed. No fewer than four Stunners had shot from the figures around the cabin toward Professor McGonagall. Halfway between cabin and castle the red beams collided with her. For a moment she looked luminous, illuminated by an eerie red glow, then was lifted right off her feet, landed hard on her back, and moved no more.

"Galloping gargoyles!" shouted Professor Tofty, who seemed to have forgotten the exam completely. "Not so much as a warning! Outrageous behavior!"

"COWARDS!" bellowed Hagrid, his voice carrying clearly to the top of the tower, and several lights flickered back on inside the castle. "RUDDY COWARDS! HAVE SOME O' THAT — AN' THAT —"

"Oh my —" gasped Hermione. Hagrid took two massive swipes at his closest attackers; judging by their immediate collapse, they had been knocked cold.

"Get him, get him!" screamed Umbridge, but her remaining helper seemed highly reluctant to go within reach of Hagrid's fists. Indeed, he was backing away so fast he tripped over one of his unconscious colleagues and fell over. Hagrid had turned and begun to run with now-knocked out Fang hung around his neck; Umbridge sent one last Stunning Spell after him but it missed, and Hagrid, running full-pelt toward the distant gates, disappeared into the darkness.

There was a long minute's quivering silence, everybody gazing openmouthed into the grounds. Then Professor Tofty's voice said feebly, "Um ... five minutes to go, everybody..."

The news of what Umbridge and her gang of hired Aurors had done to McGonagall spread through the castle like wildfire the following day, gaining Umbridge nothing more than the highest form of loathing for her, which is surprising, considering that almost everyone hated her anyway. Of course, she went on her merry way, keeping her head high at their scornful looks that both students and staff gave her, looking in no way ashamed of what she did.

Their final exam, History of Magic, was not to take place until that afternoon. The fifth years entered the Great Hall at two o'clock and took their places in front of their overturned examination papers. Most of the students who had their Astronomy exam and saw what had happened to McGonagall stayed up much later than they should have, and as they looked down at their papers, more than half of them looked like they were about to go straight to sleep then and there.

"Turn over your papers," said Professor Marchbanks from the front of the Hall, flicking over the giant hourglass. "You may begin..."

Rose glanced around at the others from the control of her eyes. Sam was in the corner, clearly dozing off and looking to be barely answering. Ina was in the far corner behind her, scribbling quite fast but with apparent bags under her tired eyes. Evan was in a little in front of her, looking to be making a crossword puzzle out of the examination instead of actually answering anything. Ron was right next to him, looking bored and writing one worded answers or none at all. Hermione, like Ina, was writing quite quickly. Zachary was only a few seats behind her bushy head going just as fast with his quill, brushing strands of his dark hair out of his eyes absentmindedly. However, when Rose stared in front of her after answering a few half-hearted answers, she saw that Harry's head had sloped downwards, trembling slightly.

She stared at him curiously until he suddenly gave out a loud yell and fell sideways off his seat desk onto the cold stone floor. Harry hit the ground and awoke, still yelling, his scar on fire, as the Great Hall erupted all around him, the others staring wide-eyed at him.

Tofty hurried over to Harry, who was mumbling "I'm not going ... I don't need the hospital wing ... I don't want..."

He was gibbering as Tofty lifted him up and helped him into the entrance hall while the students all around them stared.

Rose rushed after Hermione and Ron an hour or so later after the exam had finished, the rest of them buzzing about another odd thing Harry did now. Rose was about to catch up to them when she suddenly bumped and flew back onto the ground by someone who turned the corner just in front of her.

"Oh, tough landing there, eh?" Fred laughed, looking down at Rose. Her red hair was sprawled around her aspirated face, staring up at the ceiling and looking beyond angry.

"Merlin, look where you're goin' next time, Acid-Green," Ginny said, looking around Fred's shoulders. She walked around him and helped Rose up, patting dust off her uniform. Rose brushed her fringe out of her eyes and saw, much to her disappointment, that Hermione and Ron had vanished up the marble staircase.

"Damn!" Rose snapped, her eyes flashing. "Fred! Why'd you do that-?"

Oh yeah, because i obviously planned to knock into you while you ran down the corridors, right?" Fred said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Honestly, not everything i do is out to annoy you."

"It is ninety-eight percent of the time," Rose pointed out, huffing.

Fred nodded. "Point taken."

"Why were you running for?" Ginny asked.

Rose sighed. "Harry, uh, freaked out during the exam, i think he had a bad dream out something, and i know Hermione and Ron would go looking for him afterwards, i wanted to see what was going on and then-"

"No need to explain anymore," said Ginny, cutting her off, a hint of worry in her brown eyes but she still kept her cool. "Where'd they head off to?"

Rose shrugged. "I reckon up the stairs, but i don't know-"

Ginny nodded her head in understanding and looked towards Fred. "C'mon, let's go find 'em."

"Oh goodie, let's go see what nightmare Harry had now." Fred said, clapping his hands together. Ginny looked towards Rose and she hastily took the leading spot, making them follow her up the stairs.

They walked up the stairs, their shoes clacking against the ground when Fred heard humming and looked to his left and, surprisingly, saw that Luna had drifted between him and Ginny, staring dreamily in front of her.

"Luna-?" Fred asked, looking taken back. "How did you-?"

"Hmm?" Luna said, blinking at him with her wide, silvery eyes. "Oh, i was trotting along and i sort of just hovered over here, not sure why though, i think a swarm of Bibbering Humdingers are behind it, pushed me along, so to speak..."

Ginny resisted the urge to giggle as they stepped onto the next floor, walking down the corridor, and, after a few feet, could distinctly hear Harry's yelling coming from on empty classroom.

"Ah," said Fred with a slight grin. "Very even-tempered, innit he?"

Rose frowned and Ginny went in front of her, leading them to the classroom of Harry's voice and pushing the door open.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione whipped around when she pushed it open more. Ginny walked in first, looking curious, followed by Rose, Fred, and Luna, who as usual looked as though she had drifted in accidentally.

"Hi," said Ginny uncertainly. "We recognized Harry's voice — what are you yelling about?"

"Never you mind," said Harry roughly.

Ginny raised her eyebrows. "There's no need to take that tone with me," she said coolly. "I was only wondering whether I could help."

"Well, you can't," said Harry shortly.

"Well excuse us," Fred snapped, looking affronted at Harry's rudeness. "We wouldn't even know you were up here unless Rose came running for you."

Harry glanced at Rose, his eyebrows raised. "I get worried about you, okay?" Rose said defensively. "I don't usually see my friends screaming during an examination!"

"Must have been one hell of a nightmare, huh?" Fred asked, looking at him curiously.

Harry glared at him crossly. "Thanks for keeping that between friends, Rose..."

"Hey, you don't have to be mean to her, she was just trying to help, which we're trying to do right now!" Ginny said loudly.

"You're being rather rude, you know." said Luna serenely.

Harry swore and turned away.

"Wait," said Hermione suddenly. "Wait, Harry, they can help."

Harry and Ron looked at her.

"Listen," she said urgently, "Harry, we need to establish whether Sirius really has left headquarters —"

"Wow, hold _on_," said Fred, cutting them off and looking suddenly more worried than before. "What the hell happened to Sirius?"

"Harry saw a vision of him being tortured at the Ministry," Hermione said quickly, her eyes darting nervously at a bemused looking Luna. "By V-Voldemort-"

"He's at the Ministry, being _tortured_?" Fred asked rather loudly, looking even more frightened than before at the mention of Voldemort. "What the hell are you doin' here then? Go get him!"

"I told them that already!" Harry snapped. "But _NO_-"

"Harry, I'm begging you, please!" said Hermione desperately. "Please let's just check that Sirius isn't at home before we go charging off to London — if we find out he's not there then I swear I won't try and stop you, I'll come, I'll d-do whatever it takes to try and save him —"

"Sirius is being tortured NOW!" shouted Harry. "We haven't got time to waste —"

"But if this is a trick of V-Voldemort's — Harry, we've got to check, we've got to —"

"How?" Harry demanded. "How're we going to check?"

"We'll have to use Umbridge's fire and see if we can contact him," said Hermione, who looked positively terrified at the thought. "We'll draw Umbridge away again, but we'll need lookouts, and that's where we can use them, they can help!"

Though clearly struggling to understand what was going on, Ginny said immediately, "Yeah, we'll do it." Fred and Rose nodded feverishly in agreement, and Luna said, "When you say 'Sirius,' are you talking about Stubby Boardman?"

Nobody answered her.

"Okay," Harry said aggressively to Hermione. "Okay, if you can think of a way of doing this quickly, I'm with you, otherwise I'm going to the Department of Mysteries right now —"

"The Department of Mysteries?" said Luna, looking mildly surprised. "But how are you going to get there?"

Again, Harry ignored her.

"Right," said Hermione, twisting her hands together and pacing up and down between the desks. "Right ... well ... One of us has to go and find Umbridge and — and send her off in the wrong direction, keep her away from her office. They could tell her — I don't know — that Peeves is up to something awful as usual..."

"I'll do it," said Ron at once. "I'll tell her Peeves is smashing up the Transfiguration department or something, it's miles away from her office. Come to think of it, I could probably persuade Peeves to do it if I met him on the way..."

"Good ol' Peeves," Fred said happily, and Ron smiled at the thought.

It was a mark of the seriousness of the situation that Hermione made no objection to the smashing up of the Transfiguration department.

"Okay," she said, her brow furrowed as she continued to pace. "Now, we need to keep students away from her office while we force entry, or some Slytherin's bound to go and tip her off..."

"We can spilt into pairs and stand at either end of the corridor," said Ginny promptly. "And warn people not to go down there because someone's let off a load of Garroting Gas."

Hermione looked surprised at the readiness with which Ginny had come up with this lie. Ginny shrugged and said, "Fred and George were planning to do it before they left."

"That was my idea, so thank you very much." said Fred smartly.

"Okay," said Hermione, ignoring Fred's comment. "Well then, Harry, you and I will be under the Invisibility Cloak, and we'll sneak into the office and you can talk to Sirius —"

"He's not there, Hermione!"

"I mean, you can — can check whether Sirius is at home or not while I keep watch, I don't think you should be in there alone, Someone's already proved the window's a weak spot, sending those Nifflers through it."

"That was Haskell, actually." Fred pointed out. They gave him puzzled looks.

"What?" Fred asked. "He wanted to help annoy her..."

"You mean to tell us that Hagrid had been getting in trouble for setting Nifflers in her office when it was the damn Ravenclaw werewolf the whole time?" Harry snapped, looking mad.

"It happens, i'm sorry, okay? I didn't know that would happen!" Fred said, looking genuinely sorry.

Harry shook his head, clearing his mind. "Never mind, what's done is done."

"Right, well, even if we do all of that, I don't think we're going to be able to bank on more than five minutes," said Hermione, looking relieved that Harry seemed to have accepted the plan. "Not with Filch and the wretched Inquisitorial Squad floating around."

"Five minutes'll be enough," said Harry. "C'mon, let's go —"

"Now?" said Hermione, looking shocked.

"Of course now!" said Harry angrily. "What did you think, we're going to wait until after dinner or something? Hermione, Sirius is being tortured right now!"

"I — oh all right," she said desperately. "You go and get the Invisibility Cloak and we'll meet you at the end of Umbridge's corridor, okay?"

A few minutes later, Harry was already jumping the last few stairs to join the others, who were huddled together at the end of Umbridge's corridor.

"Got it," he panted, holding up the bundle of silvery fabric in his hands. "Ready to go, then?"

"All right," whispered Hermione as a gang of loud sixth years passed them. "So Ron — you go and head Umbridge off... Ginny, Luna, you stand on the this side and Fred and Rose will be on the other, okay? If you can start moving people out of the corridor as soon as possible... Harry and I will get the cloak on and wait until the coast is clear..."

Ron strode away, his bright red hair visible right to the end of the passage. Meanwhile, Ginny's equally vivid head bobbed between the jostling students surrounding them in the other direction, trailed by Luna's blond one. Fred lead Rose down the corridor in the opposite direction, their clashing hair rustling behind them.

Their footsteps bounced against the walls as they heard Ginny calling out to the crowd, "You can't come down here! No, sorry, you're going to have to go round by the swiveling staircase, someone's let off Garroting Gas just along here —"

They could hear people complaining; one surly voice said, "I can't see no gas..."

"That's because it's colorless," said Ginny in a convincingly exasperated voice. "But if you want to walk through it, carry on, then we'll have your body as proof for the next idiot who didn't believe us..."

They reached the end and Fred took the spot against the wall, sitting down and leaning against it. Rose stood a bit awkwardly over him and took the spot next to him, looking a bit worried.

They sat there in silence, looking to make sure there was no one trying to go down their corridor when Fred started singing to himself from under his breath, making Rose recognise the song immediately.

"'_Hey Jude, don't make it bad..._" Fred hummed to himself, his head swaying from side to side.

"'_Take a sad song and make it better...'"_ Rose sang quietly, going along to what Fred was doing.

_"'Remember to let her under your skin,_" they sang in unison, grinning at each other and looking at each other from the corners of their identical eyes. "_Then you'll begin to make it better..._"

"You know the Beatles?" Fred laughed, turning his head and looking her in mild surprise.

"Of course i do." said Rose simply.

"You like 'em?" asked Fred, not looked convinced.

"Who doesn't like the Beatles, seriously." said Rose, looking shocked by his accusation.

"Death Eaters and Umbridge, i reckon." said Fred, and it made her laugh. They giggled and after a moment, Rose asked, "Hey, why isn't Alice here?"

Fred stiffened a laugh. "She went right to Matty after Transfiguration got out, actually."

"What do you think they do all day?" Rose asked, biting back her own laugher.

Fred shrugged. "Snog i bet, which i don't blame her for, Matt's real attractive."

Rose burst out into giggles, and Fred looked at her looking slightly shocked. "Don't laugh! Have you seen pictures of his other family members? The whole Greenley clan is drop dead gorgeous! Matt's bloody grandpa looks like James frecking Bond for god's sake! And you should see his mum, i can definitely where he got his nice chin from..."

"Well, at least we'll know our nieces and nephews will look good, right?" Rose laughed.

"Hardly, Alice said there hasn't been a girl born into their family in a real long time. " Fred said knowingly,

"You really think Alice somehow wouldn't fix that?" Rose asked, cocking a brow at him.

Fred snickered. "True, she'd make 'em name her after mum, i reckon."

"How sweet of her." Rose giggled.

Fred giggled and pulled at the little pendant necklace around his neck, which looked like a blue Police Box.

"Wasn't that show suspended?" Rose asked, pointing to the pendant.

Fred frowned. "Yea', back in '89, but _i_ heard they made a TV film for this year, i got it taped at home." Fred said a matter-of-factly. "Of course, i lettered grandad about it and he said it was a load of dung, but then again, most revamps are, but it's watchable at least."

"You reckon they'll ever bring it back?" Rose asked kindly.

Fred shrugged. "It woiuld be damn great if they did! Though if they really wanna start it out good, they'd get a bloke with a nose like yours truely."

Fred waved to his hooked nose, and Rose laughed. "Should he wear all black too? Or mostly, at least?"

"Oh yeah, and he needs to have a companion with _your_ name, and she's be _way_ cooler than you." Fred said.

"Oh thanks a lot." Rose laughed, smacking him in the arm playfully. Fred joined in her giggling when they heard rushing footsteps striding over to them.

"You can't come down here," Fred was saying. "They let some Gar-"

Someone grabbed Fred's shirt collar and yanked him upwards, putting their thick arm around his neck and nearly choking him. Rose was pulled upwards too, and put into the same choke-hold.

"Oh, really nice, Sullivan!" Fred barked, his voice sounding strangled for air as he tried to loosen the brutish Slytherin's arms off of him. Vincent just smiled at him with dog-like teeth and gripped tighter.

Fred heard cruel, girly giggling and saw Charisse stride into view, picking up Fred and Rose's wands off of the ground, as they had lost their grips of them in the sudden movement. She glared at him, her dark eyes flashing and grinning at him, looking very satisfied

"Fancy seeing you two here." Charisse sneered, poking at Rose's red hair, which nearly matched her burning face behind the larger Slytherin's arms.

There was someone yelling at the end of the corridor, but she paid no notice. "What were you lot doing down here of all places, not helping Potter break into our Headmistress' office, where you?"

"Of course not," Fred said, thinking very hard whether he could kick Vincent in the groin or not from his angle. "Why would we do that-?"

"The Headmistress knows when someone breaks into her office, big-nose!" Charisse snapped, cutting him off. "You two and your little weird friends guarding the corridor just gives it away, doesn't it?"

"I actually thought we were just hanging out on opposite ends of the corridor," Fred said simply. "But if that's how you see it-"

"Enough talking!" Charisse snapped again, and this time she produced two cloths from her robe pocket. She went up to Rose and gagged her, stuffing the cloth in her mouth. She then turned around and, with a wicked smirk, stuffed the other cloth into Fred's mouth, nearly choking him again.

"Oi!" yelled a rough voice. "We got these three!"

"Good! Let's go show the Headmistress then! She must be taking care of Potter by now!" Charisse shouted with a maniac grin. "Come along!"

They dragged Fred and Rose against their will towards Umbridge's office, and they glanced to their side and saw four more larger Slytherins coming towards them, each one either holding a bewildered looking Ron, a thrashing Ginny, a slightly out-of-tuned Luna, or, surprisingly, Neville, who looked to be in danger of suffocating in Crabbe's strong stranglehold, and like them, they were also gagged

Charisse opened the door open for them and let them go ahead of her into the pink catastrophe of Umbridge's office.

They could plainly see that Hermione pinned against the wall by Millicent Bulstrode. Draco was leaning on the windowsill, smirking as he threw Harry's wand into the air one-handed and then caught it again. Draco smirked at Rose's red face as she shot daggers at him, being dragged against her will and her swearing unheard by her gag.

"Got 'em all," said the one holding Ron, which was Warrington, shoving Ron roughly forward into the room. "That one." he poked a thick finger at Neville. "tried to stop me taking her," he pointed at Ginny, who was trying to kick the shins of the large Slytherin girl holding her. "So I brought him along too."

"Good, good," said Umbridge, watching Ginny's struggles. "Well, it looks as though Hogwarts will shortly be a Weasley-free zone, doesn't it?"

Draco laughed loudly and sycophantically. Umbridge gave her wide, complacent smile and settled herself into a chintz-covered armchair, blinking up at her captives like a toad in a flowerbed.

"So, Potter," she said, looking at Harry, who was pushed against her desk, looking stricken at being caught. "You stationed lookouts around my office and you sent this buffoon," she nodded at Ron, and Draco laughed even louder, "To tell me the poltergeist was wreaking havoc in the Transfiguration department when I knew perfectly well that he was busy smearing ink on the eyepieces of all the school telescopes, Mr Filch having just informed me so."

"Clearly, it was very important for you to talk to somebody. Was it Albus Dumbledore? Or the half-breed, Hagrid? I doubt it was Minerva McGonagall, I hear she is still too ill to talk to anyone..."

Draco and a few of the other members of the Inquisitorial Squad laughed some more at that. Harry looked that he was so full of rage and hatred that he was shaking.

"It's none of your business who I talk to," he snarled.

Umbridge's slack face seemed to tighten.

"Very well," she said in her most dangerous and falsely sweet voice. "Very well, Mr. Potter ... I offered you the chance to tell me freely. You refused. I have no alternative but to force you. Draco — fetch Professor Snape."

Umbridge gave a nasty smile to Fred and Rose as Draco stowed Harry's wand inside his robes and left the room smirking.

"Such a shame your other sister is not here, isn't it?" Umbridge said softly, glaring at them. "I'll just have to use the fact that i saw her name on that form for Dumbledore's secret army to remove her from this school as well, i couldn't have her keeping up your twos' ruckus, now can i?"

Fred yelled something, but it was muffled by his gag, and he looked like he was about to stomp on Vincent's foot, but Vincent retorted by gripping down on Fred's arms, nearly snapping them out of place.

After that, there was silence in the office except for the fidgetings and scufflings resultant from the Slytherins' efforts to keep Ron and the others under control. Ron's lip was bleeding onto Umbridge's carpet as he struggled against Warrington's half nelson. Ginny was still trying to stamp on the feet of the sixth-year girl who had both her upper arms in a tight grip. Neville was turning steadily more purple in the face while tugging at Crabbe's arms, and Hermione was attempting vainly to throw Millicent Bulstrode off her. Rose looked about to claw her captor while Luna stood limply by the side of her own, gazing vaguely out of the window as though rather bored by the proceedings.

Harry looked back at Umbridge, who was watching him closely. He kept his face deliberately smooth and blank as footsteps were heard in the corridor outside and Draco came back into the room, holding open the door for Severus.

"You wanted to see me, Headmistress?" said Severus, looking around and raising his brows at Fred and Rose. Rose gave a sort of muffled groan while Fred looked to be fighting back a smile, strangely enough

"Ah, Professor Snape," said Umbridge, smiling widely and standing up again. "Yes, I would like another bottle of Veritaserum, as quick as you can, please."

"You took my last bottle to interrogate Potter," he said, observing her coolly. "Surely you did not use it all? I told you that three drops would be sufficient."

Umbridge flushed. Fred said, his voice still muffled, "Ohmph buuurnpfh"

"You can make some more, can't you?" she said, her voice becoming more sweetly girlish as it always did when she was furious.

"Certainly," said Severus, who, like Fred, looking to be fighting back a smile. "It takes a full moon cycle to mature, so I should have it ready for you in around a month."

"A _month_?" squawked Umbridge, swelling toadishly. "A _month_? But I need it this evening, Snape! I have just found Potter using my fire to communicate with a person or persons unknown!"

"Really?" said Severus, looking mildly surprised. "And why might that be?"

"I do not know, that's why i need the Veritaserum for!" Umbridge shouted shrilly, her pudgy hands in tight fists. "Surely you would see my predicament here!"

Severus, however, was not listening, as he turned his attention to Harry, who met his gaze un-flinchingly, concentrating hard on what he had seen in his dream, willing him to read it in his mind.

"I wish to interrogate him!" shouted Umbridge angrily, and Severus looked away from Harry back into her furiously quivering face, though by the slight wink, Harry could plainly tell he got it. "I wish you to provide me with a potion that will force him to tell me the truth!"

"I have already told you," said Severus smoothly. "That I have no further stocks of Veritaserum. Unless you wish to poison Potter — and I assure you, it would not prove wise, as most venoms act too fast for the accused to tell the truth before it finishes them —I cannot help you."

Severus stared back at Harry, and he thought hard to try to mentally communicate with him.

"You are on probation!" shrieked Professor Umbridge, and Severus looked back at her, his eyebrows slightly raised. "You are being deliberately unhelpful! I expected better! Now get out of my office!"

Fred said something that soundly briefly like, "Mum is not gonna be happy about that." but it was too muffled to be sure.

Severus gave her a seething look and went to leave when Harry shouted suddenly, "He's got Padfoot! He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden!"

Severus had stopped with his hand on Umbridge's door handle.

"_Padfoot_?" cried Professor Umbridge, looking eagerly from Harry to Severus. "What is Padfoot? Where what is hidden? What does he mean, Snape?"

"I have no idea," said Severus coolly, and Harry looked momentarily defeated until it dawned on him that Severus knew right well what he was talking about, and that he could briefly see a shadow of a wink from Severus. Harry resisted the urge to smile in gratitude.

He left the room, and Harry felt a little better than before until he realised that Umbridge still didn't get what she wanted.

"Very well," she said, and she pulled out her wand. "Very well ... I am left with no alternative ... This is more than a matter of school discipline ... This is an issue of Ministry security ... Yes ... yes..."

She seemed to be talking herself into something. She was shifting her weight nervously from foot to foot, staring at Harry, beating her wand against her empty palm and breathing heavily.

"You are forcing me, Potter... I do not want to," said Umbridge, still moving restlessly on the spot. "But sometimes circumstances justify the use ... I am sure the Minister will understand that I had no choice..."

Draco was watching her with a hungry expression on his face.

"The Cruciatus Curse ought to loosen your tongue," said Umbridge quietly.

"No!" shrieked Hermione, and the others gave out their own muffled protests. "Professor Umbridge — it's illegal - !"

Umbridge took no notice. There was a nasty, eager, excited look on her face that none of them had seen before. She raised her wand.

"The Minister wouldn't want you to break the law, Professor Umbridge!" cried Hermione.

"What Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him," said Umbridge, who was now panting slightly as she pointed her wand at different parts of Harry's body in turn, apparently trying to decide what would hurt the most. "He never knew I ordered dementors after Potter last summer, but he was delighted to be given the chance to expel him, all the same..."

"It was _you_?" gasped Harry, his brows knotting together. "You sent the dementors after _me_?"

"Somebody had to act," breathed Umbridge, as her wand came to rest pointing directly at Harry's forehead. "They were all bleating about silencing you somehow — discrediting you — but I was the one who actually did something about it...Only you wriggled out of that one, didn't you, Potter? Not today, though, not now..."

And taking a deep breath, she cried, "_Cruc_ —"

"NO!" shouted Hermione in a cracked voice from behind Millicent Bulstrode. "No — Harry — Harry, we'll have to tell her!"

"No way!" yelled Harry, staring at the little of Hermione he could see.

"We'll have to, Harry, she'll force it out of you anyway, what's ... what's the point...?"

And Hermione began to cry weakly into the back of Millicent Bulstrode's robes. Millicent stopped trying to squash her against the wall immediately and dodged out of her way looking disgusted.

"Well, well, well!" said Umbridge, looking triumphant. "Little Miss Question-All is going to give us some answers! Come on then, girl, come on!"

"Er — my — nee — no!" shouted Ron through his gag.

They stared at her as if they had never properly seen her before, but Harry had just noticed something. Though Hermione was sobbing desperately into her hands, there was no trace of a tear anywhere...

"I'm — I'm sorry everyone," said Hermione. "But — I can't stand it —"

"That's right, that's right, girl!" said Umbridge, seizing Hermione by the shoulders, thrusting her into the abandoned chintz chair and leaning over her. "Now then ... with whom was Potter communicating just now?"

"Well," gulped Hermione into her hands, "well, he was trying to speak to Professor Dumbledore..."

Ron froze, his eyes wide; Ginny stopped trying to stamp on her Slytherin captor's toes; even Luna looked mildly surprised. Fortunately, the attention of Umbridge and her minions was focused too exclusively upon Hermione to notice these suspicious signs.

"Dumbledore?" said Umbridge eagerly. "You know where Dumbledore is, then?"

"Well ... no!" sobbed Hermione. "We've tried the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley and the Three Broomsticks and even the Hog's Head —"

"Idiot girl, Dumbledore won't be sitting in a pub when the whole Ministry's looking for him!" shouted Umbridge, disappointment etched in every sagging line of her face.

"But — but we needed to tell him something important!" wailed Hermione, holding her hands more tightly over her face, not, Harry knew, out of anguish, but to disguise the continued absence of tears.

"Yes?" said Umbridge with a sudden resurgence of excitement. "What was it you wanted to tell him?"

"We - we wanted to tell him it's r-ready!" choked Hermione.

"What's ready?" demanded Umbridge, and now she grabbed Hermione's shoulders again and shook her slightly. "What's ready, girl?"

"The - the weapon," said Hermione.

"Weapon? _Weapon_?" said Umbridge, and her eyes seemed to pop with excitement. "You have been developing some method of resistance? A weapon you could use against the Ministry? On Professor Dumbledore's orders, of course?"

"Y-y-yes," gasped Hermione. "But he had to leave before it was finished and n-n-now we've finished it for him, and we c-c-can't find him t-t-to tell him!"

"What kind of weapon is it?" said Umbridge harshly, her stubby hands still tight on Hermione's shoulders.

"We don't r-r-really understand it," said Hermione, sniffing loudly. "We j-j-just did what P-P-Professor Dumbledore told us t-t-to do..."

Umbridge straightened up, looking exultant.

"Lead me to the weapon," she said.

"I'm not showing ... them," said Hermione shrilly, looking around at the Slytherins through her fingers.

"It is not for you to set _conditions_," said Professor Umbridge harshly.

"Fine," said Hermione, now sobbing into her hands again. "_Fine_ ... let them see it, I hope they use it on you! In fact, I wish you'd invite loads and loads of people to come and see! Th-that would serve you right — oh, I'd love it if the wh-whole school knew where it was, and how to u-use it, and then if you annoy any of them they'll be able to s-sort you out!"

These words had a powerful impact on Umbridge. She glanced swiftly and suspiciously around at her Inquisitorial Squad, her bulging eyes resting for a moment on Draco, who was too slow to disguise the look of eagerness and greed that had appeared on his face.

Umbridge contemplated Hermione for another long moment and then spoke in what she clearly thought was a motherly voice. "All right, dear, let's make it just you and me ... and we'll take Potter too, shall we? Get up, now —"

"Professor," said Draco eagerly, "Professor Umbridge, I think some of the squad should come with you to look after —"

"I am a fully qualified Ministry official, Malfoy, do you really think I cannot manage two wandless teenagers alone?" asked Umbridge sharply. "In any case, it does not sound as though this weapon is something that schoolchildren should see. You will remain here until I return and make sure none of these" — she gestured around at the six of them — "_escape_."

"All right," said Draco, looking sulky and disappointed.

"And you two can go ahead of me and show me the way," said Umbridge, pointing at Harry and Hermione with her wand. "Lead on..."

Hermione lead them out of the office, Umbridge pointing her wand at their backs as the door snapped after them.

A wild idea popped into Rose's mind as their footsteps slowly faded away. She looked at Draco and said, "'Al-foy!"

Draco turned and smirked at her. "Begging for mercy now, are you? This is too good ... What is it, Snape?"

Rose said something muffled against her gag and Draco gave out a small growl. "Can we get this damn thing off her? I want to hear whatever nonsense she's spewing now..."

The large Slytherin gave him a puzzled look and shrugged, roughly taking the gag out of her mouth. Rose coughed, gasping for air as Draco stepped in front her, smirking devilishly at her, her hair flying in her face.

"What did you have to say then?" Draco asked, grinning at her, his hands on his hips.

Rose looked up at him, blowing strands of her hair out of her face, and smiled at him. "Nothing, but thanks for taking that away!"

She kicked him roughly, causing Draco to fall backwards into Umbridge's desk, knocking her odd gold trinkets off, and the large Slytherin to loosen their grip on her in surprise. Rose went through their arms and bent down and ripped the wands out of Draco's hands and pockets. The others followed suit.

Ginny whipped around, smacking the Slytherin in chest and slipping out of their grasp, taking her wand out and spitting her gag onto the ground. The Slytherin clawed at her, scratching her cheek and drawing blood, but Ginny played no notice to it. She raised her wand to them and yelled, "_Stupefy_!". They fell backwards and Ginny spun on the spot, pointing her wand to Draco has he went to lunge at Rose, sending tiny flapping bogeys at his face with a quick reflex of her wrist.

Crabbe was staring, loosening his grip, allowing Neville to free himself. He spat his own gag out, turned and waved his wand at him, freezing Crabbe in mid-motion, and like Ginny, he shouted "_Stupefy_!", causing them to topple over onto their house mate.

Draco tried to swipe the flapping bogeys away from his face as Fred went against his better judgement and twisted in Vincent's grip, facing him and promptly hitting him in-between the legs with his knee as hard as he could, which must had been a lot, as Vincent let go of him and doubled over in pain, scrunching up his face and falling flat on his face, his hands going between his thighs.

Charisse charged at him, her wand at the ready, as Ron pushed the other Slytherin off him, who had punched him in the mouth, breaking the skin on his lip and making him bleed, tore his gag out and knocked his captor with his own Stunning spell and quickly went to disarmed Charisse, catching glances of Harry and Hermione leading Umbridge into the Forbidden Forest. Ron nearly missed her, but Charisse's wand flew in the air and jabbing Neville in the face, causing a large purple lump to form under his eye from where her wand poked him. She whipped around, her hair flying in her face and snarling at Ron. Rose pointed one of Draco's confiscated wands at Charisse and she, too, fell downwards in a soft _thump_.

Fred went and took his and Rose's wands back from Charisse's robe pockets, spitting his gag out, and for good measure, put Stunning spells on Vincent and Draco as well. The little winged bogeys still went around Draco's face, though.

They all turned to Luna, looking ruffled, and saw that she, somehow, had knocked her captor out cold. She looked down at him in mild interest. "I think a Dabblerblimp got him, he sort of just fainted out of nowhere..."

"Great." mumbled Ron, wiping his mouth of some of the blood. He straightened himself out. "Rose, did you get Harry and Hermione's wands?"

Rose held them up. "Got 'em."

"Good, good," said Ron. He sighed, poking at the knocked out Squad. "Crazy ol' bat," Ron said, nudging his foot against Charisse's limp shoulder.

"Try having her trail after you," Fred said, brushing his hair out of his face. "What do we do now?"

They glanced around. Ron spoke up again, "I just saw 'em leading Umbridge into the Forest, they must still be there..."

"Why would they bring her into the Forbidden Forest though?" Neville asked weakly, looking out of breath. "Is the weapon in there?"

"There is no weapon, Neville," said Ginny, wiping her scratched cheelk. "I think that was just a diversion, Hermione wasn't even crying when she was talking about it..."

"Well, most of my blood flow was cut off, so i think you can excuse me if i didn't catch that," Neville said scratchily.

Fred giggled and Rose said, "Should we go after them?"

"I have to, or Umbridge might start torturing them when she realises there's nothing there..." Ron said. He went towards the door and swung it open. "C'mon, we might lose them if we keep talking about it..."

"What about them though?" Rose asked, waving at the knocked out Slytherins as she approached him.

Ron blinked at them. "They'll wake up eventually..."

* * *

><p>Ron lead them down the stone steps towards the darken forest, none of them sure what was awaiting them.<p>

"Shouldn't we have told someone where we're going?" Rose asked, her brows furrowed.

Fred shrugged, stepping on the damp grass. "What's the worst that could happen? I mean, yeah, Dad just about fainted when Dumbledore told 'em you were down in the Chamber of Secrets, but we're not going down a secret pipe system, now are we?"

They stepped into the Forbidden Forest, Ron following what must have been their footsteps, as they were all in a single line.

"Who wears hears while walking through the Forest, honestly..." Fred said, pointing to the tiny footprints which must have been Umbridge's. They walked in silence until they could very faintly hear hooves and a woman shrill screaming going in the opposite direction of them.

"Oh my god," said Ginny, smirking slightly. "Do you reckon the centaurs in here took Umbridge?"

"We can only hope." said Fred, and Ron heard a familiar voice. "Hurry up, i think i just found them-"

"Well, we can't do anything without wands," said Hermione's voice hopelessly, dragging herself up again. "Anyway, Harry, how exactly were you planning to get all the way to London?"

"Yeah, we were just wondering that," said Ron from behind her, looking around one of the thick bases of a tree.

Harry and Hermione moved instinctively together, peering through the trees, as Ron came into sight, with the others following after him. Even with their cuts and bruises, they all quite pleased with themselves.

"So," said Ron, pushing aside a low-hanging branch and holding out Harry's wand. "Had any ideas?"

"How did you get away?" asked Harry in amazement, taking his wand from Ron.

"Couple of Stunners, a Disarming Charm, Neville brought off a really nice little Impediment Jinx," said Ron airily, now handing back Hermione's wand too. "Fred knee-ed Sullivan, and Chair just about ripped my head off 'til Rose knocked her out. Ginny was best, she got Malfoy — Bat-Bogey Hex — it was superb, his whole face was covered in the great flapping things, Luna's bloke fainted for some reason, out of fear maybe. Anyway, we saw you heading into the forest out of the window and followed. What've you done with Umbridge?"

"She got carried away," said Harry. "By a herd of centaurs."

"Oh thank _god,_" said Fred, smiling appreciatively. "I think we heard them on the way over here!"

"And they left you behind?" asked Ginny, looking astonished.

"No, they got chased off by Grawp," said Harry simply.

"Who's Grawp?" Luna asked interestedly.

"Hagrid's little brother," said Ron promptly.

"Oh come _on_," said Fred suddenly, frowning. "_Hagrid's_ got a little brother and _i_ don't? This is ridiculous..."

"_Anyway_," said Ron, ignoring Fred's comment. "Never mind that now. Harry, what did you find out in the fire? Has You-KnowWho got Sirius or — ?"

"Yes," said Harry. "and I'm sure Sirius is still alive, but I can't see how we're going to get there to help him."

They all fell silent, looking rather scared. The problem facing them seemed insurmountable.

"Well, we'll have to fly, won't we?" said Luna in the closest thing to a matter-of-fact voice that any of them had ever heard her use.

"Okay," said Harry irritably, rounding on her. "First of all, 'we' aren't doing anything if you're including yourself in that, and second of all, Ron's the only one with a broomstick that isn't being guarded by a security troll, so —"

"I've got a broom!" said Ginny.

"Yeah, but you're not coming," said Ron angrily.

"Excuse me, but I care what happens to Sirius as much as you do!" said Ginny, her jaw set so that her resemblance to her Twin brothers was suddenly striking.

"You're too —" Harry began.

"I'm three years older than you were when you fought You-KnowWho over the Sorcerer's Stone," she said fiercely. "And it's because of me Malfoy's stuck back in Umbridge's office with giant flying bogeys attacking him —"

"Yeah, but —"

"We've already been through hell and back with you, Harry," Rose said, waving to herself and Fred. "We already went back and helped you save Sirius the first time, why not now?"

"Yeah, and Rose already went down to the Chamber of Secrets with you, and you were only Second years then!" Fred snapped, cutting Harry off before he could speak again. He had always been jealous that he never got to go along as many adventures as he pleased. "She even said Voldemort personally said he_'_d kill her! You think either of us wouldn't try to help you at any cost, especially with _that_ lingering over our heads?"

" I know, but —"

"We were all in the D.A. together," said Neville quietly. "It was all supposed to be about fighting You-Know-Who, wasn't it? And this is the first chance we've had to do something real — or was that all just a game or something?"

"No — of course it wasn't —" said Harry impatiently.

"Then we should come too," said Neville simply. "We want to help."

"That's right," said Luna, smiling happily.

Harry's eyes met Ron's, and they gave each other significant looks.

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway," said Harry frustratedly after a moment. "Because we still don't know how to get there —"

"I thought we'd settled that?" said Luna maddeningly. "We're flying!"

"Look," said Ron, barely containing his anger. "_You_ might be able to fly without a broomstick but the rest of us can't sprout wings whenever we —"

"There are other ways of flying than with broomsticks," said Luna serenely.

"I s'pose we're going to ride on the back of the Kacky Snorgle or whatever it is?" Ron demanded.

"The Crumple-Horned Snorkack can't fly," said Luna in a dignified voice. "But _they_ can, and Hagrid says they're very good at finding places their riders are looking for."

Harry whirled around and looked between two trees. The others glanced each other with raised brows, not exactly sure what he, Luna, or Neville, were looking at.

"Yes!" he whispered, moving toward the space between the trees. Harry stretched out his hand eagerly and patted something that neither of them could see.

"Uh," said Fred weakly, looking quite confused. "What are supposed to be, er, _seeing_, exactly?"

"Thestrals," Rose said, her brows furrowed. "Hagrid showed us some in class a few monthes ago..."

"Well, why the hell can't we see 'em then?" Fred asked, looking a bit strung out.

"Because you would have had to seen death before you can see them." Rose snapped, looking angry at his insensitivity.

"_Oh_." said Fred, looking taken back.

"Yeah," said Harry grimly, looking back at them.

"How many?" Ron asked, staring at the empty space.

"Just two."

"Well, we need three," said Hermione, who was still looking a little shaken, but determined just the same.

"Four, Hermione," said Ginny, scowling.

"I think there are eight of us, actually," said Luna calmly, counting.

"Don't be stupid, we can't all go!" said Harry angrily. "Look, you" — he pointed at the five of them — "are not involved in this, you're not —"

They burst into more protests.

"Okay, _fine_, it's your choice," Harry said curtly. "But unless we can find more thestrals you're not going to be able —"

"Oh, more of them will come," said Ginny confidently.

"What makes you think that?"

"Because in case you hadn't noticed, you and Hermione are both covered in blood," Ginny said coolly. "and we know Hagrid lures thestrals with raw meat, so that's probably why these two turned up in the first place..."

"Okay, then," Harry said. "Ron and I will take these two and go ahead, and Hermione can stay here with you and she'll attract more thestrals —"

"I'm not staying behind!" said Hermione furiously.

"There's no need," said Luna, smiling. "Look, here come more now ... You two must really smell..."

Harry turned. Though none of the others besides Him, Luna, and Neville, there were six and seven coming towards them, their great leathery winsg folded against their skeletal bodies.

"All right," he said angrily. "Pick one and get on, then."

"When we can't _see_ them?" Fred asked loudly, staring at him.

"Don't worry, i'll help you..." Luna said airily, and she dragged Fred by the robe sleeve towards one. Fred grabbed Rose's wrist and pulled her along with him, obviously insisting that she ride with him.

She pulled them over to the other thestrals standing around and managed to help them onto the backs of their mounts, though they looked mighty confused, as they saw nothing but the forest ground from under them.

Fred stared down at the ground, seeing nothing holding him up as he lodged his knees into the invisible creature's sides. "This is _really_ weird, at least i could the Hippogriff when we rode it..."

Rose gave a small aspirated noise from her throat and put her arms around his middle, her head against his back. Fred grabbed the thestral's unseen hair, surprised at how glossy it felt, though he could not see it. "_Wicked_." he said breathlessly.

Luna helped Ron and Hermione onto another one and Ginny onto Harry's. Ginny didn't looking nearly phased as you think she would have as she put her arms around Harry's middle to make sure she didn't fall off. Ron, however, blushed deep red as Hermione out her own arms around Ron's middle, her face nearly as flushed. Luna hopped onto the thestral Neville was on and held onto his sides, looking almost bored as Neville's face went pink.

"This is _mad_," Ron said faintly, his face still red and moving his free hand gingerly up and down his horse's neck. "Mad ...if I could just see it —"

"You'd better hope it stays invisible," said Harry darkly, not looking phased by Ginny holding him, though he could feel his heart give a odd beat when she touched him. "We all ready, then?"

They all nodded.

"Okay..." Harry looked down at the back of his thestral's glossy black head and swallowed. "Ministry of Magic, visitors' entrance, London, then," he said uncertainly. "Er - if you know - where to go..."

For a moment Harry's thestral did nothing at all, a second later, however, Ginny gave out a sort of yelp as it suddenly shot into the air, Ginny gripping to his middle as Harry's knees dug into the stead.

Fred bent downwards and pressed his face to the invisible creature's glossy mane as it followed after it's companion, causing Rose to yell as it took off suddenly. Rose clung to him as she closed eyes, her face pressed against his back. Fred, however, kept his eyes open as much as he could muster as they burst through the topmost branches of the trees and soared out into a blood-red sunset, following Harry and Ginny's shadowed forms.

The thestral streaked over the castle, its wide wings hardly beating, or at least they thought, as they could barely hear it make a sound. The cooling air was slapping Fred's face, making his eyes water against the rushing wind, he looked around and saw the others soaring along behind them, each of them bent as low as possible into the neck of their thestral to protect themselves from its slipstream.

They were over the Hogwarts grounds, they had passed Hogsmeade. They could see mountains and gullies below them. In the falling darkness small collections of lights were seen as they passed over more villages, then a winding road on which a single car was beetling its way home through the hills.

"This is bizarre!" Ron yelled to no one in particular some time later.

Twilight fell: The sky turned to a light, dusky purple littered with tiny silver stars, and soon it was only the lights of Muggle towns that gave them any clue of how far from the ground they were or how very fast they were traveling.

On they flew through the gathering darkness; everyone's hearing nonexistent in the rushing wind, their face, arms, and legs numb from the wind and clinging to their thestrals or parters so tightly.

They got the clue that they were descending at last as their thestrals suddenly lunged downwards. HHermione shrieked by the change of position and now bright orange lights were growing larger and rounder on all sides. They could see the tops of buildings, streams of headlights like luminous insect eyes, squares of pale yellow that were windows.

Quite suddenly, it seemed, they were hurtling toward the pavement. Fred gripped the thestral with every last ounce of his strength, braced for a sudden impact, but the horse touched the dark ground as lightly as a shadow near Harry and Ginny's thestral. Rose let go of him as if he electrocuted her, sliding from his back quickly, looking around at the street where the overflowing dumpster stood a short way from the vandalized telephone box, both drained of color in the flat orange glare of the streetlights, her legs shaking at the knees, Ginny looking just as shaken.

Fred slid off after her and nearly fell onto the ground, looking as if he wanted to kiss it. "Let's - never - do that - _again_-"

Ron landed a short way away and toppled immediately off his thestral onto the pavement, pulling a windswept Hermione with him.

"Never again," he said, struggling to his feet and holding Hermione to steady himself. "Never, _ever_ again - that was the _worst_ —"

Neville landed soon after wards and jumped down, shaking, but Luna dismounted smoothly.

"Where do we go from here, then?" she asked Harry in a politely interested voice, as though this was all a rather interesting day-trip.

"Over here," he said. He gave his thestral a quick, grateful pat, then led the way quickly to the battered telephone box and opened the door. "Come on!" he urged the others as they hesitated.

Ron and Ginny marched in obediently; Hermione, Neville, Luna, and Rose squashed themselves in after them, Fred, however, stared at them with a sort of curious look on his face.

"Fred!" Rose snapped irritably. "Come on!"

Fred shook his head. "What's up with you? C'mon, we have to get going!" Harry said urgently, waving him in.

"Are you sure this isn't a TADRIS?" Fred asked suddenly, looking at the telephone box with a questioning look.

Minus Neville and Luna, the five of them gave a combined, annoyed-sounding groan.

"This is not the time for your stupid Doctor Who jokes, Fred!" Hermione snapped.

"They're not stupid! It's a legitimate concern of mine!" Fred said defensively, his lanky arms at his sides. "We could end up on the other side of the universe if we're not careful!"

"Fred, no offence, but i'd whack you upside the head right now." Rose said harshly.

Fred snickered. "I'd like to see you try-"

Rose and Hermione reached outwards suddenly and grabbed Fred around the shirt, making him almost fall face forward from the sudden movement and yanked him towards them. Harry gave him a small 'You-caused-for-yourself' look as Fred whizzed past him.

"Okay, fine, fine, i'm going!" Fred said, towering over the two of them as he was roughly pulled forward. "Move over, will you?"

Fred squeezed in next to Luna and Harry followed, snapping the door shut behind.

"Whoever's nearest the receiver, dial six two four four two!" he said.

Ron did it, his arm bent bizarrely to reach the dial. As it whirred back into place the cool female voice sounded inside the box, "Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."

Fred cleared his throat. "I'll take that one. Yes, i'm Fred Snape, i'm here with my sister, Rose, we got Harry Potter with us as well, and Ron Weasley and his sister Ginny, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood - "

"We're here to save someone," Harry shouted, cutting Fred off, who looked offended. "Unless your Ministry can do it first!"

"Thank you," said the cool female voice. "Visitors, please take the badges and attach them to the front of your robes."

Eight copper badges slid out of the metal chute where returned coins usually appeared.

"Oh, neat!" Fred said, pulling his arm over Ginny's head and scooping them up. He brought them back to them and Harry glanced at the topmost one, which read:

_HARRY POTTER_

_RESCUE MISSION_

"Visitor to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wand for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the Atrium."

"Fine!" Harry said loudly as Fred stowed the badges into his robe pocket with a grin. "Now can we move?"

The floor of the telephone box shuddered and the pavement rose up past the glass windows of the telephone box. The scavenging thestrals were sliding out of sight, blackness closed over their heads, and with a dull grinding noise they sank down into the depths of the Ministry of Magic.

"How bad would it suck if we got stuck right here?" Fred said in the darkness, and despite himself, Ron gave a snort of laughter. There was whacking noise and Ron went, "Ow! What was that for?"

"That's not funny!" Hermione said loudly into the darkness, a hint of anxiousness in her voice.

A chink of soft golden light hit their feet and, widening, rose up their bodies. Harry bent his knees and held his wand as ready as he could in such cramped conditions, peering through the glass to see whether anybody was waiting for them in the Atrium, but it seemed to be completely empty. The light was dimmer than it would had been daytime. The lift slid smoothly to a halt that golden symbols continued to twist sinuously in the dark blue ceiling.

"The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant evening," said the woman's voice.

"Thank you very much." Fred said happily, and the door of the telephone box burst open.

Harry toppled out of it, followed by Fred and Luna. The only sound in the Atrium was the steady rush of water from the golden fountain, where jets from the wands of the witch and wizard, the point of the centaur's arrow, the tip of the goblin's hat, and the house-elf's ears continued to gush into the surrounding pool.

"Come on," said Harry quietly and the eight of them sprinted off down the hall, Harry in the lead, past the fountain, toward the desk where the security wizard would have been, now deserted.

They passed through the golden gates to the lifts. Harry pressed the nearest down button and a lift clattered into sight almost immediately, the golden grilles slid apart with a great, echoing clanking, and they dashed inside. Harry stabbed the number nine button, the grilles closed with a bang, and the lift began to descend, jangling and rattling.

Fred hummed."This place looks pretty damn nice, if it wasn't full of nitwits like Umbridge, i'd might actually work here!"

"How kind of you." Ginny said smartly.

The lift came to halt, and the cool female voice said, "Department of Mysteries," and the grilles slid open again, they stepped out into the corridor where nothing was moving but the nearest torches, flickering in the rush of air from the lift.

"Let's go," Harry whispered, and he led the way down the corridor, Luna right behind him, gazing around with her mouth slightly open.

"Okay, listen," said Harry, stopping again within six feet of the black door. "Maybe - maybe a couple of people should stay here as a — as a lookout, and —"

"And how're we going to let you know something's coming?" asked Ginny, her eyebrows raised. "You could be miles away."

"We're coming with you, Harry," said Neville.

"Let's get on with it," said Ron firmly.

Harry seemed to have no choice. He turned to face the door and walked forward. Just as it had in his dream, it swung open and he marched forward, leading the others over the threshold.

They were standing in a large, circular room. Everything in here was black including the floor and ceiling — identical, unmarked, handle-less black doors were set at intervals all around the black walls, interspersed with branches of candles whose flames burned blue, their cool, shimmering light reflected in the shining marble floor so that it looked as though there was dark water underfoot.

"Someone shut the door," Harry muttered.

He regretted giving this order the moment Neville had obeyed it. Without the long chink of light from the torch-lit corridor behind them, the place became so dark that for a moment the only things they could see were the bunches of shivering blue flames on the walls and their ghostly reflections in the floor below.

Harry stared at the doors, trying to decide which was the right one, there was a great rumbling noise and the candles began to move sideways. The circular wall was rotating.

Hermione grabbed Harry's arm as though frightened the floor might move too, but it did not. For a few seconds the blue flames around them were blurred to resemble neon lines as the wall sped around and then, quite as suddenly as it had started, the rumbling stopped and everything became stationary once again.

"Oh that's just fantastic!" Rose said sarcastically. "What was that for?"

"I think it was to stop us knowing which door we came in from," said Ginny in a hushed voice.

Harry realized at once that she was right: He could no sooner have picked the exit from the other doors than located an ant upon the jetblack floor. Meanwhile, the door through which they needed to proceed could be any of the dozen surrounding them.

"How're we going to get back out?" said Neville uncomfortably.

"Well, that doesn't matter now," said Harry forcefully, blinking to try and erase the blue lines from his vision, and clutching his wand tighter than ever. "We won't need to get out till we've found Sirius —"

"Don't go calling for him, though!" Hermione said urgently, but Harry ignored her.

"Where do we go, then, Harry?" Ron asked.

"I don't —" Harry began. He swallowed. "In the dreams I went through the door at the end of the corridor from the lifts into a dark room — that's this one — and then I went through another door into a room that kind of ... glitters. We should try a few doors," he said hastily. "I'll know the right way when I see it. C'mon."

He marched straight at the door now facing him, the others following close behind him, set his left hand against its cool, shining surface, raised his wand, ready to strike the moment it opened, and pushed. It swung open easily.

After the darkness of the first room, the lamps hanging low on golden chains from this ceiling gave the impression that this long rectangular room was much brighter, though there were no glittering, shimmering lights such as Harry had seen in his dreams. The place was quite empty except for a few desks and, in the very middle of the room, an enormous glass tank of deep-green water, big enough for all of them to swim in, which contained a number of pearly white objects that were drifting around lazily in the liquid.

"What're those things?" whispered Ron.

"Dunno," said Harry.

"They look like fishes." breathed Fred, narrowing his eyes at them.

"Aquavirius maggots!" said Luna excitedly. "Dad said the Ministry were breeding —"

"No," said Hermione. She sounded odd. She moved forward to look through the side of the tank. "They're brains."

"_Brains_?" Rose said, her brows shooting upwards.

"Yes ... I wonder what they're doing with them?" Hermione said, the odd edge still in her voice.

Harry joined her at the tank. Sure enough, there could be no mistake now that he saw them at close quarters. Glimmering eerily they drifted in and out of sight in the depths of the green water, looking something like slimy cauliflowers.

"Let's get out of here," said Harry. "This isn't right, we need to try another door —"

"There are doors here too." said Ron, pointing around the walls.

"How big is this place anyway?" Fred asked, staring at the brains, poking the glass with his wand. A brain whirred past him in a streak of white, making his eyes go wide.

"In my dream I went through that dark room into the second one," Harry said. "I think we should go back and try from there."

So they hurried back into the dark, circular room.

"Wait!" said Hermione sharply, as Luna made to close the door of the brain room behind them. "_Flagrate_!"

She drew with her wand in midair and a fiery _X_ appeared on the door. No sooner had the door clicked shut behind them than there was a great rumbling, and once again the wall began to revolve very fast, but now there was a great red-gold blur in amongst the faint blue, and when all became still again, the fiery cross still burned, showing the door they had already tried.

"Good thinking," said Harry. "Okay, let's try this one —"

Again he strode directly at the door facing him and pushed it open, his wand still raised, the others at his heels.

This room was larger than the last, dimly lit and rectangular, and the centre of it was sunken, forming a great stone pit some twenty feet below them.

They were standing on the topmost tier of what seemed to be stone benches running all around the room and descending in steep steps like an amphitheatre. There was a raised stone dais in the centre of the lowered floor, and upon this dais stood a stone archway that looked so ancient, cracked, and crumbling that Harry was amazed the thing was still standing. Unsupported by any surrounding wall, the archway was hung with a tattered black curtain or veil which, despite the complete stillness of the cold surrounding air, was fluttering very slightly as though it had just been touched.

"Who's there?" said Harry, jumping down onto the bench below.

There was no answering voice, but the veil continued to flutter and sway.

"Careful!" whispered Hermione.

Harry scrambled down the benches one by one until he reached the stone bottom of the sunken pit. His footsteps echoed loudly as he walked slowly toward the dais. The pointed archway looked much taller from where he stood now than when he had been looking down on it from above. Still the veil swayed gently, as though somebody had just passed through it.

"Sirius?" Harry spoke again, but much more quietly now that he was nearer.

"Let's go," called Hermione from halfway up the stone steps. "This isn't right, Harry, come on, let's go..."

She sounded scared, much more scared than she had in the room where the brains swam, yet Harry thought the archway had a kind of beauty about it, old though it was. The gently rippling veil intrigued him; he felt a very strong inclination to climb up on the dais and walk through it.

"Harry, let's go, okay?" said Fred, sounding much more forceful than Hermione.

"Okay," he said, but he did not move. He had just heard something. There were faint whispering, murmuring noises coming from the other side of the veil.

"What are you saying?" he said very loudly, so that the words echoed all around the surrounding stone benches.

"Nobody's talking, Harry!" said Hermione, now moving over to him.

"Someone's whispering behind there," he said, moving out of her reach and continuing to frown at the veil. "Is that you, Ron?"

"I'm here, mate," said Ron, appearing around the side of the archway.

"Can't anyone else hear it?" Harry demanded, for the whispering and murmuring was becoming louder; without really meaning to put it there, he found his foot was on the dais.

"I can hear them too," breathed Luna, joining them around the side of the archway and gazing at the swaying veil. "There are people in there!"

"What do you mean, 'in there'?" demanded Hermione, jumping down from the bottom step and sounding much angrier than the occasion warranted. "There isn't any 'in there,' it's just an archway, there's no room for anybody to be there — Harry, stop it, come away —"

She grabbed his arm and pulled, but he resisted.

"Harry, we are supposed to be here for Sirius!" she said in a highpitched, strained voice.

"Sirius," Harry repeated, still gazing, mesmerized, at the continuously swaying veil. "Yeah..."

"Let's go," he said suddenly, turing back to them, his eyes looking oddly out of focused.

"That's what I've been trying to — well, come on, then!" said Hermione, and she led the way back around the dais. On the other side, Ginny and Neville were staring, apparently entranced, at the veil too. Without speaking, Hermione took hold of Ginny's arm, Ron Neville's, and they marched them firmly back to the lowest stone bench and clambered all the way back up to the door.

"What d'you reckon that arch was?" Harry asked Hermione as they regained the dark circular room.

"I don't know, but whatever it was, it was dangerous," she said firmly, again inscribing a fiery cross upon the door.

Once more the wall spun and became still again. Harry approached a door at random and pushed. It did not move.

"What's wrong?" said Hermione.

"It's - _locked_-" said Harry, throwing his weight at the door, but it did not budge.

"Hold on, let me do it." Fred said simply. He stepped up next to Harry and kicked the door as hard as he could, though by the contact of his foot to the wood, he flew backwards onto the floor.

Rose and Ginny went into a flurry of giggling as Fred groaned and Harry pulled him back up. "Stupid door!" Fred snapped, shaking his fist at it. "You almost broke my foot!"

"You're yelling at a door," Rose laughed. "I think you got bigger problems here."

"Shut up, Rose." Fred hissed.

"Well, this is it, then, isn't it?" said Ron excitedly, joining them in the attempt to force the door open. "Bound to be!"

"Oh, get out of the way!" said Hermione sharply. She pointed her wand at the place where a lock would have been on an ordinary door and said, "_Alohomora_!"

Nothing happened.

"Well, that was anticlimactic." said Fred, not sounding impressed in the slightly.

"Sirius's knife!" said Harry, and he pulled it out from inside his robes and slid it into the crack between the door and the wall. The others all watched eagerly as he ran it from top to bottom, withdrew it, and then flung his shoulder again at the door. It remained as firmly shut as ever. What was more, when Harry looked down at the knife, he saw that the blade had melted.

"Right, we're leaving that room," said Hermione decisively.

"But what if that's the one?" said Ron, staring at it with a mixture of apprehension and longing.

"It can't be, Harry could get through all the doors in his dream," said Hermione, marking the door with another fiery cross as Harry replaced the now useless handle of Sirius's knife in his pocket.

"You know what could be in there?" said Luna eagerly, as the wall started to spin yet again.

"Something blibbering, no doubt," said Hermione under her breath, and Neville gave a nervous little laugh.

The wall slid back to a halt and Harry, with a feeling of increasing desperation, pushed the next door open. "This is it!"

He knew it at once by the beautiful, dancing, diamond-sparkling light. As Harry's eyes became more accustomed to the brilliant glare he saw clocks gleaming from every surface, large and small, grandfather and carriage, hanging in spaces between the bookcases or standing on desks ranging the length of the room, so that a busy, relentless ticking filled the place like thousands of minuscule, marching footsteps. The source of the dancing, diamond-bright light was a towering crystal bell jar that stood at the far end of the room. "This way!"

He led the way forward down the narrow space between the lines of the desks, heading, as he had done in his dream, for the source of the light, the crystal bell jar quite as tall as he was that stood on a desk and appeared to be full of a billowing, glittering wind.

"Oh look !" said Ginny, as they drew nearer, pointing at the very heart of the bell jar.

Drifting along in the sparkling current inside was a tiny, jewel-bright egg. As it rose in the jar it cracked open and a hummingbird emerged, which was carried to the very top of the jar, but as it fell on the draft, its feathers became bedraggled and damp again, and by the time it had been borne back to the bottom of the jar it had been enclosed once more in its egg.

"Keep going!" said Harry sharply, because Ginny showed signs of wanting to stop and watch the egg's progress back into a bird, so did Rose, strangely enough.

"You dawdled enough by that old arch!" she said crossly, but followed him past the bell jar to the only door behind it.

"This is it," Harry said again. "It's through here —"

He glanced around at them all. They had their wands out and looked suddenly serious and anxious. He looked back at the door and pushed. It swung open.

They were there, they had found the place: high as a church and full of nothing but towering shelves covered in small, dusty, glass orbs. They glimmered dully in the light issuing from more candle brackets set at intervals along the shelves. Like those in the circular room behind them, their flames were burning blue. The room was very cold.

Harry edged forward and peered down one of the shadowy aisles between two rows of shelves. He could not hear anything nor see the slightest sign of movement.

"You said it was row ninety-seven," whispered Hermione.

"Yeah," breathed Harry, looking up at the end of the closest row. Beneath the branch of blue-glowing candles protruding from it glimmered the silver figure 53.

"We need to go right, I think," whispered Hermione, squinting to the next row. "Yes - that's fifty-four..."

"Keep your wands out," Harry said softly.

They crept forward, staring behind them as they went on down the 8 long alleys of shelves, the farther ends of which were in near total darkness. Tiny, yellowing labels had been stuck beneath each glass orb on the shelf. Some of them had a weird, liquid glow; others were as dull and dark within as blown lightbulbs.

They passed row eighty-four - eighty-five - Harry was listening hard for the slightest sound of movement.

"Ninety-seven!" whispered Hermione.

They stood grouped around the end of the row, gazing down the alley beside it. There was nobody there.

"He's right down at the end," said Harry, whose mouth had become slightly dry. "You can't see properly from here..."

And he led them forward, between the towering rows of glass balls, some of which glowed softly as they passed...

"He should be near here," whispered Harry, convinced that every step was going to bring the ragged form of Sirius into view upon the darkened floor. "Anywhere here - really close..."

"Harry?" said Hermione tentatively, but he did not want to respond. His mouth was very dry now. "Somewhere about ... here..." he said.

They had reached the end of the row and emerged into more dim candlelight. There was nobody there at all. All was echoing, dusty silence.

"He might be..." Harry whispered hoarsely, peering down the alley next door. "Or maybe..." He hurried to look down the one beyond that.

"Harry?" said Hermione again.

"What?" he snarled.

"I - I don't think Sirius is here."

Nobody spoke. Harry did not want to look at any of them. He felt sick. He did not understand why Sirius was not here. He had to be here. This was where he, Harry, had seen him...

He ran up the space at the end of the rows, staring down them.

Empty aisle after empty aisle flickered past. He ran the other way, back past his staring companions. There was no sign of Sirius anywhere, nor any hint of a struggle.

"Harry?" Fred called.

"What?"

He did not want to hear what Fred had to say, did not want to hear Fred tell him he had been overreacting, or suggest that they ought to go back to Hogwarts. But the heat was rising in his face and he felt as though he would like to skulk down here in the darkness for a long while before facing the brightness of the Atrium above and the others' accusing stares...

"Have you seen this?" said Fred.

"What?" said Harry, but eagerly this time — it had to be a sign that Sirius had been there, a clue — he strode back to where they were all standing, a little way down row ninety-seven, but found nothing except Fred staring at one of the dusty glass spheres on the shelves.

"What?" Harry repeated glumly.

"It's — it's got your name on," said Fred.

Harry moved a little closer. Fred was pointing at one of the small glass spheres that glowed with a dull inner light, reflecting off his eyes, though it was very dusty and appeared not to have been touched for many years.

"My name?" said Harry blankly.

He stepped forward. Not as tall as Fred, he had to crane his neck to read the yellowish label affixed to the shelf right beneath the dusty glass ball. In spidery writing was written a date of some sixteen years previously, and below that:

_S. P. T. to A. P. W. B. D._  
><em>Dark Lord<em>  
><em>and (?) Harry Potter<em>

Harry stared at it.

"What is it?" Ron asked, sounding unnerved and walking up next to him. "What's your name doing down here?"

Ron glanced along at the other labels on that stretch of shelf.

"I'm not here," he said, sounding perplexed. "None of the rest of us are here..."

"Harry, you're a special snowflake." said Fred jokingly, trying to diffuse the tension somewhat. which really did not work.

"Harry, I don't think you should touch it," said Hermione sharply, as he stretched out his hand.

"Why not?" he said. "It's something to do with me, isn't it?"

"Don't, Harry," said Neville suddenly. Harry looked around at him. Neville's round face was shining slightly with sweat. He looked as though he could not take much more suspense.

"It's got my name on," said Harry, and feeling slightly reckless, he closed his fingers around the dusty ball's surface.

He lifted the glass ball down from its shelf and stared at it.

Nothing whatsoever happened. The others moved in closer around Harry, gazing at the orb as he brushed it free of the clogging dust. Fred took his finger and poked it, making it cling against his nail and echo through the vast room.

And then, from right behind them, a drawling voice said, "Very good, Potter. Now turn around, nice and slowly, and give that to me."

They spun around as black shapes were emerging out of thin air all around them, blocking their way left and right; eyes glinted through slits in hoods, a dozen lit wand tips were pointing directly at their hearts. Ginny gave a gasp of horror.

"To me, Potter," repeated the drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy as he held out his hand, palm up, his almost-white blond hair glowing in the light.

"To me," said Malfoy yet again as Harry stared at him, frozen to the spot.

"Where's Sirius?" Harry said.

Several of the Death Eaters laughed. A harsh female voice from the midst of the shadowy figures to Harry's left said triumphantly, "The Dark Lord always knows!"

"_Always_," echoed Malfoy softly. "Now, give me the prophecy, Potter."

"I want to know where Sirius is!"

_"I want to know where Sirius is!_" mimicked the woman to his left. She and her fellow Death Eaters had closed in so that they were mere feet away from Harry and the others, the light from their wands dazzling Harry's eyes.

"You've got him," said Harry, ignoring the rising panic in his chest. "He's here. I know he is."

"The little baby woke up fwightened and fort what it dweamed was twoo," said the woman in a horrible, mock-baby voice. Harry felt Ron stir beside him.

"Don't do anything," he muttered. "Not yet —"

The woman who had mimicked him let out a raucous scream of laughter.

"You hear him? You hear him? Giving instructions to the other children as though he thinks of fighting us!"

"Oh, you don't know Potter as I do, Bellatrix," said Malfoy softly. "He has a great weakness for heroics; the Dark Lord understands this about him. Now give me the prophecy, Potter."

"I know Sirius is here," said Harry defiantly. "I know you've got him!"

More of the Death Eaters laughed, though the woman still laughed loudest of all.

"It's time you learned the difference between life and dreams, Potter," said Malfoy. "Now give me the prophecy, or we start using wands."

"I'd like to see you try," said Fred loudly, making Harry glance at him from the corner of his eye in surprise.

Even in the dim light, it was obvious Malfoy was taken aback by Fred's sudden impulse, but he covered soon enough. "What was that, boy?"

"My name's Fred, blondie," Fred snapped. "And i said,_ 'I'd like to see you try_', Harry's not giving in, now are you, Harry?"

"Not in the slightest." Harry said, his voice steading. Harry raised his wand to him, and the others followed his example, pointing their wands just like him.

"Hand over the prophecy and no one need get hurt," said Malfoy coolly.

It was Harry's turn to laugh.

"Yeah, right!" he said. "I give you this — prophecy, is it? And you'll just let us skip off home, will you?"

The words were hardly out of his mouth when the female Death Eater shrieked, "_Accio Proph_ —"

Harry was just ready for her. He shouted "_Protego_!" before she had finished her spell, and though the glass sphere slipped to the tips of his fingers he managed to cling on to it.

"Oh, he knows how to play, little bitty baby Potter," she said, her mad eyes staring through the slits in her hood. "Very well, then —"

"I TOLD YOU, NO!" Lucius Malfoy roared at the woman. "If you smash it — !"

The woman stepped forward, away from her fellows, and pulled off her hood. Azkaban had hollowed Bellatrix Lestrange's face, making it gaunt and skull like, but it was alive with a feverish, fanatical glow.

"Urgh," Fred said, sticking his tongue out at her slightly. "What the hell happened to you? You look like a dead fish!"

"SILENCE!" Bellatrix sneered at him, her dark eyes wide, giving her the odd impression that Fred was looking at taller version Charisse.

"You need more persuasion?" she said, turning her attention to Harry, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "Very well — take the smallest one," she ordered the Death Eaters beside her. "Let him watch while we torture the little girl. I'll do it."

Harry felt the others close in around Ginny. He stepped sideways so that he was right in front of her, the prophecy held up to his chest.

"You'll have to smash this if you want to attack any of us," he told Bellatrix. "I don't think your boss will be too pleased if you come back without it, will he?"

She did not move; she merely stared at him, the tip of her tongue moistening her thin mouth.

"So," said Harry, "what kind of prophecy are we talking about anyway?"

"What kind of prophecy?" repeated Bellatrix, the grin fading from her face. "You jest, Harry Potter."

"Nope, not jesting," said Harry, his eyes flicking from Death Eater to Death Eater, looking for a weak link, a space through which they could escape. "How come Voldemort wants it?"

Several of the Death Eaters let out low hisses.

"You dare speak his name?" whispered Bellatrix.

"Yeah," said Harry, maintaining his tight grip on the glass ball, expecting another attempt to bewitch it from him. "Yeah, I've got no problem saying Vol —"

"Shut your mouth!" Bellatrix shrieked. "You dare speak his name with your unworthy lips, you dare besmirch it with your half-blood's tongue, you dare —"

"Did you know he's a half-blood too?" said Harry recklessly.

"You're kidding!" Fred said jubilantly. "Voldemort?"

"Oh yeah," said Harry. "His mother was a witch but his dad was a Muggle — or has he been telling you lot he's pureblood?"

"_STUPEF_ —"

"NO!"

A jet of red light had shot from the end of Bellatrix Lestrange's wand, but Malfoy had deflected it. His spell caused hers to hit the shelf a foot to the left of Harry and several of the glass orbs there shattered.

Two figures, pearly white as ghosts, fluid as smoke, unfurled themselves from the fragments of broken glass upon the floor and each began to speak. Their voices vied with each other, so that only fragments of what they were saying could be heard over Malfoy and Bellatrix's shouts.

" - at the Solstice will come a new - " said the figure of an old, bearded man.

"DO NOT ATTACK! WE NEED THE PROPHECY!"

"He dared — he dares —" shrieked Bellatrix incoherently. "— He stands there — filthy half-blood —"

"WAIT UNTIL WE'VE GOT THE PROPHECY!" bawled Malfoy.

" - and none will come after - " said the figure of a young woman, who looked oddly like Sam's mother.

The two figures that had burst from the shattered spheres had melted into thin air. Nothing remained of them or their erstwhile homes but fragments of glass upon the floor. They had, however, given Harry an idea. The problem was going to be conveying it to the others.

"You haven't told me what's so special about this prophecy I'm supposed to be handing over," he said, playing for time. He moved his foot slowly sideways, feeling around for someone else's.

"Do not play games with us, Potter," said Malfoy.

"I'm not playing games," said Harry, half his mind on the conversation, half on his wandering foot. And then he found someone's toes and pressed down upon them. A sharp intake of breath behind him told him they were Hermione's.

"What?" she whispered.

"Dumbledore never told you that the reason you bear that scar was hidden in the bowels of the Department of Mysteries?" said Malfoy sneeringly.

"I — what?" said Harry, and for a moment he quite forgot his plan. "What about my scar?"

"What?" whispered Hermione more urgently behind him.

"Can this be?" said Malfoy, sounding maliciously delighted; some of the Death Eaters were laughing again, and under cover of their laughter, Harry hissed to Hermione, moving his lips as little as possible, "Smash shelves —"

"Dumbledore never told you?" Malfoy repeated. "Well, this explains why you didn't come earlier, Potter, the Dark Lord wondered why —"

"— when I say go —"

"— you didn't come running when he showed you the place where it was hidden in your dreams. He thought natural curiosity would make you want to hear the exact wording..."

"Did he?" said Harry. Behind him he felt rather than heard Hermione passing his message to the others and he sought to keep talking, to distract the Death Eaters. "So he wanted me to come and get it, did he? _Why_?"

"Why?" Malfoy sounded incredulously delighted. "Because the only people who are permitted to retrieve a prophecy from the Department of Mysteries, Potter, are those about whom it was made, as the Dark Lord discovered when he attempted to use others to steal it for him."

"And why did he want to steal a prophecy about me?"

"About both of you, Potter, about both of you - Haven't you ever wondered why the Dark Lord tried to kill you as a baby?"

Harry stared into the slitted eyeholes through which Malfoy's gray eyes were gleaming. Was this prophecy the reason Harry's parents had died, the reason he carried his lightning-bolt scar? Was the answer to all of this clutched in his hand?

"Someone made a prophecy about Voldemort and me?" he said quietly, gazing at Lucius Malfoy, his fingers tightening over the glass sphere in his hand. "And he's made me come and get it for him? Why couldn't he come and get it himself?"

"Get it _himself_?" shrieked Bellatrix on a cackle of mad laughter. "The Dark Lord, walk into the Ministry of Magic, when they are so sweetly ignoring his return? The Dark Lord, reveal himself to the Aurors, when at the moment they are wasting their time on my dear cousin?"

"So he's got you doing his dirty work for him, has he?" said Harry. "Like he tried to get Sturgis to steal it — and Bode?"

"Very good, Potter, very good..." said Malfoy slowly. "But the Dark Lord knows you are not unintell —"

"NOW!" yelled Harry.

Seven different voices behind him bellowed "REDUCTO!" Seven curses flew in seven different directions and the shelves opposite them exploded as they hit. The towering structure swayed as a hundred glass spheres burst apart, pearly-white figures unfurled into the air and floated there, their voices echoing from who knew what long-dead past amid the torrent of crashing glass and splintered wood now raining down upon the floor —

"RUN!" Harry yelled, and as the shelves swayed precariously and more glass spheres began to pour from above, he seized a handful of Hermione's robes and dragged her forward, one arm over his head as chunks of shelf and shards of glass thundered down upon them. A Death Eater lunged forward through the cloud of dust and Harry elbowed him hard in the masked face. They were all yelling, there were cries of pain, thunderous crashes as the shelves collapsed upon themselves, weirdly echoing fragments of the Seers unleashed from their spheres —

Fred grabbed Rose's wrist and dragged her along as he ran after Luna, yelling Death Eaters chasing them down, shooting spells and curses at them as glass rained on their heads. They sprinted pass Harry and went down one end of the corridor, four of the Death Eaters breaking off from the pack and running after them. Ginny yelled, "Follow me!" and they sprinted down until they reached a door.

Ginny wrenched it open, nearly getting Stunned again and they ran into the oddest room any of them had ever seen, the door snapping shut behind them in a loud _BANG_.

It was cavernous and dark, the black walls hinted with dark blues and purples, and thousands upon thousands of sparkling little stars glittering at them. Miniature versions of the solar system hovered above them, the colourful planets circling lazily around a golden sun, which emitted a pale yellow light.

"Wow..." said Ron dreamily, staring up at Venus, the yellows mixing in with the golden browns in water-like swirls.

Fred stared just like him, his mouth hanging open slightly as his eyes focused on on the reds spinning on the model Jupiter, they hardly noticed that teh door banged open again.

"There they are!" one of the Death Eaters yelled. They ran forward and suddenly, the gravity gave out.

They floated upwards, nearly making them do somersaults in mid air as they tried to move. Ginny turned to curse one of them as the leading Death Eater did a sort of quick doggie-paddle towards her, grabbing her ankle and grinning a broken sneer at her. The gravity levelled out again and they fell sudden to hard ground.

Ginny gave out a scream and there was a blast of red, the Death Eater flying into the dark wall in a huge _CRASH_. One of the Death Eaters turned on their heal as Ron pushed himself up again and yelled an indistinguishable hex.

Ron flew onto the ground as the bright silvery flash hit him, and it was a split second later that Fred toppled after him, the same hex hitting him squarely in the chest.

"FRED!" Rose yelled. She gritted her teeth, aimed her wand at the model Pluto and yelled, "_Reducto_!"

It blasted apart, crashing down on the two other Death Eaters. There was another red flash and Rose looked over to her shoulder to see the last one fall backwards by Luna's Stunning spell, Luna now speeding over to Ginny, who was holding her ankle.

Rose ran over to Ron and Fred, who were staring glassy eyed at the ceiling, a dark line going down the side of Ron's mouth, and scratch going down Fred's cheek.

"Guys!" Rose said urgently, landing on her knees and hovering over them. She put her hands on their wrists, and thankful, she could feel their heartbeats going as strongly as ever.

Ron started giggling suddenly. "Heh heh, hey Freddie, lookie, it's Uranus..."

He pointed above them to the blue planet above them, his arm flopping down to his side a second later and smiling a crooked grin.

Fred's face twisted into a goofy smile and he said, "Woooah, that looks like Sammie's hair..."

"Uh, guys?" Rose asked weakly. "Are you okay...?"

Fred sat up suddenly, grabbing Rose's hair and causing her to yelp from the pain. "Fred, let me go!"

"I like your haiiiir-" Fred said dreamily, tugging it. "Pretttyyy..."

"_Ow_, yeah, i know, you've - _OW_ - wanted to be ginger since you were - _Ow_ - five." Rose said through gritted teeth, wrenching his hand off of her hair.

"Rose!" Luna said loudly. Rose looked over her shoulder and saw that Ginny had her arm around Luna's shoulders, her face scrunched up in pain. "We're going!"

Ron grabbed Fred and he tried to push himself up to no avail. Rose sighed and got up, pulling them up a moment later.

"Can you walk?" Rose asked, as Ron and Fred were gripping each other, looking like their knees were about to give out at any moment.

Ron stared at Fred and screeched. "RACE!"

"What? No!" Rose yelled, but it did not stop them as Fred and Ron suddenly took off, dashing towards the door after Luna.

Just as they were about to crash into it, Luna unlocked it, causing it to swing outwards and making Ron toppled over the threshold and out into the black circular room from the beginning, Fred falling over him. Rose ran after them.

"Ron!" croaked Harry's voice, dashing toward them, Neville right behind him, his bottom lip bruised and holding an unconscious Hermione "Ginny — are you all — ?"

"Harry," said Ron, giggling weakly, lurching forward, seizing the front of Harry's robes and gazing at him with unfocused eyes, Fred hugging him from behind to keep his balance. "There you are ... Ha ha ha ... You look funny, Harry ... You're all messed up..."

"Funnny..." Fred said drosily, rubbing his face against Ron's head. "Reeddd..."

Ron's knees had given way, but he still clutched the front of Harry's robes, so that Harry was pulled into a kind of bow, Fred still holding on to Ron's back.

"Ginny?" Harry said fearfully. "What happened?"

But Ginny shook her head and slid down the wall into a sitting position, panting and holding her ankle.

"I think her ankle's broken, I heard something crack," whispered Luna, who was bending over her and looking very worried.

"Four of them chased us into that dark room, it was full of planets," Rose said, snapping the door shut behind her and brushing her hair out of her face. "It was a very odd place, at one point we were just floating in the dark —"

"Harry, we saw Uranus up close!" said Ron, still giggling feebly. "Get it, Harry? We saw Uranus — ha ha ha —"

Fred laughed. "Your! Ha ha..."

A bubble of blood grew at the corner of Ron's mouth and burst.

"Anyway, one of them grabbed Ginny's foot as we floated in the air, and they landed and she must have broken it then," Luna continued. She gestured hopelessly at Ginny, who was breathing in a very shallow way, her eyes still closed.

"And what about Ron and Fred?" said Harry fearfully, as the two continued to giggle, still hanging off the front of Harry's robes and the other's back.

"I don't know what they hit him with," said Rose sadly. "But they've gone a bit funny. Well, funnier than Fred normally is..."

"Harry," said Ron, pulling Harry's ear down to his mouth and still giggling weakly. "You know who this girl is, Harry?" He pointed to Luna. "She's Loony... Loony Lovegood ... ha ha ha..."

"We've got to get out of here," said Harry firmly. "Luna, can you help Ginny?"

"Yes," said Luna, sticking her wand behind her ear for safekeeping, putting an arm around Ginny's waist and pulling her up.

"It's only my ankle, I can do it myself!" said Ginny impatiently, but next moment she had collapsed sideways and grabbed Luna for support. Harry pulled Ron's arm over his shoulder, and Rose took Fred, him leaning on her and patting her head, laughing at her hair colour.

They had a one-in-twelve chance of getting the exit right the first time — Harry heaved Ron toward a door; they were within a few feet of it when another door across the hall burst open and three Death Eaters sped into the hall, led by Bellatrix Lestrange.

"There they are!" she shrieked.

Stunning Spells shot across the room: Harry smashed his way through the door ahead, flung Ron unceremoniously from him, and ducked back to help Neville in with Hermione. They were all over the threshold just in time to slam the door against Bellatrix.

"_Colloportus_!" shouted Harry, and he heard three bodies slam into the door on the other side.

"It doesn't matter!" said a man's voice. "There are other ways in — WE'VE GOT THEM, THEY'RE HERE!"

Harry spun around. They were back in the Brain Room and, sure enough, there were doors all around the walls. He could hear footsteps in the hall behind them as more Death Eaters came running to join the first.

"Luna — Neville — Rose — help me!"

The four of them tore around the room, sealing the doors as they went: Harry crashed into a table and rolled over the top of it in his haste to reach the next door. "_Colloportus_!"

There were footsteps running along behind the doors; every now and then another heavy body would launch itself against one, so it creaked and shuddered. Luna and Neville were bewitching the doors along the opposite wall — then, as Harry reached the very top of the room, he heard Luna cry, "Collo — _aaaaaaaaargh_..."

He turned in time to see her flying through the air. Five Death Eaters were surging into the room through the door she had not reached in time; Luna hit a desk, slid over its surface and onto the floor on the other side where she lay sprawled, as still as Hermione.

"Get Potter!" shrieked Bellatrix, and she ran at him. He dodged her and sprinted back up the room; he was safe as long as they thought they might hit the prophecy —

"Hey!" said Fred happily, who had staggered to his feet and was now tottering drunkenly toward Harry, giggling, picking Ron up with him. "Hey, Harry, there are brains in here, ha ha ha, isn't that weird, Harry? Ron, look...!"

"Fred! Get out of the way, get down — !" Rose shouted, running after him.

But Fred had already pointed his wand at the tank, hugging a giggling Ron to his side. "Honest, Harry, they're brains — look — _Accio Brain_!"

The scene seemed momentarily frozen. Harry, Ginny, and Neville and each of the Death Eaters turned in spite of themselves to watch the top of the tank as a brain burst from the green liquid like a leaping fish. For a moment it seemed suspended in midair, then it soared toward Fred, spinning as it came, and what looked like ribbons of moving images flew from it, unraveling like rolls of film —

"Ha ha ha, Harry, look at it —" said Fred, watching it disgorge its gaudy innards. "Harry, come and touch it, bet it's weird —"

"FRED, NO!"

"Oh, weird...!" Ron said, grabbing at the tentacles.

Harry and Rose darted forward but Fred had already caught the brain in his outstretched hands, Ron putting his hands on it as well.

The moment they made contact with his skin, the tentacles began wrapping themselves around their arms like ropes.

"Look what's they're doing — no — no, I don't like it — no, stop — stop —"

But the thin ribbons were spinning around their chests now, pushing them back to back and wrapping more tightly around them. The pair of them tugged and tore at them as the brain was pulled tight against them like an octopus's body.

"_Diffindo_!" yelled Harry, trying to sever the feelers wrapping themselves tightly around them, but they would not break.

They fell over, still thrashing against his bonds, sounding gagged for air.

"Fred!" Rose yelled, running towards them. Before she could reach them, a Stunning spell nearly hit her.

"Harry, it'll suffocate him!" screamed Ginny, immobilized by her broken ankle on the floor — then a jet of red light flew from one of the Death Eater's wands and hit her squarely in the face. She keeled over sideways and lay there unconscious.

"_STUBEFY_ !" shouted Neville, wheeling around and waving Hermione's wand at the oncoming Death Eaters. "STUBEFY, STUBEFY !"

But nothing happened — one of the Death Eaters shot their own Stunning Spell at Neville; it missed him by inches. Harry ran for it as Bellatrix Lestrange  
>sprinted right at him. Holding the prophecy high above his head he sprinted back up the room; all he could think of doing was to draw the Death Eaters away from the others. He disappeared into one of the other door, the Death Eaters right on his tail.<p>

"Harry!" Rose shouted after him. Fred and Ron still fought against the bonds.

"'E habe to go helb 'im!" Neville yelled.

"But, what about Fred and Ron...?" Rose said.

"Leabe 'em!" Neville shouted again. "Com' on!"

With a reluctant look, she followed Neville out the same door Harry had been chased down.

It was a moment later that they realised that they were once again in the amphitheatre-like room, the archway perched in the middle like always, the veil swaying with no apparent wind. Harry was cornered, the glass orb still held in his hand.

"You are not in a position to bargain, Potter," said Lucius Malfoy, his voice full with pleasure. "You see, there are ten of us and only one of you ... or hasn't Dumbledore ever taught you how to count?"

"He's dot alone!" shouted a voice from above them. "He's still god us!"

Neville scrambled down the stone benches toward them, Hermione's wand held fast in his trembling hand. Rose ran after him, not nearly as shaky.

"No — no — go back to Ron and Fred —!" Harry shouted.

"_STUBEFY_ !" Neville shouted again, pointing his wand at each Death Eater in turn, "_STUBEFY_ ! _STUBE_ —"

One of the largest Death Eaters seized Neville from behind, pinning his arms to his sides. He struggled and kicked; several of the Death Eaters laughed. Another one grabbed Rose with ease, causing all the air from her lungs to leave from their bone-crushing grip.

"It's Longbottom, isn't it?" sneered Lucius Malfoy, walking over and glowering down at Neville. "Well, your grandmother is used to losing family members to our cause... Your death will not come as a great shock..."

"_Longbottom_?" repeated Bellatrix, and a truly evil smile lit her gaunt face. "Why, I have had the pleasure of meeting your parents, boy..."

"I DOE YOU HAB!" roared Neville, and he fought so hard against his captor's encircling grip that the Death Eater shouted, "Someone Stun him!"

"No, no, no," said Bellatrix. She looked transported, alive with excitement as she glanced at Harry, then back at Neville. "No, let's see how long Longbottom lasts before he cracks like his parents. . . . Unless Potter wants to give us the prophecy —"

"DON'D GIB ID DO DEM!" roared Neville, who seemed beside himself, kicking and writhing as Bellatrix drew nearer to him and his captor, her wand raised. "DON'D GIB ID DO DEM, HARRY!"

Bellatrix raised her wand. "_Crucio_!"

Rose screamed "No!" as the curse hit Neville, screaming so loudly it echoed around the room, his legs drawn up to his chest so that the Death Eater holding him was momentarily holding him off the ground. The Death Eater dropped him and he fell to the floor, twitching and screaming in agony.

"That was just a taster!" said Bellatrix, raising her wand so that Neville's screams stopped and he lay sobbing at her feet.

Malfoy tutted, turning to Rose. "Ah, you're just as foolish as him, i'm afraid, though not nearly as much as that father of yours. He could have been great, you know, but _no_, he went against us and married that little mudblood you call a mother..."

"DON'T CALL HER THAT!" Rose shrieked, thrashing against the Death Eater's grip. Tears welled up in her eyes, stinging like acid. Rose bowed her head to hide them as they laughed at her venomously, obviously enjoying that they provoked her so easily, ignoring the soft clicking noise from somewhere above them.

"You're proud of her, aren't you?" Malfoy said, putting his finger under her chin and pushing her face up again so he could see tear trails steadily going down her cheeks, her bottom lip trembling. "You're proud that you have filthy muggle blood besmirching the magic that flows through you, are you not? Such a shame... Your death will be one all your little friends will see as a heroic act, you'll be a hero, dying for your cause like Potter and Longbottom here will, and yet it will be for nothing, as we shall win this, don't you fret. After i've disposed of you, i'll take care of that idiot brother of yours, unless the brains got him first, of course. Then i shall have to rid of your dear sister, won't i? She's just as much of a threat to our noble cause as the rest of you. Yes, maybe Severus will come after me, hunt me down, i'm sure of it, but he made his choice a long time ago, and now it's time for him to pay for his mistakes, him and his foolish little mudblood wife..."

"Say one more word, Malfoy, and i'll kill you myself." said a voice from behind them.

Malfoy turned just in time to see the rage-filled face of Severus as he bellowed, "_STUPEFY_!"

The Stunning spell hit Malfoy squarely in the face, making his fly backwards as Bellatrix screech like a vulture in rage. Someone pulled Rose out of the way and dragged her behind one of the stone benches.

"Good hit!" Sirius said, looking over the bench as Tonks' violently pink hair flashed past them, sounding impressed as spells and hexes flew all around. Rose blinked at him, her eyes wide. "Sirius-?"

Sirius silenced her. "Stay quiet and stay down! Here-"

Rose felt someone's softer grip on her arm as Sirius moved past her, taking his wand out and joining the fight, and she nearly yelled again when she noticed that it was her mother next to her. "Mum-?" she said weakly, tears welling up in her eyes again.

Lily _ssh_-ed her, looking sympathetic. "It's okay, sweetie, calm down..."

"What happened to Fred? How'd you get here?" Rose asked quickly as a bright yellow spell shot past them.

"Fred's fine, your dad got him and Ron free, they're back in the Chamber," Lily said soothingly.

"How'd you get here-?" Rose asked rapidly.

"You really think your dad didn't get the hint when Harry said 'He's at the place where's it hidden'? He alerted us right away, but we never knew you'd fly down here-!" Lily said loudly over the shouted spells.

Sirius dueling with a Death Eater some ten feet away from the pair of them. Kingsley was fighting two at once; Tonks was firing spells at Bellatrix.

"_AARGH_!"

Neville came lunging out of nowhere: Unable to articulate a spell, he had jabbed Hermione's wand hard into the eyehole of the Death Eater's mask. The man relinquished Harry at once with a howl of pain and Harry whirled around to face him and gasped, "_STUPEFY_!"

The Death Eater keeled over backward and his mask slipped off. It was Macnair, Buckbeak's would-be killer, one of his eyes now swollen and bloodshot.

"Thanks!" Harry said to Neville, pulling him aside as Sirius and his Death Eater lurched past, dueling so fiercely that their wands were blurs. Then Harry's foot made contact with something round and hard and he slipped — for a moment he thought he had dropped the prophecy, then saw Moody's magic eye spinning away across the floor.

Its owner was lying on his side, bleeding from the head, and his attacker was now bearing down upon Harry and Neville: Dolohov, his long pale face twisted with glee.

"_Tarantallegra_!" he shouted, his wand pointing at Neville, whose legs went immediately into a kind of frenzied tap dance, unbalancing him and causing him to fall to the floor again. "Now, Potter —"

He made the same slashing movement with his wand that he had used on Hermione just as Severus spun on his heel, facing them and yelled, "_Protego_!"

Harry felt something streak across his face like a blunt knife but the force of it knocked him sideways, and he fell over Neville's jerking legs, but the Shield Charm by Severus had stopped the worst of the spell.

Dolohov raised his wand again, shooting daggers at Severus as he went after a stirring Malfoy. "_Accio Proph —_"

Sirius hurtled out of nowhere, rammed Dolohov with his shoulder, and sent him flying out of the way. The prophecy had again flown to the tips of Harry's fingers but he had managed to cling to it.

Now Sirius and Dolohov were dueling, their wands flashing like swords, sparks flying from their wand tips —

Dolohov drew back his wand to make the same slashing movement he had used on Harry and Hermione. Springing up, Harry yelled, "_Petrificus Totalus!_"

Once again, Dolohov's arms and legs snapped together and he keeled over backward, landing with a crash on his back.

"Nice one!" shouted Sirius, forcing Harry's head down as a pair of Stunning Spells flew toward them. "Now I want you to get out of —"

They both ducked again. A jet of green light had narrowly missed Sirius; across the room Harry saw Tonks fall from halfway up the stone steps, her limp form toppling from stone seat to stone seat, and Bellatrix, triumphant, running back toward the fray.

"Harry, take the prophecy, grab Neville, and run!" Sirius yelled, dashing to meet Bellatrix. Harry did not see what happened next: Kingsley swayed across his field of vision, battling with the pockmarked Rookwood, now mask-less; another jet of green light flew over Harry's head as he launched himself toward Neville —

"Can you stand?" he bellowed in Neville's ear, as Neville's legs jerked and twitched uncontrollably. "Put your arm round my neck —" Neville did so — Harry heaved — Neville's legs were still flying in every direction, they would not support him and then, out of nowhere, a man lunged at them. Both fell backward, Neville's legs waving wildly like an overturned beetle's, Harry with his left arm held up in the air to try and save the small glass ball from being smashed.

"The prophecy, give me the prophecy, Potter!" snarled Lucius Malfoy, running up towards him, nearly getting hit again by a another bright flash of red.

"No — get — off — me ... Neville — catch it!"

Harry flung the prophecy across the floor, Neville spun himself around on his back and scooped the ball to his chest. Malfoy pointed the wand instead at Neville, but Harry jabbed his own wand back over his shoulder and yelled, "_Impedimenta_!"

Malfoy was blasted off his back. As Harry scrambled up again he looked around and saw Malfoy smash into the dais on which Sirius and Bellatrix were now dueling. Malfoy aimed his wand at Harry and Neville again, but before he could draw breath to strike, Remus had jumped between them.

"Harry, round up the others and GO!"

Harry seized Neville by the shoulder of his robes and lifted him bodily onto the first tier of stone steps. Neville's legs twitched and jerked and would not support his weight. Harry heaved again with all the strength he possessed and they climbed another step, glancing around for Rose, and he saw her crouching behind a stone step, being held by her mother and shaking as her father fought on.

A spell hit the stone bench at Harry's heel. It crumbled away and he fell back to the step below: Neville sank to the ground, his legs still jerking and thrashing, and thrust the prophecy into his pocket.

"Come on!" said Harry desperately, hauling at Neville's robes. "Just try and push with your legs —"

He gave another stupendous heave and Neville's robes tore all along the left seam — the small spun-glass ball dropped from his pocket and before either of them could catch it, one of Neville's floundering feet kicked it.

It flew some ten feet to their right and smashed on the step beneath them. As both of them stared at the place where it had broken, appalled at what had happened, a pearly-white figure with hugely magnified eyes rose into the air, unnoticed by any but them.

Harry could see its mouth moving, but in all the crashes and screams and yells surrounding them, not one word of the prophecy could he hear. The figure stopped speaking and dissolved into nothingness.

"Harry, I'b sorry!" cried Neville, his face anguished as his legs continued to flounder, "I'b so sorry, Harry, I didn'd bean do —"

"It doesn't matter!" Harry shouted. "Just try and stand, let's get out of —"

"Dubbledore!" said Neville, his sweaty face suddenly transported, staring over Harry's shoulder.

"What?"

"DUBBLEDORE!"

Harry turned to look where Neville was staring. Directly above them, framed in the doorway from the Brain Room, stood Albus Dumbledore, his wand aloft, his face white and furious. Harry felt a kind of electric charge surge through every particle of his body — they were saved.

Dumbledore sped down the steps past Neville and Harry, who had no more thought of leaving.

Dumbledore was already at the foot of the steps when the Death Eaters nearest realized he was there. There were yells; one of the Death Eaters ran for it, scrabbling like a monkey up the stone steps opposite. Dumbledore's spell pulled him back as easily and effortlessly as though he had hooked him with an invisible line —

Only one couple were still battling, apparently unaware of the new arrival. Harry saw Sirius duck Bellatrix's jet of red light: He was laughing at her. "Come on, you can do better than that!" he yelled, his voice echoing around the cavernous room.

The second jet of light hit him squarely on the chest. The laughter had not quite died from his face, but his eyes widened in shock.

Harry released Neville, though he was unaware of doing so. He was jumping down the steps again, pulling out his wand, as Dumbledore turned to the dais too.

It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall. His body curved in a graceful arc as he sank backward through the ragged veil hanging from the arch...

A look of mingled fear and surprise was on Sirius' wasted, once-handsome face as he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind and then fell back into place.

Bellatrix gave out triumphant scream as Sirius did not reappear.

"SIRIUS!" Harry yelled. "_SIRIUS_!"

Harry reached the ground and sprinted toward the dais, Remus and Severus rounded on him, grabbing Harry around the chest and holding him back with their combined efforts.

"There's nothing you can do, Harry —"

"Get him, save him, he's only just gone through!"

"It's too late, Harry —"

"We can still reach him —"

Harry struggled hard and viciously, but neither of them would not let go...

"There's nothing you can do, Harry ... nothing ... He's gone."

"He hasn't gone!" Harry yelled. He did not believe it, he would not believe it; Sirius was hiding, simply lurking out of sight —

"SIRIUS!" he bellowed, "SIRIUS!"

"He can't come back, Harry," said Lupin, his voice breaking as he struggled to contain Harry.

"He can't come back, because he's d —"

"HE — IS — NOT — DEAD!" roared Harry. "SIRIUS!"

"Mum, let me go," Rose said earnestly, trying to free herself from her mother's surprisngly strong grip, her eyes stinging again. "I have to help Harry -"

"You c - can't..." Lilly said weakly, her voice cracking and tears tinging her eyes as well. "We have to r - round up the others, before anything else-"

"SHE KILLED SIRIUS!" Harry yelled suddenly, cutting any conversations in the room off. "I'LL KILL HER!"

Harry freed himself of the two wizards' grips and ran up the stairs, disappearing into the Brain Room and yelling. The others were shouting after him, but he paid no notice.

Severus looked at Remus, nodding to him as Remus ran after Harry. Severus turned and ran towards the steps, crouching down next to Lily, his eyes looking oddly watery and pulling Rose close to him. "It's okay -"

"IT'S NOT! I HAVE TO GO HELP!" Rose yelled, trying to push him away, but he pulled her back again. She started crying into his chest, shaking slightly.

"We have to go get the others. You need medical help..." Severus said soothingly, stroking her hair. "Alice is worried sick about you two, please..."

Rose gave a shaky gasp for air and said something that sounded like an 'Okay', but they weren't positive.

* * *

><p>The doors of the hopsital wing flew open, and Sam spirinted inwards, her hair flying around her strangely pale face, not caring that it was maybe six or so in the morning on a Saturday.<p>

"FRED!" she shouted shrilly, looking beyond worried, looking around frantically. She spotted a mass of black hair sleeping in one pf teh cots and gave out an aspirated breath and ran towards it.

Fred groaned awake suddenly as Sam jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him, her cheeks wet. "Hmm? Where's my breakfast in bed..."

"Ah, looks like Sleeping Beauty is up," said a voice, and they saw Zachary walking over, his hands covered in clean gloves, smirking slightly. "He's the first one up, surprisingly, Rose says he's one heavy sleeper too..."

Fred sat up, putting his arms around Sam's middle and hugged her to him. He looked down and his arms and noticed that they were bandaged. "What the...?"

"Oh, _those_," said Zachary, walking over to the foot of his bed. "Dumbledore didn't tell me and Pomfrey all the details, but apparently you and Ron," He pointed to the bed opposite of Fred's, where they could see Ron's fiery red hair on the pillow. "Got into a bit of a pickle with some, what was it, _brains_."

Sam loosened her grip and stared at him, her eyes wide in shock as Zachary said, "The good news is that you've both survived their attacks quite well, of course, now you'll have scars on your bodies for the remainder of your lives, unfortnately..."

"That'll just show he's braver than the whole lot of them!" Sam said proudly, hugging Fred again and kissing him.

"Urgh, right back to your normal ways, aren't you?" said a groggy voice, and Fred turned to the right to see Rose walking into the wing, looking very tired, running a hand through her hair.

"What - what happened?" Fred asked weakly, staring at her.

Rose shrugged, walking over and taking the spare bed next to him. "Lots and lots of fighting. Dad told the Order what Harry told him and they showed up and started fighting, and it was pretty impressive, i've never seen Dad get you heated up for, and Dumbledore came around and pretty much saved the day..."

"Did anyone get hurt? Besides me and Ron, i mean." Fred said suddenly.

"Tonks got Stunned, and Md-Eye's, er, eye popped out at one point, but other than that..."

Rose gave him a confused look, her brows knotting together. "Do you really want to know the rest?" she asked after a silent moment.

"Of course i do!" Fred snapped, looking annoyed. "Why wouldn't -"

"Sirius is dead." Rose said quickly, trying to say it as fast as she could so it wouldn't hurt as much, yet tears still stung her eyes again.

Fred gapped at her. "W-what?"

"He's gone, Fred," Rose said, her voice cracking slightly. "Bellatrix, she pushed him through that weird veil, he disappeared and didn't come back through..."

Fred stared down at the ground, looking lost for words. He sniffed. "Are, are you sure?"

Rose gave a shaky breath and nodded.

"At least it was painless..." Fred said weakly, sounding like he was trying not to cry, which Rose had never heard in his voice before. "What - what happened a-after that?"

"Harry, he ... he fought Voldemort.." Rose said quietly.

"He fought him?" Sam asked, her eyes wide. Zachary stared at her, looking shocked.

"Well, more like he tried and Voldemort controlled him for a bit, then Dumbledore fought him," Rose explained. "He and Bellatrix disappeared after the Minister and a few others saw them, then the Order rounded us up and we came back here... Alice has been dead sick worried, she thought we..."

"I'll make sure to give her my regards later." Fred said.

* * *

><p><em> "'In a brief statement Friday night, Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge confirmed that He-Who-Must-Not-Be Named has returned to this country and is active once more.<em>

_"It is with great regret that I must confirm that the wizard styling himself Lord — well, you know who I mean — is alive and among us again," said Fudge, looking tired and flustered as he addressed reporters. "It is with almost equal regret that we report the mass revolt of the dementors of Azkaban, who have shown themselves averse to continuing in the Ministry's employ. We believe that the dementors are currently taking direction from Lord — Thingy. "We urge the magical population to remain vigilant. The Ministry is currently publishing guides to elementary home and personal defense that will be delivered free to all Wizarding homes within the coming month."_

_The Minister's statement was met with dismay and alarm from the Wizarding community, which as recently as last Wednesday was receiving Ministry assurances that there was "no truth whatsoever in these persistent rumours that You-Know-Who is operating amongst us once more."_

_Details of the events that led to the Ministry turnaround are still hazy, though it is believed that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and a select band of followers (known as Death Eaters) gained entry to the Ministry of Magic itself on Thursday evening._

_Albus Dumbledore, newly reinstated headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, reinstated member of the International Confederation of Wizards, and reinstated Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, was unavailable for comment last night. He has insisted for a year that You-Know-Who was not dead, as was widely hoped and believed, but recruiting followers once more for a fresh attempt to seize power. Meanwhile the Boy Who Lived —"_

"There you are, Harry, I knew they'd drag you into it somehow," said Hermione, looking over the top of the paper at him.

They were in the hospital wing. Harry was sitting on the end of Ron's bed and they were both listening to Hermione read the front page of the Sunday Prophet. Ginny, whose ankle had been mended in a trice by Madam Pomfrey, was curled up at the foot of Hermione's bed; Neville, whose nose had likewise been returned to its normal size and shape, was in a chair between the two beds; and Luna, who had dropped in to visit clutching the latest edition of The Quibbler, was reading the magazine upside down and apparently not taking in a word Hermione was saying. Fred watched from his bed as Sam put her head on his shoulder, glancing at Rose as she rubbed a hand on Harry's back. Alice, on the other hand, sat across from Ginny on the other bed, swinging her feet.

"He's 'the Boy Who Lived' again now, though, isn't he?" said Ron darkly. "Not such a show-off maniac anymore, eh?"

He helped himself to a handful of Chocolate Frogs from the immense pile on his bedside cabinet, threw a few to Harry, Ginny, and Neville, and ripped off the wrapper of his own with his teeth. There were still deep welts on his forearms (which Fred too had seen on his own after Zachary had taken the bandages off) where the brain's tentacles had wrapped around him. According to Madam Pomfrey, thoughts could leave deeper scarring than almost anything else, though since she had started applying copious amounts of Dr. Ubbly's Oblivious Unction, there seemed to be some improvement.

"Yes, they're very complimentary about you now, Harry," said Hermione, now scanning down the article. _" 'A lone voice of truth ... perceived as unbalanced, yet never wavered in his story ... forced to bear ridicule and slander ...'_" said Hermione, frowning.

"Kiss ups," Fred snapped. "They never mentioned they were the one doin' the ridiculing and slandering, now did they?"

"Not that i can see." Hermione said bitterly.

She winced slightly and put a hand to her ribs. The curse Dolohov had used on her, though less effective than it would have been had he been able to say the incantation aloud, had nevertheless caused, in Madam Pomfrey's words, "quite enough damage to be going on with." Hermione was having to take ten different types of potion every day and although she was improving greatly, was already bored with the hospital wing.

"_'You-Know-Who's Last Attempt to Take Over, pages two to four, What the Ministry Should Have Told Us, page five, Why Nobody Listened to Albus Dumbledore, pages six to eight, Exclusive Interview with Harry Potter, page nine..._' Well," said Hermione, folding up the newspaper and throwing it aside. "It's certainly given them lots to write about. And that interview with Harry isn't exclusive, it's the one that was in The Quibbler months ago..."

"Daddy sold it to them," said Luna vaguely, turning a page of The Quibbler. "He got a very good price for it too, so we're going to go on an expedition to Sweden this summer and see if we can catch a Crumple-Horned Snorkack."

"Bring me back a souvenir, will you?" Fred joked, but by the look on Luna's face, she took it quite seriously and said, "Of course."

Hermione seemed to struggle with herself for a moment, then said, "That sounds lovely."

Ginny caught Harry's eye and looked away quickly, grinning.

"So anyway," said Hermione, sitting up a little straighter and wincing again. "What's going on in school?"

"Well, Flitwick's got rid of Fred and George's swamp," said Ginny. "He did it in about three seconds. But he left a tiny patch under the window and he's roped it off —"

"Why?" said Hermione, looking startled.

"Oh, he just says it was a really good bit of magic," said Alice, shrugging.

"I think he left it as a monument to Fred and George," said Ron through a mouthful of chocolate. "They sent me all these, you know," he told Harry, pointing at the small mountain of Frogs beside him.

"Must be doing all right out of that joke shop, eh?" Hermione looked rather disapproving and asked, "So has all the trouble stopped now Dumbledore's back?"

"Yes," said Neville. "Everything's settled right back down again."

"I s'pose Filch is happy, is he?" asked Ron, propping a Chocolate Frog card featuring Dumbledore against his water jug.

"Not at all," said Ginny. "He's really, really miserable, actually..."

She lowered her voice to a whisper. "He keeps saying Umbridge was the best thing that ever happened to Hogwarts..."

All of them looked around. Professor Umbridge was lying in bed only a few spaces away from Fred, gazing up at the ceiling. Dumbledore had strode alone into the forest to rescue her from the centaurs. How he had done it — how he had emerged from the trees supporting Professor Umbridge without so much as a scratch on him — nobody knew, and Umbridge was certainly not telling. Since she had returned to the castle she had not, as far as any of them knew, uttered a single word. Nobody really knew what was wrong with her either. Her usually neat mousy hair was very untidy and there were bits of twig and leaf in it, but otherwise she seemed to be quite unscathed.

"Madam Pomfrey says she's just in shock," whispered Hermione.

"Sulking, more like," said Ginny

"Yeah, she shows signs of life if you do this," said Ron, and with his tongue he made soft clip-clopping noises. Umbridge sat bolt upright, looking wildly around.

"Anything wrong, Professor?" called Madam Pomfrey, poking her head around her office door.

"No ... no..." said Umbridge, sinking back into her pillows. "No, I must have been dreaming. . . ."

Hermione and Ginny muffled their laughter in the bedclothes.

"Speaking of centaurs," said Hermione, when she had recovered a little. "Who's Divination teacher now? Is Firenze staying?"

"He's got to," said Harry, "the other centaurs won't take him back, will they?"

"It looks like he and Trelawney are both going to teach," said Ginny.

"Bet Dumbledore wishes he could've got rid of Trelawney for good," said Ron, now munching on his fourteenth Frog. "Mind you, if they wanted it to be at least somewhat enjoyable, they'd get Sam;s mum to do it..."

"She has stage fright, actually." Sam piped up. "Gets really freaked out in front of crowds."

"Well, if she rethinks the offer, we'll be supporting her." Fred said in a happier tone.

"What about that prophecy though?" Rose asked. "None of us got to hear it..."

Harry's eyes widened. He hadn't told anyone just yet, but after they had arrived back at Hogwarts, Dumbledore told him all about it, how Harry and, oddly, Neville, were marked to be a sort of_ Chosen One,_ the person to go after Voldemort and bring him down, but Voldemort had sensed it more so in Harry, them both sharing a common, half-blood similarity, but it never stopped Bellatrix from going after Neville's parents while her Master went after his own.

What really struck Harry is who found out the prophecy in the first place, they hadn't heard the whole thing, and it was a shock to Harry went Dumbledore told him who done it.

Sirius had died to helped keep Voldemort from hearing the prophecy, while his younger brother, Regulus, had died to help Voldemort _get_ the prophecy. No, maybe the fact that Regulus over heard it (him being a spy at the time) didn't exactly lead to his death at the ripe age of eighteen, but it still didn't ebb away the rage Harry felt for him, Harry would still have his parents if it wasn't for him...

"It is a pity it broke," said Hermione quietly, shaking her head.

"Yeah, it is," said Ron. "Still, at least You-Know-Who never found out what was in it either — where are you going?" he added, looking both surprised and disappointed as Harry stood up.

"Er — Hagrid's," said Harry. "You know, he just got back and I promised I'd go down and see him and tell him how you guys are..."

"Oh all right then," said Ron grumpily, looking out of the dormitory window at the patch of bright blue sky beyond. "Wish we could come..."

"Say hello to him for us!" called Hermione, as Harry proceeded down the ward. "And ask him what's happening about ... about his little friend!"

Harry gave a wave of his hand to show he had heard and understood as he left the dormitory.

* * *

><p>Matthew stared at Harry from across the train compartment, pouting. "You alright?"<p>

"Hmm?" said Harry, looking away at the window as it blurred with the green countryside and towards the auburn-haired Gryffindor. "Oh, yeah, fine..."

"Fred told me your godfather just died," Matthew said quietly. Harry shot a look to his side and Fred pulled his Quibbler issue over his face, trying to play innocent. "Yeah he did..." Harry said, trying to keep his voice steady.

"I'm really sorry, mate," Matthew said earnestly, sitting next to cautious looking Ron. "If there's anything i can do..."

"Your condolences is all i need," Harry said, cutting him. "Thanks for the concern, Matt, it means a lot"

"However," Harry said after a moment, straightening himself up and looking at Matthew with narrowed eyes, becoming much more serious. "The real question is though, since i've got my spot back on the Quidditch team, and the fact that Angelina and Alicia _both_ graduated, would that mean you'd have to join our ranks now?"

Matthew smiled. "I reckon i'll have to, won't i? You've got two Chaser spots open..."

"You'll get more girl support if you get on, i'll tell you that," Fred said, still reading his magazine. "Even in their different houses, all the girls will be all, 'Oh Matty! Be my Quidditch star!'"

Harry and Ron burst out laughing as Matthew looked to be hiding back a smile. "Will you be my number one fan, Freddie?"

"Like hell i will," said Fred happily. "I've already made 'Future Mr' and 'Mrs Greenley" shirts for me and Alice!"

Judging by the sound in his voice, Harry actually believed Fred was telling the truth.


	55. The Plan

**AN: And now, Half-Blood Prince!**

* * *

><p>Despite being the middle of summer, the once sunny day sky was bleak, grey, lacking off all hints of exuberance and was, no pun intended, a linger rain cloud over everyone's heads. The night were no better, not a single star seemed to shine, the moon an ominous orb of milky white in the pitch-black sky.<p>

Technically speaking, the three of them _were_ alive when the First War happened, but Rose was barely over a year and a half old, and don't even bother with Fred or Alice, all they remember was the vague shapes of stars and animals on mobiles that hung over their cribs.

The incident at the Ministry only happened a few weeks prior, and yet it felt like decades ago, like an echo of memory from the inner banks of their minds, or at least for two of them, Alice was still at school at the time. It was odd to think that Sirius had disappeared forever behind a simple veil, never to be seen again, leaving a sort of empty feeling in them.

Remus had come over more frequently in the past few weeks, talking in rushed tones to their parents, locked away in their study as either one or all three of them pressed their ears to the door to hear what the plan was now. Of course, after slight shocks to the ear, as Severus had easily caught on to their schemes, they had resorted to spending hours in the den, waiting for them to reappear, Remus waving them off a few hours later, looking weaker and greyer than ever, and saying goodbye with an empty, cracked voice. Other Order members would filter in and out, hardly staying long enough to get any sort of actual information out of them. What was most odd is how similar Tonks and Remus had now started to act. Tonks' once bubble-gum pink hair was now short and mousy brown, she seemed more mature, but also more miserable, which they could understand, Sirius was her cousin after all, but he was in Azkaban for a good portion of her life...

Even with what happened to his friend, Severus looked uplifted in the past few days, though he never said why, though by the look on Lily's face, she knew exactly what it was, but she wasn't saying anything any time soon.

By this point, in the very beginning of July, Rose was more focused on her O.W.L results, hoping she hadn't completely failed each of her subjects when the letter arrived in a few weeks time. Alice had taken a route like Hermione had the previous year, and started being constantly seen nearly every waking moment with a textbook in her hands, her dark eyes shooting back and forth as she soaked in the information on the yellowing pages, though it was obvious that she too got bored of it, but she still kept at it.

Fred, of course, had no time for silly school work, he had more important matters to tend to, like determining whether their family cat was pure evil or not, positive it was the first answer.

"I'm on to you, Eowyn, don't test me," Fred said seriously, sitting on the sofa in the den, holding the orange and white streaked cat up to him, her one green, one blue eyes staring at him curiously. She flicked her tail and meowed, licking her mouth.

"Ah, playing innocent, are you?" Fred asked, cocking a brow at the cat. "Very clever, very clever... But i know you're the one leaving rats on my bed, don't even try to deny it-"

"Frederick, _honestly_," Alice snapped, not looking up from her Transfiguration book, sitting next to him on the sofa. "You're feuding with a bloody cat, don't you have better things to worry about?"

"Like _what_?" Fred said, letting Eowyn down on the ground and she sprinted out of the room in a flash of orange. "Studying? We got two professors for parents, we're fine!"

Alice rolled her eyes. "Thats not how it works, Frederick!"

Fred snorted. "As if, you're just not using it to your advantage, what kind of Slytherin are you?"

Alice snapped her book shut and whacked him on the arm, causing him to yelp in pain. "Oi! I'm still healing, you little witch!"

The sleeves of his shirts pushed up slightly, showed the scars running against his arms, which he received after an odd, brain- like creature nearly suffocating him and Ron back at the Ministry. Though they were still visible, at least they looked more healed than the gashes that were there the first night he had gotten then.

"Sorry." said Alice, not sounding all that convincing. Rose, who was sitting on an armchair next to her, giggled.

Their constant bickering aside, an odd feeling that someone, somewhere, was watching them lingered over them, but they weren't sure why. Fred shrugged this feeling off by turning the telly on and switching it to an old episode of Doctor Who, putting his feet on the coffee table and watching as the colours flashed on the screen.

"Did you hear about Malfoy's dad?" Rose asked, flipping through the newest edition of the Daily Prophet.

"Yeah, that he's locked up in Azkaban?" Fred snickered. "Ruddy git deserves it, he nearly killed ya', Azkaban might be too good for him, even, he needs more of a public humiliation..."

"Like what, we dress him up as a jester and we throw rotten fruit at him?" Alice asked.

Fred shrugged. "Something like that."

* * *

><p>A slight <em>POP<em> sounded a few doors down from their home, the thin, tall form on a woman in a black, billowing cloak walking quite fast down the pavement. A louder _CRACK_ sounded a moment after them, the screeching voice of a woman calling after their leading companion.

"Cissy!" Bellatrix shouted, clutching her hood to her worn-out face. "Where the devil are you going?"

"That is not of your concern!" the woman named Cissy snapped, not looking behind her. "Leave now, Bella, go back to your Master-!"

"Do not speak so harshly of the Dark Lord!" Bellatrix said, her voice lined with venom. "He is our light in these dark times-!"

"Keep spewing lies, Bella," Cissy snapped harshly. "I will have no part of it-"

The woman named Cissy stepped up to the gateway to where she intended to go, an old manor lingering some feet away from her, the bottom windows lit with yellow and other bright, flashing lights. What in the world was going on in there?

"Cissy!" Bellatrix whispered, stepping up to her. "What is this, who lives here?"

"No one." said Cissy, pushing the gate open and stepped over onto the pavement, her high-heeled shoes making a slight cruching noise against the gravel driveway.

"Well, i'm going with you-" Bellatrix said certainly. She went to step through the gateway, but she barely had the tip of her pointed boot hovering over the pavement when a scorching feeling shot through her, causing her to shriek in pain and jump backwards, grabbing her left forearm and her teeth gritting together, an odd, faint smoke coming off of her cloak, as if it was just on fire.

"What the-?" she screeched. "It shocked me!"

"_Incendere V__estigium_," Cissy whispered.

"What?" Bellatrix snapped.

"It's a burning charm, very advanced," Cissy said, sounding impressed. "I've heard it burns whoever has a Dark Mark."

"Fools!" Bellatrix yelled. "You lead me down to a muggle dunghill, and i can't even hel-"

Cissy took her wand out, and before Bellatrix could saying anything, she said, "_Confundo_." Cissy waved her wand at Bellatrix's face and her dark eyes went oddly unfocused, her thin mouth hanging open slightly.

"Go home, you were never here, you do not know i was here, you do not know of this place nor who inhabits it, you understand?" Cissy said clearly, her wand a mere inch from Bellatrix's nose.

Bellatrix stared at her with her glassy eyes and, after a moment, nodded slowly. She turned on her heel and, with another _CRACK_, disappeared with a swoosh of her cloak.

"Thank god..." Cissy said under her breath. She turned and started walking towards the house, her feet crunching against the gravel.

She reached the door, where she could see more flashing lights go off in the lit room. Cissy could hear the hints of talking coming from inside the house, but she did not linger on it. Taking a steading breath, she lifted her arm up and knocked on the door, the tapping echoing through the strangely silent night.

Cissy stood there, her hands clasped neatly in front of her as she heard shuffling behind the door. Cissy took her hood off, her long sheet of pretty, blond hair cascading down her back. There was lingering moment and what sounded like multiple locks started clicking, and a moment later, the door creaked open, a sliver of golden light hitting her face.

"Mrs Malfoy?" Rose asked, pushing the door open, looking like she didn't believe what she was looking at. "Is that you...?"

"Oh, hello, dear," Narcissa said kindly, her blue eyes looking slightly red. "Are your parents home?"

"Oh, uh," said Rose, looking confused, her hand on the door's handle. By the look on her face, it looked like she was debating with herself whether she should slam the door on her or not. Narcissa silently hoped she didn't.

"ROSE!" Fred yelled from the den, sounding impatient. "Who is it?"

"No one!" Rose shouted back, looking over her shoulder. She turned back to Narcissa and said in a quiet voice, her compassionate side coming out, "Come inside, i'll go ask if you can see them..."

Rose pushed the door open and Narcissa, with a slightly amazed expression, stepped over the threshold. Rose snapped the door shut behind her and dashed up the stairs, disappering as she went down the right hallway.

Narcissa stared around the walls, not exactly sure what else to do as she waited for Rose to return. They were dark green with hints of maroon and brown in it, complimenting the hard wood floor. Though it was apparent that it was, in lack of better words, a once purely magically inhabited household, the obvious effects of muggle dwelling had effected the place. Unmoving pictures here and there hung on the walls, and Narcissa couldn't help but notice that what looked like a Gryffindor banner hung over a small table on one side of the staircase between two separate openings to what looking like a dining room and a kitchen, which was adorned with equally small, framed pictures. Narcissa stepped towards the table and looked downwards.

Her eyes focused on moving picture in a simple frame of pine. A tall, lanky man in late 50's smiled at her behind his moustache, which matched his dark red, greying hair, his smile reaching his pale eyes. He was sitting down on a pale yellow love seat, two small, black- haired children sitting on each of his knees. He bent down and pecked the girl with her hair in a pink ribbon on the cheek, making her giggle as her brother, who looked very much like their father, go up and hug him around the neck. The older man chuckled and hugged the two of them to close to him, saying something and making them laugh. Narcissa smiled at it.

"They said you can go up," said Rose quietly, reappearing behind her and trying not to spook her. Narcissa turned away from the picture and nodded, mouthing, 'Thank you' before going up the steps, Rose's eyes following her.

Narcissa reached the uppermost level and turned to her right, not sure where she was going. She headed down the hallway and, on a guess, reached the end, where a door with a griffin-decorated handle stood, gleaming gold in the light.

Narcissa hesitated, but after a moment took her hand and twisted the handle and pushed the door open. She stepped into the room and by instinct looked around. The walls were lined with many bookshelves, crammed with leather-bound books in ranging dark-tinted colours. A large sort of orb light hung from the middle of the ceiling, illuminating the room above a set of dark chairs and a matching sofa around its own coffee table, and there was a craved mantle over the fireplace on one wall. Narcissa turned her head sideways to look at the hansomely crafted desk when she noticed that Lily was watching her, looking blank of obvious emotion and sitting on the edge of the desk, studying her with her green eyes.

"Narcissa!" Severus said loudly, causing her to spin around quickly to see that he was sitting on one of the chairs, not looking nearly as pleased as made his voice to sound. "And what may we thank for your sudden arrival?"

Narcissa stared down at the ground, her brows furrowed. "I - i know it's sudden, but -"

"But _what_?" Lilly asked, walking up and around her, giving her a questioning look. "Come to apologise?"

Narcissa looked up at her, looking confused. "What do you...?"

"I'm sure you've heard what happened at the Ministry," Severus said coldly. "He was your cousin, after all..."

"Oh," said Narcissa weakly, wringing her hands. "I heard something about it..."

"It was all over the Prophet," Lily said, standing in front of her. "Of course, we heard Kreacher tell us everything."

Narcissa's eyes widened, looking at her. "W-what did he say?"

Lily shrugged her shoulders. "Something about you and your sister treating him so well that he gave you information about the Order, and that through it, we lost our friend to his dear cousin, cursing him through that veil..."

Narcissa shook, her pale face draining of the little colour it had left. She bowed her head, her hair falling over her face, and she said in a strangled voice, "I - i know, i never knew that would h-happen, Bella never told me she would d-do _that_. I know we've h-had our differences, but he was f-family...!"

Lily put her hands on Narcissa's shoulders, and she looked up. Tears were going down Narcissa's pale cheeks. "I'm so s-sorry, i would have never helped h-her if..."

Lily pulled Narcissa and placed her down on the sofa next to Severus, herself taking the spot next to her. "Why are you here, Narcissa? We haven't even spoken to each other in more than a decade and a half..."

Narcissa sniffed, wiping her cheeks and said, "I n-need your help..."

"In what, if we may ask?" Severus said calmly.

"I - i," Narcissa took a steading breath. "I know, of a plan, a s-secret one, that the Dark L-Lord intends to have f-fulfilled by the end of the year..."

"Isn't more of a warning?" Lily asked.

Narcissa shook her head, looking about to cry again. "He's f-forbidden me to speak of it, b-but i can't, i n-need someone, especially with L-Lucius in jail..."

"He threatened to kill our children and personally hoped i'd come hunt him down after the fact," Severus said coldly, cutting her off. "What makes you think he doesn't deserve that?"

Her bottom lip trembled. "I k-know, i w-warned him so many times to never get in-involved with _Him_, b-but he never listened, he wanted power, i still r-remember nights w-where i'd stay u-up into the night, p-praying he'd come h-home, i thought having D-Draco would make him c-change his ways, but it didn't..."

At the mention of her son, her tears slowly descended down her cheeks again, but she didn't bother to wipe them away. "He's m-marked our son f-for Lucius' mistakes..."

"With what?" Lily asked, her hand on Narcissa's arm to calm her. "Does _He_ plan to have him fulfil whatever this 'plan' is?"

Narcissa shook her head. Severus glanced at Lily before looking back at Narcissa. "What is the plan, exactly?"

Narcissa shuddered, some of her hair clinging to her face. "H-He plans to have my s-son..."

She spoke in a quiet voice, and Lily and Severus bent their necks downwards so they could hear her properly. They straightened back up after a moment and Narcissa gave out another sob, wiping her hair away from her wet face.

"He k-knows Draco can't d-do it," Narcissa said through her tears. "He's g-going to die..! My only s-son, h-he's just a boy, he could never...!"

"What do you expect us to do with this information?" Severus asked suddenly, his brows knotted together.

"T-Tell him, w-warn him," Narcissa sobbed. "I-i don't care a-anymore, someone h-has to know..."

"What about You-Know-Who?" Lily asked, her eyes wide. "Are you not...?"

Narcissa's eyes flared, looking angry all of a sudden. "I don't care what prejudices i had before, He's threatened _my_ son, i want him vanquished, and by god, if that means that i betray _Him_ and my foolish sister, then so be it! "

Lily looked surprised, and strangely impressed by Narcissa's loyalty to her family. "Are you certain?"

"A-Absolutely!" Narcissa said, her cheeks still wet but sounding more certain than ever. "I'll t-tell you whatever else you n-need to know, i want this madness to end, once and for all...!"

Fred got thirsty after a while, and pushed himself off the sofa and kicked Alice in the ankle as he passed her.

"Ow! Fred!" Alice snapped, pulling her legs up as he snickered at her.

"Scarred arms, no complaining." he said lazily, pointing to himself.

He walked out of the den and into the main hallway when Narcissa stepped down onto the ground from the stairs, her eyes red and puffy and her cheeks a little wet, but she looked more resolved despite that.

Fred's eyes widened in surprise, but he recovered quickly enough. "Hey Mrs Malfoy, when did you get here?"

Narcissa glanced at him from the corner of her eyes and, as suddenly as she appeared, strode towards the door, flinging it open and disappearing into the night, the door snapping shut behind her.

Fred frowned, looking up at the stairs as he heard his parents whispering about something.

'_Ew_,' Fred though to himself. 'I didn't know mum and dad were into _that_ type of thing!"

* * *

><p>Sam giggled, her orange flowery dress, which complimented her bright blue hair, breezing around her as Fred lead her down one of the Oxford streets, enjoying one of the few warmer days this particular summer had as the sun started to set.<p>

"You wanna get a pint at Eagles & Child?" Fred asked, pointing his thumb at the chalky white building next to him, music spilling out and onto the street as one laughing couple entered the pub.

"We aren't allowed to, we aren't of age!" Sam said, putting her hands on her curvy hips.

"Oi, you can make yourself look older," Fred said a matter-of-factly, waggling his finger at her. "And everyone thinks i'm older than i am anyway, it can work..."

Sam rolled her eyes and took his hand and started to drag him along. "We're gonna get carded no matter what, C'mon, i'm starving-"

"But look!" Fred said, pointing to a sign that rested next to the pub's opening as Sam tried to pull him forward. "J.R.R. Tolkien _and_ C.S. Lewis liked to meet here! You like writing, their spirits can rub off on ya'!"

"Uh huh, sure," said Sam, finally getting him to walk along with her, grinning that Fred actually listened to her when she told him she wanted to be a journalist when she could. "But i can think of a few things i'd rather have rub against me..."

Fred smiled devilishly, looking down at her. "You wanna go? Because i will pull you into the next shop we pass and i will mark their storage closet as my own, don't you worry."

He pulled at the magenta tie around his neck, which clashed with his lavender dress shirt, and Sam laughed. "Maybe later, big boy, come on..."

They passed an old book shop, where an older crowd of men (and stout woman just as aged as them) listened to a blue radio, one of the old men, who had quite large ears, whacked it with his fist in case it almost shut off on them.

"...Though we have no more word on Herbet Chorley's whereabouts at this time, we can confirm that his duck impression is quite funny!" the newscaster's voice said with a hearty chuckle. "Now, back to Joshua with the news on what our Prime Minister plans to do about the collapse of the Brockdale Bridge. Josh, if you may..."

"I wanna know 'bout the duck!" an old man with a pickle-shaped nose snapped, shaking his veiny fist.

Fred giggled. "Old people are funny..."

"Who ya' calling old?" the same old man said, turning to Fred.

Fred looked taken back. "Oh, uh..."

"You ain't got nothin' to be sassin' 'bout, big nose," the old man said knowingly.

"Look who's taking," Fred said, putting his free hand on his hip. "Just wait, i'll take your pension too!"

Fred pulled a laughing Sam away quickly as the old man started waving his walking cane at them, running down the street and giggling like mad.

They stopped eventually at the edge of the city, which lead towards the more suburban areas, and Fred kissed her on the forehead. "Is your mum picking you up?"

Sam hummed, her arms around his middle. "Yes... I wish i could stay at your house for the night, though..."

"My parents would be suspicious with all our ruckus and the fact that i would only leave my room wearing my bedsheet as a toga just to go to the bathroom or get food for us, you know that." Fred laughed.

A while later, after Sam's mother drove up in her little bright green Volkswagen and Fred walked home, he went to his room, noticing that Alice was asleep in her room, which was odd, she never slept during the day.

Fred walked into his room, and had the lingering feeling that one of his shirts were missing, as his closet door was opened and shuffled through.

However, he was really more interested in why his bulky, white muggle camera was out on his desk. Fred walked over to it and picked it up. Being curious, he looked though the film, and smiled wickedly when he saw what the newest three additions were.

Fred tutted, smiling widely. "Alice you bad girl, taking pictures with my camera, what else do you do when we're not here?"

He put the camera back on his desk and flounced out of his room, now determined to make Alice blush pink at his recent discovery.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: If you want to know what Fred found, read this: fanfiction(.) nets/7355024/7/Drabbles**

**(P.S. sorry this was short, i'll have Slughorn next chapter.) **


	56. Burnt Hands

Harry stumbled as they materialised on the stone-covered ground, and clenched his hand over his mouth, hoping his wouldn't upchuck his dinner from the sudden movement. No, he had never _Apparated_ before, much less with Dumbledore of all people, but it was definitely not something he planned on doing again anytime soon.

"Are you all right?" asked Dumbledore, looking down at him solicitously. The Headmaster had owled Harry only a few weeks before, saying he'd whisk him away from his Aunt's a fortnight before school started once again. Of course, after a very awkward introduction to his Aunt and much more shy cousin, they were off into the oddly cold summer night. "The sensation does take some getting used to."

"I'm fine," said Harry, rubbing his ears, which were filled with a faint humming noise. "But I think I might prefer brooms..."

Dumbledore smiled, drew his traveling cloak a little more tightly around his neck, and said, "This way."

He set off at a brisk pace, past an empty inn and a few houses. According to a clock on a nearby church, it was almost midnight.

Harry rushed to keep up with Dumbledore's long strides, and his eyes kept going back to the aged wizard's hand.

God knows why, but it had an unmistakably look of death on it. It was burnt looking, nearly black and cracked, as if most of his skin was shredded away, and it was barely, if any, healed. Dumbledore paid no notice to it.

"So tell me, Harry," said Dumbledore solemnly. "Your scar ... has it been hurting at all?"

Harry raised a hand unconsciously to his forehead and rubbed the lightning-shaped mark.

"No," he said, "and I've been wondering about that. I thought it would be burning all the time now Voldemort's getting so powerful again."

He glanced up at Dumbledore and saw that he was wearing a satisfied expression on his lined face.

"I, on the other hand, thought otherwise," said Dumbledore. "Lord Voldemort has finally realized the dangerous access to his thoughts and feelings you have been enjoying. It appears that he is now employing Occlumency against you."

"Well, I'm not complaining," said Harry, who missed neither the disturbing dreams nor the startling flashes of insight into Voldemort's mind.

They turned a corner, passing a telephone box and a bus shelter. Harry looked sideways at Dumbledore again. "Professor?"

"Harry?"

"Er — where exactly are we?"

"This, Harry, is the charming village of Budleigh Babberton."

"And what are we doing here?"

"Ah yes, of course, I haven't told you," said Dumbledore. "Well, I have lost count of the number of times I have said this in recent years, but we are, once again, one member of staff short. We are here to persuade an old colleague of mine to come out of retirement and return to Hogwarts."

"How can I help with that, sir?"

"Oh, I think we'll find a use for you," said Dumbledore vaguely. "Left here, Harry."

They proceeded up a steep, narrow street lined with houses. All the windows were dark, and there was an odd chilling feeling in the crisp night air. Thinking of dementors, Harry cast a look over his shoulder and grasped his wand reassuringly in his pocket. "Professor, why couldn't we just Apparate directly into your old colleague's house?"

"Because it would be quite as rude as kicking down the front door," said Dumbledore. "Courtesy dictates that we offer fellow wizards the opportunity of denying us entry. In any case, most Wizarding dwellings are magically protected from unwanted Apparators. At Hogwarts, for instance —"

"— you can't Apparate anywhere inside the buildings or grounds," said Harry quickly. "Hermione Granger told me."

"And she is quite right. We turn left again."

The church clock chimed midnight behind them. Harry wondered why Dumbledore did not consider it rude to call on his old colleague so late, but now that conversation had been established, he had more pressing questions to ask.

"Sir, I saw in the Daily Prophet that Fudge has been sacked..." Harry said, remembering the balding wizard's defeated face on the front of the wizarding newspaper only a few days before.

"Correct," said Dumbledore, now turning up a steep side street. "He has been replaced, as I am sure you also saw, by Rufus Scrimgeour, who used to be Head of the Auror office."

"Is he ... Do you think he's good?" asked Harry.

"An interesting question," said Dumbledore. "He is able, certainly. A more decisive and forceful personality than Cornelius."

"Yes, but I meant —" Harry added, also remembering that the Prophet noted that Scrimgeour and Dumbledore were not exactly on the best of terms.

"I know what you meant. Rufus is a man of action and, having fought Dark wizards for most of his working life, does not underestimate Lord Voldemort."

Harry waited, but Dumbledore did not say anything about the disagreement with Scrimgeour that the Daily Prophet had reported, and he did not have the nerve to pursue the subject, so he changed it. "And - sir ... I saw about Madam Bones."

"Yes," said Dumbledore quietly. "A terrible loss. She was a great witch. Just up here, I think — ouch." He had pointed with his injured hand.

"Professor, what happened to your — ?"

"I have no time to explain now," said Dumbledore. "It is a thrilling tale, I wish to do it justice."

He smiled at Harry, who understood that he was not being snubbed, and that he had permission to keep asking questions.

"Sir — I got a Ministry of Magic leaflet by owl, about security measures we should all take against the Death Eaters. . . ."

"Yes, I received one myself," said Dumbledore, still smiling.

"Did you find it useful?"

"Not really."

"No, I thought not." said Dumbledore. "You have not asked me, for instance, what is my favorite flavor of jam, to check that I am indeed Professor Dumbledore and not an impostor."

"I didn't..." Harry began, not entirely sure whether he was being reprimanded or not.

"For future reference, Harry, it is raspberry ... although of course, if I were a Death Eater, I would have been sure to research my own jam preferences before impersonating myself."

"Er - _right_," said Harry. "Well, on that leaflet, it said something about Inferi. What exactly are they? The leaflet wasn't very clear."

"Strange, wouldn't you have asked one your acquaintances?" Dumbledore asked, glancing at him from the corner of his eye.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, feeling beyond puzzled at what he just said.

"Well, i would have assumed you'd write one of the Snape children," Dumbledore said a matter-of-factly. "I dare say, their father would have something to say on the subject..."

"Yeah, but he's the Potions Master, what would he have to say about Inferi?" Harry asked, sounding dumbfounded. "Plus, they haven't mention anything in any of the letters we send back and forth..."

Dumbledore chuckled slightly. "Ah Severus, you little devil, haven't told them a thing, i wouldn't even have my hand here if it wasn't for you... Well, the news will spill in no time soon, but that is besides the point... Do you want to know what Inferi are?"

"Well, yeah, sure." Harry said, slightly confused by what Dumbledore was mumbling about. And what did he mean by 'i wouldn't even have my hand...'?

"They are corpses," explained Dumbledore calmly, snapping Harry out of thought. "Dead bodies that have been bewitched to do a Dark wizard's bidding. Inferi have not been seen for a long time, however, not since Voldemort was last powerful... He killed enough people to make an army of them, of course. This is the place, Harry, just here..."

They were nearing a small, neat stone house set in its own garden. Harry was too busy digesting the horrible idea of Inferi to have much attention left for anything else, but as they reached the front gate, Dumbledore stopped dead and Harry walked into him. "Oh dear. Oh dear, dear, dear."

Harry followed his gaze up the carefully tended front path and felt his heart sink. The front door was hanging off its hinges. Dumbledore glanced up and down the street. It seemed quite deserted.

"Wand out and follow me, Harry," he said quietly.

He opened the gate and walked swiftly and silently up the garden path, Harry at his heels, then pushed the front door very slowly, his wand raised and at the ready. "_Lumos_."

Dumbledore's wand tip ignited, casting its light up a narrow hallway. To the left, another door stood open. Holding his illuminated wand aloft, Dumbledore walked into the sitting room with Harry right behind him.

A scene of total devastation met their eyes. A grandfather clock lay splintered at their feet, its face cracked, its pendulum lying a little farther away like a dropped sword. A piano was on its side, its keys strewn across the floor. The wreckage of a fallen chandelier glittered nearby. Cushions lay deflated, feathers oozing from slashes in their sides; fragments of glass and china lay like powder over everything. Dumbledore raised his wand even higher, so that its light was thrown upon the walls, where something darkly red and glutinous was spattered over the wallpaper.

Harry's small intake of breath made Dumbledore look around.

"Not pretty, is it?" he said heavily. "Yes, something horrible has happened here."

Dumbledore moved carefully into the middle of the room, scrutinizing the wreckage at his feet. Harry followed, gazing around, half-scared of what he might see hidden behind the wreck of the piano or the overturned sofa, but there was no sign of a body.

"Maybe there was a fight and — and they dragged him off, Professor?" Harry suggested, trying not to imagine how badly wounded a man would have to be to leave those stains spattered halfway up the walls.

"I don't think so," said Dumbledore quietly, peering behind an overstuffed armchair lying on its side.

"You mean he's — ?"

"Still here somewhere? Yes."

And without warning, Dumbledore swooped, plunging the tip of his wand into the seat of the overstuffed armchair, which yelled, "_Ouch_!"

"Good evening, Horace," said Dumbledore, straightening up again.

Harry's jaw dropped. Where a split second before there had been an armchair, there now crouched an enormously fat, bald, old man  
>who was massaging his lower belly and squinting up at Dumbledore with an aggrieved and watery eye.<p>

"There was no need to stick the wand in that hard," he said gruffly, clambering to his feet. "It hurt."

The wandlight sparkled on his shiny pate, his prominent eyes, his enormous, silver, walrus-like moustache, and the highly polished buttons on the maroon velvet jacket he was wearing over a pair of lilac silk pajamas. The top of his head barely reached Dumbledore's chin.

"What gave it away?" he grunted as he staggered to his feet, still rubbing his lower belly. He seemed remarkably unabashed for a man who had just been discovered pretending to be an armchair.

"My dear Horace," said Dumbledore, looking amused, "if the Death Eaters really had come to call, the Dark Mark would have been set over the house."

The wizard clapped a pudgy hand to his vast forehead.

"The Dark Mark," he muttered. "Knew there was something... ah well. Wouldn't have had time anyway, I'd only just put the finishing touches to my upholstery when you entered the room."

He heaved a great sigh that made the ends of his moustache flutter.

"Would you like my assistance clearing up?" asked Dumbledore politely.

"Please," said the other.

They stood back to back, the tall thin wizard and the short round one, and waved their wands in one identical sweeping motion.

The furniture flew back to its original places; ornaments reformed in midair, feathers zoomed into their cushions; torn books repaired themselves as they landed upon their shelves; oil lanterns soared onto side tables and reignited; a vast collection of splintered silver picture frames flew glittering across the room and alighted, whole and untarnished, upon a desk; rips, cracks, and holes healed everywhere, and the walls wiped themselves clean.

"What kind of blood was that, incidentally?" asked Dumbledore loudly over the chiming of the newly unsmashed grandfather clock.

"On the walls? Dragon," shouted the wizard called Horace, as, with a deafening grinding and tinkling, the chandelier screwed itself back into the ceiling. There was a final plunk from the piano, and silence.

"Yes, dragon," repeated the wizard conversationally. "My last bottle, and prices are sky-high at the moment. Still, it might be reusable."

He stumped over to a small crystal bottle standing on top of a sideboard and held it up to the light, examining the thick liquid within. "Hmm. Bit dusty."

He set the bottle back on the sideboard and sighed. It was then that his gaze fell upon Harry.

"Oho," he said, his large round eyes flying to Harry's forehead and the lightning-shaped scar it bore. "_Oho_!"

"This," said Dumbledore, moving forward to make the introduction, "is Harry Potter. Harry, this is an old friend and colleague of mine, Horace Slughorn."

Slughorn turned on Dumbledore, his expression shrewd. "So that's how you thought you'd persuade me, is it? Well, the answer's still no, Albus."

He pushed past Harry, his face turned resolutely away with the air of a man trying to resist temptation.

"I suppose we can have a drink, at least?" asked Dumbledore. "For old time's sake?" Slughorn hesitated.

"All right then, one drink," he said ungraciously.

Dumbledore smiled at Harry and directed him toward a chair not unlike the one that Slughorn had so recently impersonated, which stood right beside the newly burning fire and a brightly glowing oil lamp. Harry took the seat with the distinct impression that Dumbledore, for some reason, wanted to keep him as visible as possible. Certainly when Slughorn, who had been busy with decanters and glasses, turned to face the room again, his eyes fell immediately upon Harry.

"Hmpf," he said, looking away quickly as though frightened of hurting his eyes. "Here —" He gave a drink to Dumbledore, who  
>had sat down without invitation, thrust the tray at Harry, and then sank into the cushions of the repaired sofa and a disgruntled silence. His legs were so short they did not touch the floor.<p>

"Well, how have you been keeping, Horace?" Dumbledore asked.

"Not so well," said Slughorn at once. "Weak chest. Wheezy. Rheumatism too. Can't move like I used to. Well, that's to be expected. Old age. Fatigue."

"And yet you must have moved fairly quickly to prepare such a welcome for us at such short notice," said Dumbledore. "You can't have had more than three minutes' warning?"

Slughorn said, half irritably, half proudly, "Two. Didn't hear my Intruder Charm go off, I was taking a bath. Still," he added sternly, seeming to pull himself back together again, "the fact remains that I'm an _old_ man, Albus. A tired old man who's earned the right to a quiet life and a few creature comforts."

He certainly had those, thought Harry, looking around the room. It was stuffy and cluttered, yet nobody could say it was uncomfortable; there were soft chairs and footstools, drinks and books, boxes of chocolates and plump cushions. If Harry had not known who lived there, he would have guessed at a rich, fussy old lady.

"You're not yet as old as I am, Horace," said Dumbledore.

"Well, maybe you ought to think about retirement yourself," said Slughorn bluntly. His pale gooseberry eyes had found Dumbledore's injured hand. "Reactions not what they were, I see."

"You're quite right," said Dumbledore serenely, shaking back his sleeve to reveal the tips of those burned and blackened fingers; the sight of them made the back of Harry's neck prickle unpleasantly.

"I am undoubtedly slower than I was. But on the other hand..."

He shrugged and spread his hands wide, as though to say that age had its compensations, and Harry noticed a ring on his uninjured hand that he had never seen Dumbledore wear before: It was large, rather clumsily made of what looked like gold, and was set with a heavy black stone that had cracked down the middle.

Slughorn's eyes lingered for a moment on the ring too, and Harry saw a tiny frown momentarily crease his wide forehead.

"So, all these precautions against intruders, Horace ... are they for the Death Eaters' benefit, or mine?" asked Dumbledore.

"What would the Death Eaters want with a poor broken-down old buffer like me?" demanded Slughorn.

"I imagine that they would want you to turn your considerable talents to coercion, torture, and _murder_," said Dumbledore. "Are you really telling me that they haven't come recruiting yet?"

Slughorn eyed Dumbledore balefully for a moment, then muttered, "I haven't given them the chance. I've been on the move for a year. Never stay in one place more than a week. Move from Muggle house to Muggle house — the owners of this place are on holiday in the Canary Islands — it's been very pleasant, I'll be sorry to leave. It's quite easy once you know how, one simple Freezing Charm on these absurd burglar alarms they use instead of Sneakoscopes and make sure the neighbors don't spot you bringing in the piano."

"Ingenious," said Dumbledore. "But it sounds a rather tiring existence for a broken-down old buffer in search of a quiet life. Now, if you were to return to Hogwarts —"

"If you're going to tell me my life would be more peaceful at that pestilential school, you can save your breath, Albus! I might have been in hiding, but some funny rumors have reached me since Dolores Umbridge left! If that's how you treat teachers these days —"

"Professor Umbridge ran afoul of our centaur herd," said Dumbledore. "I think you, Horace, would have known better than to stride into the forest and call a horde of angry centaurs 'filthy halfbreeds.' "

"That's what she did, did she?" said Slughorn spitefully. "Idiotic woman. Never liked her."

Harry chuckled and both Dumbledore and Slughorn looked round at him.

"Sorry," Harry said hastily. "It's just — I didn't like her either."

Dumbledore stood up rather suddenly.

"Are you leaving?" asked Slughorn at once, looking hopeful.

"No, I was wondering whether I might use your bathroom," said Dumbledore.

"Oh," said Slughorn, clearly disappointed. "Second on the left down the hall."

Dumbledore strode from the room. Once the door had closed behind him, there was silence. After a few moments, Slughorn got to his feet but seemed uncertain what to do with himself. He shot a furtive look at Harry, then crossed to the fire and turned his back on it, warming his wide behind.

"Don't think I don't know why he's brought you," he said abruptly.

Harry merely looked at Slughorn. Slughorn's watery eyes slid over Harry's scar, this time taking in the rest of his face. "You look very like your father."

"Yeah, I've been told," said Harry.

"Except for your eyes. You've got —"

"My mother's eyes, yeah." Harry had heard it so often he found it a bit wearing.

"Hmpf. Yes, well. You shouldn't have favourites as a teacher, of course, but she was one of mine. Your mother," Slughorn added, in answer to Harry's questioning look. "Lovely Mary. One of the brightest I ever taught, never quite believed in her talents until a bit later, though Lily used to always cheer her on. Such a duo they were. Charming girl, always kind to everyone she came across. I used to tell them they ought to have been in _my_ House. Very cheeky answers I used to get back too, i must say, like sisters - "

"Wait, Lily?" Harry asked. "Like 'Lily Snape' Lily?"

"Ah, you know her?" Slughorn asked, giving him a questioning look.

"Well, she teaches at Hogwarts," Harry said. "That and she's the mum of a few friends of mine."

"You don't say? You know them?" Slughorn inquired. "It's been years, i doubt they even remember ol' me!"

"Yeah, Fred's memory can be off a bit..." Harry said weakly.

Slughorn made a slight humming noise, as if lost in thoughtn, and Harry said, "So, which was your House?"

"I was Head of Slytherin," said Slughorn. "Oh, now," he went on quickly, as if he was justifying himself before he could register the look on Harry's face and wagging a stubby finger at him, "don't go holding that against me! You'll be Gryffindor like her, I suppose?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, but i'm not against all , er, Slytherins. I mean, i got some friends in that House, and they're way better than most of the lot there. Hell, even you want to know, the three Snape kids are all in Slytherin, and they're fine. Thought a lot reckon they were sorted wrong..."

"Yes, well, i'm sure Severus is happy about that one-" Slughorn started.

"You know him too?" Harry asked abruptly. "Oh wait, of course you would, he's married to one of your favourites..."

"Indeed, and that he was in my House when he was at school," Slughorn added a matter-of-factly. "Talented pair they are, though he was quite shy-"

Harry smirked to himself. His son definitely didn't take after him, now did he?

"- I suppose Lily must have pushed him to go beyond what he limited himself to," Slughorn continued. "The children, however, with the sortings, it usually goes in families," Slughorn said. "Not always, though. Ever heard of Sirius Black? You must have — been in the papers for the last couple of years — _died_ a few weeks ago —"

It was as though an invisible hand had twisted Harry's intestines and held them tight, his smirk dropping right off his face.

"Well, anyway, he was a big pal of your father's at school. The whole Black family had been in my House, but Sirius ended up in Gryffindor! Shame — he was a talented boy. I got his brother, Regulus, when he came along, but I'd have liked the set."

He sounded like an enthusiastic collector who had been outbid at auction. Apparently lost in memories, he gazed at the opposite wall, turning idly on the spot to ensure an even heat on his backside. "Your mother was Muggle-born, of course. Couldn't believe it when I found out. Thought she must have been pure-blood, she was that good."

"One of my best friends is Muggle-born," said Harry, "and she's the best in our year."

"Funny how that sometimes happens, isn't it?" said Slughorn.

"Not really," said Harry coldly.

Slughorn looked down at him in surprise. "You mustn't think I'm prejudiced!" he said. "No, no, no! Haven't I just said your mother was one of my all-time favorite students? And there was Dirk Cresswell in the year after her too — now Head of the Goblin Liaison Office, of course — another Muggle-born, a very gifted student, and still gives me excellent inside information on the goings-on at Gringotts!"

He bounced up and down a little, smiling in a self-satisfied way, and pointed at the many glittering photograph frames on the  
>dresser, each peopled with tiny moving occupants.<p>

"All ex-students, all signed. You'll notice Barnabas Cuffe, editor of the Daily Prophet, he's always interested to hear my take on the day's news. And Ambrosius Flume, of Honeydukes — a hamper every birthday, and all because I was able to give him an introduction to Ciceron Harkiss, who gave him his first job! And at the back — you'll see her if you just crane your neck — that's Gwenog Jones, who of course captains the Holyhead Harpies... People are always astonished to hear I'm on first-name terms with the Harpies, and free tickets whenever I want them! Then there's Martha Jones, not related to Gwenog, mind you. She married that Greenley fellow before he set off, and he's still on such good terms with the Magpies even after he retired, i dare say, i can go from one Quidditch game to another with what she sends over! Such a shame i never got to meet her boys though, i would quite like to hear some stories from those pair considering their father's well-known family!..."

"Well, i dunno, their youngest son is still at Hogwarts..." Harry said uncertainly, connecting two and two together.

Slughorn gave him a bemused look. "Indeed?"

"Yeah, but it's his last year," Harry said uncertainly.

Slughorn looked to be considering something once again, and Harry added, "But all these people know where to find you, to send you stuff?" Harry could not help wondering why the Death Eaters had not yet tracked down Slughorn if hampers of sweets, Quidditch tickets, and visitors craving his advice and opinions could find him.

The smile slid from Slughorn's face as quickly as the blood from his walls.

"Of course not," he said, looking down at Harry. "I have been out of touch with everybody for - for awhile now."

Harry had the impression that the words shocked Slughorn himself; he looked quite unsettled for a moment. Then he shrugged. "Still ... the prudent wizard keeps his head down in such times.

"All very well for Dumbledore to talk, but taking up a post at Hogwarts just now would be tantamount to declaring my public allegiance to the Order of the Phoenix! And while I'm sure they're very admirable and brave and all the rest of it, I don't personally fancy the mortality rate —"

"You don't _have_ to join the Order to teach at Hogwarts," said Harry earnestly. "Most of the teachers aren't in it, and none of them has ever been killed — well, unless you count Quirrell, and he got what he deserved seeing as he was working with Voldemort."

Harry had been sure Slughorn would be one of those wizards who could not bear to hear Voldemort's name spoken aloud, and was not disappointed: Slughorn gave a shudder and a squawk of protest, which Harry ignored.

"I reckon the staff are safer than most people while Dumbledore's headmaster; he's supposed to be the only one Voldemort ever feared, isn't he?" Harry went on.

Slughorn gazed into space for a moment or two: He seemed to be thinking over Harry's words.

"Well, yes, it is true that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has never sought a fight with Dumbledore," he muttered grudgingly. "And I suppose one could argue that as I have not joined the Death Eaters, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named can hardly count me a friend ... in which case, I might well be safer a little closer to Albus. ... I cannot pretend that Amelia Bones's death did not shake me ... If she, with all her Ministry contacts and protection..."

Dumbledore reentered the room and Slughorn jumped as though he had forgotten he was in the house.

"Oh, there you are, Albus," he said. "You've been a very long time. Upset stomach?"

"No, I was merely reading the Muggle magazines," said Dumbledore in a cheery voice. "I do love knitting patterns. Well, Harry, we have trespassed upon Horace's hospitality quite long enough; I think it is time for us to leave."

Not at all reluctant to obey, Harry jumped to his feet. Slughorn seemed taken aback. "You're leaving?"

"Yes, indeed. I think I know a lost cause when I see one."

"Lost...?"

Slughorn seemed agitated. He twiddled his fat thumbs and fidgeted as he watched Dumbledore fasten his traveling cloak, and Harry zip up his jacket.

"Well, I'm sorry you don't want the job, Horace," said Dumbledore, raising his uninjured hand in a farewell salute. "Hogwarts would have been glad to see you back again. Our greatly increased security notwithstanding, you will always be welcome to visit, should you wish to."

"Yes - well - very gracious - as I say - "

"Good-bye, then."

"Bye," said Harry.

They were at the front door when there was a shout from behind them.

"All right, all right, I'll do it!"

Dumbledore turned to see Slughorn standing breathless in the doorway to the sitting room.

"You will come out of retirement?"

"Yes, yes," said Slughorn impatiently. "I must be mad, but yes."

"Wonderful," said Dumbledore, beaming. "Then, Horace, we shall see you on the first of September. I'm sure Lily will be most pleased to see you again"

"Yes, I daresay you will," grunted Slughorn, though he seemed to be a little more lighthearted at the mention of her name.

As they set off down the garden path, Slughorn's voice floated after them, "I'll want a pay rise, Dumbledore!"

Dumbledore chuckled. The garden gate swung shut behind them, and they set off back down the hill through the dark and the swirling mist.

"Well done, Harry," said Dumbledore.

"I didn't do anything," said Harry in surprise.

"Oh yes you did. You showed Horace exactly how much he stands to gain by returning to Hogwarts. Did you like him?"

"Er..."

Harry wasn't sure whether he liked Slughorn or not. He supposed he had been pleasant in his way, but he had also seemed vain and, whatever he said to the contrary, much too surprised that a Muggle-born should make a good witch.

"Horace," said Dumbledore, relieving Harry of the responsibility to say any of this, "likes his comfort. He also likes the company of the famous, the successful, and the powerful. He enjoys the feeling that he influences these people. He has never wanted to occupy the throne himself; he prefers the backseat — more room to spread out, you see. He used to handpick favourites at Hogwarts, sometimes for their ambition or their brains, sometimes for their charm or their talent, and he had an uncanny knack for choosing those who would go on to become outstanding in their various fields. Horace formed a kind of club of his favourites with himself at the centre, making introductions, forging useful contacts between members, and always reaping some kind of benefit in return, whether a free box of his favorite crystalized pineapple or the chance to recommend the next junior member of the Goblin Liaison Office."

Harry had a sudden and vivid mental image of a great swollen spider, spinning a web around it, twitching a thread here and there to bring its large and juicy flies a little closer.

"I tell you all this," Dumbledore continued, "not to turn you against Horace — or, as we must now call him, Professor Slughorn — but to put you on your guard. He will undoubtedly try to collect you, Harry. You would be the jewel of his collection; 'the Boy Who Lived' ... or, as they call you these days, 'the Chosen One.' "

At these words, a chill that had nothing to do with the surrounding mist stole over Harry. He was reminded of words he had heard a few weeks ago, words that had a horrible and particular meaning to him: Neither can live while the other survives...

Dumbledore had stopped walking, level with the church they had passed earlier. "This will do, Harry. If you will grasp my arm."

Braced this time, Harry was ready for the Apparition, but still found it quite unpleasant. They were engulfed in a swirl of colours, and disappeared from the square, leaving a slight snapping noise lingering in the air.

* * *

><p>The Weasley Twins had the same identical grins on their freckled faces. Their 'little' joke shop business was booming, they could hardly keep up with the rapid orders they were receiving for exploding powders and sparkling fireworks. Of course, after their legendary getaway from Hogwarts only a few months before, and 'subtly' advertising their wares, and the fact that they were so liked to the masses of their customers, it was no wonder a many flocked to their brightly lit and colourful shop for some entertainment and laughter in such dark times.<p>

Fred sat upon the top of the counter set in the heart of the shop, swinging his feet playfully, as groups of kids eagerly rushed past him, their arms laden with bright purple and orange wrapped sweets and talking animatedly.

"You reckon we'll get dentist bills once those rot their teeth to the core?" George Weasley asked, appearing next him and wearing bright magenta robes that the empolyees wore.

Fred huffed a dark strand out of his face and snickered. "Like hell you should, those things are loaded with sugar, they'll be wearing false teeth in no time."

"Now Acid-Green, don't be so naive, we promptly put 'Wash your teeth after each treat' on the wrappings," Fred Weasley said smartly, standing next to his twin in the same clashing robes. He thought for a moment and said in an afterthought, "Of course, we _did_ put them in small writing on the bottom corner on the back, but i'm sure they'll get the message."

"Foolproof plan, we know." George said cheekily.

"Not as much as mum's plan," his twin added with a slightly annoyed sigh.

"Your mum's still got Tonks coming over?" Fred asked, scratching his chin.

They nodded grimly. "It's a total lost cause though, innit?" George said, sounding scandalised. "Bill already asked Fleur, and she said yes right away! Who'd pick Tonks over the bloody Veela granddaughter, especially one that will marry you?"

"Good to know you don't care about looks," said a voice, and the Twins whipped around to see Hermione glaring at them, one of her eyes bruised purple, as Ron and Harry trailing behind her, pushing through the crowded store. Ginny was right behind Harry, looking around the store with an amazed expression on her face.

"Now dear, you know that's not what we mean," Fred Weasley smiled at her. Hermione grmiaced and he added, "You went through the boxes in our room, didn't you?"

"What makes you say that?" Hermione asked scratchily.

"Well, for one thing you're wearing one nasty shiner, and we've only seen that when someone doesn't use Acid-Green rocket puncher correctly," Gerorge said simply, pointing at Fred. Hermione looked around Fred Weasley and gave him a seething look, which increased more as Harry and Ron's failed attempts to stiffen their laughter could be easily heard from behind her.

"Sorry!" Fred said, feeling like a cornered criminal by the look on her face. "Only the better off models end up here, you must have used a faulty one!"

"Well it punched her right in the eye, so it must not have been too off the mark." Harry said, biting back a giggle.

"You are _so_ not helping right now, midget," Fred said acidly, making Harry's smile wipe off his face and cause Ron to laugh even harder. "See? It's funny because you're really tiny." Ron laughed.

"Oh really?" Harry snapped. "Never noticed!"

Fred Weasley rolled his eyes and put his hand into his robes, and extracted a small tub of cream and handed it to Hermione. "Here, tab some of this on, the bruise will be gone in about a hour."

Hermione opened the container and patted some of the creamy yellow goo on her bruised eye as a voice suddenly spoke up.

"Sorry we all can't be nearly seven-foot tall gits like you, Acid-Green," Ginny said, suddenly appearing around Harry, who even for his lack of height compared to the others, was much taller than her and glaring at Fred. "Though if you ask me, you look like a beanpole, and the added height is definitely not helping your cause."

Despite themselves, they burst into laughter, even making Hermione chuckle and almost lose her grip on the cream container, as Fred looked beyond offended. "Oh well excuse me for my ruddy genes! I can't help it that metabolism is faster than most!"

"Please, everyone knows you burn off every calorie you take in with Little Miss Balavan," George snickered. "Because by what you told us, you _both_ broke your beds! And we doubt it was because you two were just _jumping_ on them."

Hermione and Ginny looked momentarily a taken back as Harry and Ron, while still laughing, clapped. "Good job man, good job." Ron said through his laugher, he and Harry both nodding their heads in approval.

"That's just disgusting!" Hermione said shrilly, sealing the container of cream closed again.

"Oh _honestly_, don't be such a prude about it," Fred said, looking quite proud of himself and smiling. "You should have seen us after Yule Ball... No, wait, you can ask Fleur about it, we almost used the broom closet she was in with that Roger bloke from Ravenclaw, but they just didn't want to give up their spot-!"

Hermione made an annoyed noise in her throat as Ginny snapped, "Oh really, don't expect us to go asking Phlegm about your little escapades!"

"Aw, why not?" Fred pouted playfully. "They're so interesting, i should have a whole book series of it..."

"Like anyone would want to read about _that_," Harry said, snickering still.

"Oh yeah? Like what, they'd want to read a whole book series about _you_ instead?" Fred asked sharply.

Harry shrugged. "Dunno, it would be pretty neat..."

"It would sell millions." Ron giggled.

"_Billions._" Harry added.

Fred huffed. "That's stupid, it would need insufferable amounts of me to make it half-way decent."

"Fine, we'll name it '_Harry Potter and his loveable beanpole nitwit Fred_.'" Harry said, causing the others to laugh again. "And every other chapter will be you and your secret infatuation for me."

Fred beamed at him. "_Please_, it's not secret at all."

"I love you too, darling." Harry said, smirking slightly as Ginny laughed despite herself.

"Harry and Acid-Green's love affair aside," George said after their laughter died down. "Would you lot like a tour of the place?"

"Aw, but i haven't seen my little midget all summer!" Fred said, sounding like a child who wasn't getting what he wanted. "Harry already paid for the place! You can show him later!"

"Fine, have it your way," George said coolly. He turned to Harry. "Knock some sense into him if you must. What 'bout you, Ronnie?"

Ron thought for a moment, glancing back at his brothers then Hermione. "I'll go with your lot, Harry has to plan his wedding with Acid-Green anyway,"

"You'll be my best man, don't worry." Harry said as the Twins giggled.

Fred looked offended once again, but this time at Harry. "Excuse me, _you're_ the woman in this relationship, i'm not wearing a dress."

"But the veil would go so lovely with your eyes," Harry said sadly as George said, "Come along, my dears, this way-"

"_Wait_," Fred said, making the Twins turn back to him.

"What?" they said at the same time.

"Bring Rose and Alice with you, why don't you?" Fred asked. "I don't want them around for what i got to show midget here."

"Find them and we'll bring them along," Fred Weasley said simply.

"No problem," Fred said happily.

He turned his head to the side, which faced a large shelf of a many coloured potions, and yelled, "Oh look! A sale on Pink Coconut Ice!"

There was a shuffling noise and Rose suddenly appeared from behind the shelf, her red hair flying over her wide eyes and looking around. Alice appeared from behind her, looking around as well, though not as enthusiastically as her sister.

"Ah, the ginge loves his Coconut Ice," Fred smiled happily as Rose huffed and said, "Fred! Not funny! Oh, hey Harry-"

Harry nodded to her with a smile as Fred said, "I'll get you some later. Now, Thing One and Thing Two, go with the Twins please, Harry and i need some alone time and we can't have your prying ears _eavesdropping_ on us."

"Why?" Alice asked, looking at him with a questioning look. "There's all these other people here-"

"Yes, but they aren't evil like you two, so i don't worry about them," Fred said, smirking at them.

"Are you going to plan Eoywn's demise with Harry now, are you?" Rose said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"That cat _will not die_, it's freaking immortal and immoral," Fred said seriously, wagging his finger at them. He put a kind simper on his voice and said, "Please? I won't bug you for the rest of the day, i promise."

"Can i hit you over the head with my Potions textbook when we get home?" Rose said, cocking a brow at him.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Fred said quickly. "My skull's thick enough after your two's abuse anyway, i'll be fine."

Alice and Rose gave each other sidelong glances and after a moment Alice said, "Fine, we'll leave you two be."

"Bully then," Fred Weasley said as the pair of them joined their group. "Now i think the ladies will especially like this, we just got a new batch of Love Potions in-!"

As soon as Ginny's red mane of hair was out of view, Fred patted the empty counter space next to him and Harry jumped up onto it, sitting next to him. "Good summer?" Harry asked.

"Oh most certainly," Fred said happily. "I mean, i broke two beds, what else do you need?"

"True," Harry said. After a moment he asked abruptly," Hey, can i ask you something?"

"Hmm?" Fred said, raising an eyebrow at him. "Yeah, what's up?"

"Er, have you noticed anything weird this summer?" Harry asked.

"Like what?" Fred asked, looking bemused.

"Well, i dunno, i was with Dumbledore the other night-" Harry started.

"You were with Dumbledore?" Fred asked, cutting him off. "What for?"

"We had to convince some old professor to come teach at Hogwarts again," Harry said quickly.

"Which subject?"

"Like i know, Defence i guess? That's the only free one."

Fred sighed. "Ah, dad loses out again,"

Harry gave him a confused look and Fred said, "He really wants that teaching subject, whatever. Anyway, what about Dumbledore?"

"Oh, well his hand..." Harry said weakly. "It's, er, burnt-"

"He _burnt_ his hand?" Fred said, not sounding impressed at all by that information.

"I don't mean _just_ burnt," Harry snapped, noticing Fred's less-than enthusiastic expression. "It looked _dead_,"

"So?" Fred said.

"_So_," said Harry in a stressed voice. "He said something about your dad helping him keep the dead-looking hand..."

"Fascinating," Fred said in a drone. He noticed Harry's angered expression and he added, "Listen, i know during like, the third week since we got back from Hogwarts our dad had to leave because Dumbledore owled him, and he came back a few hours later and looked a bit freaked, but that's it..."

"And you never bothered to think _why_ he looked so 'freaked' for?" Harry snapped.

"Uh, _no_," Fred said in a bored tone. "With Moldy Voldy back, i'm surprised we all don't have scared looks on our faces. If you ask me, i reckon Dumbledore just told him about him getting more followers and it scared him a bit, he is human, after all."

"And it took him a few hours just to tell him that?" Harry said harshly. "Don't you find that a _bit_ odd?"

"Oi, _you_ thought my dad was trying to kill you in your first bloody year because he was a bit cheeky with you," Fred said in steely voice. "You have the tendency to get a bit ahead of yourself, you know."

Harry looked momentarily defeated. "I guess you're right..."

"Damn right i'm right," Fred said in a snarky tone. "Now stop it with your conspiracy theories-"

"Says the bloke who thinks their pet cat is evil," Harry said with a smirk.

"Shut up, she is," Fred said, shaking his finger at him. "No, i got something that will surely put a big ol' grin on your face..."

Fred put his hand into the collar of his shirt, and a second later pulled out a pale pink journal, a ribbon decorating the front cover.

"Lovely choice, but i never dawned you as a pink person," Harry said sarcasitcally.

"Very funny, this is Alice's," Fred said, wagging it at him.

"I got that much," Harry said. "Why do you have it for?"

"Because i was bored and i just had to see if she had any dirty secrets on her little Gryffindor boyfriend," Fred grinned evilly. "Which she does."

"Like what, if i can ask?" Harry said, not hiding the laughter that was coming on again in his throat.

"Oh, i don't _know_," Fred said, flipping the journal open to one page, which looked to be one that was opened to for longer than most of the others. He trailed a finger down it, "Apparently as a baby, he never liked wearing pants..."

"Who does?" Harry laughed. "They're so constricting."

Fred smiled slightly. "Please, you should see the pictures i found on my camera, but..."

He flipped to another page, which was a more recent entry. "Also, apparently his older brother got himself a little girlfriend!"

"That git did?" Harry asked, looking impressed. "Good job, someone can actually stand him."

"Yes, well, that's not all. Apparently our little Matty is gonna be an uncle by the start of next year," Fred added.

Harry raised his brows. "Wait, you mean to say...?"

"Yes," Fred said seriously. "The git has pro-created."

"Good _god_," Harry said dramatically. "We're doomed."

"I know," Fred said, nodding his head in agreement. "Which is worst, seeing as Alice wrote down that it's due in March. Let's hope it isn't coming out and ruing my birthday."

"Not unless it's all the good qualities," Harry added.

Fred shrugged his shoulders. "We'll see, but, and god knows why, Alice just _had_ to write this one down... Look..."

He flipped to another page, and showed it to Harry. Harry read Alice's slightly spidery writing and had to bit his lip to stop himself from bursting into laughter.

Harry looked up from the page. "Are you serious? Since he was _fourteen_?"

"I know!" Fred laughed, grinning widely. "I mean, he totally passed the whole puberty thing without a single damn snag, he probably just thought, "Well, why the hell not?' and just went with it!"

"You reckon she's okay with it?" Harry asked.

"Like hell she is," Fred said smartly. "Who wouldn't be? Imagine waking up to that!"

"It's times like this is wish i was your sister." Harry said solemnly.

"Me too," Fred said dreamily. "You'd make a pretty girl."

"Thank you." Harry said certainly.

"Oh look, it's the two lovebirds!" said a cold voice, which sent a chill down Fred's spine.

They looked up and saw Charisse standing in front of him, giving him a seething look and wrapped in a jet black traveling cloak, which was lined with black animal fur. Unlike last year, she had cut the dyed-blond bits out of her hair, as it was now jagged and as dark as ever. She looked like a sore thumb in such a bright and happy store.

"Oh great," Harry mumbled miserably.

"Sup' Chair," Fred said smoothly. "Did you get lost on your way back to the asylum? I heard they let the patients go for some fresh air once a year."

Charisse sneered at him. "Very cute, Snape, very clever. We're just stopping in to see how, ah, _business_ is going."

"Splendidly, thanks," Fred said coldly.

"Wait, who's 'we'?" Harry asked.

"That would be me, boy," said a rough voice.

A large and older man walked up next to her. He was aged and looked rather cruel and cunning, and his emotionless smile did not meet his dark eyes. Charisse smiled up at him adoringly. "Newton Wargrave, i'm this darling girl's father."

Fred looked a taken aback. Harry just looked stunned. It pleased Charisse immensely.

"Yes, this place is ... quaint, i suppose," Newton said, staring about the shop disdainfully. "Much too bright for my tastes, however..."

"Well i'm sorry we can't have it be pitch black like your souls," Fred snapped venomously. "Or lack thereof."

Charisse gave an exaggerated gasp as Newton said, in a deadly tone, "You think you're clever, boy?"

"Very much so," Fred said cooly, handing Harry the journal and looking about to jump off the counter and attack him. "Why do you ask?

"Because you're very foolish," Newton said wickedly. "You speak too soon, you'll never know when, after you speak so _rudely_ to your superiors, that it will come back to hurt you in the end."

"Well i'm not talking to my superiors, now am i?" Fred snapped, jumping down from the counter and staring at them with narrowed eyes, himself actually being taller than Mr Wargrave.

Newton and Charisse glared at him, their identical eyes flashing dangerously at him. "It must have been a dark time in Charisse's life when she actually believed you were worth something..." Newton said bluntly.

"Oh _please_, she's the one that kissed _me_," Fred said acidly. "Not like i enjoyed it, mind you, she nearly choked me out."

Charisse stared at him with a deadly look on her eyes, looking like she was about to pounce him and claw his face right then and there, when Newton said in a clear voice, "My, my, why do i feel like you'll met your end much sooner than everyone else with that attitude?"

Fred glared at him. "Like it matters, at least i don't get kicks out of thinking i'm better than everyone else."

Newton tutted. "Such ignorance. You both will get what's coming to you, i swear by it. Come along, dear, let's not waste anymore of our time on these fools, i think your mother might have gotten lost in the powders section by now anyway."

They gave them cold glares before turning on their heels and sauntered away from Fred and Harry, their heads held high, though Charisse barely reached her father's chest.

"Why," Fred said as they disappeared into the crowd. "Why are all the crazies always following me?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders, the pink journal still in his hands. "Maybe God just got really bored and wanted to mess with you..."

They held footsteps, and Alice reappeared, next to them, a puffy pink ball with tiny black eyes making squeaky noises on her shoulder.

"How cute is this little lady?" Alice said with a giggle as she wiggled her finger at the puff ball. "I'm going to see if i can get one-"

She looked up at the pair of them, and her eyes widened as she noticed what was in Harry's hands. "What the hell is _that_?"

Harry looked down at the journal, looking lost for words as Fred said, "Er, nothing..."

"That's my journal!" Alice snapped angrily. "You stole it! I thought i lost it!"

"Oh look, mystery solved!" Harry said weakly. "Now you can't be mad at us-"

"Shut it," Alice snapped, and Harry went silent. "What did you read in that?"

"Nothing..." Fred said innocently. "Well, we might have glanced at a few things..."

"Like _what_?" Alice said, her voice getting more shrill by the moment and the puff ball squeaking slightly in confusion.

"Uh, something about Matt as a baby and stuff..." Harry said quietly.

"Yeah, and that he's been sleeping sans clothes since he was fourteen." Fred added dumbly.

Fred slapped his hand over his mouth after a second when he realised what he said and Alice's face went beet red. "You evil little-"

"Well think of it this way," Fred said stupidly. "At least now i know not to yank the sheets off him unless i want to see more than i bargained for! Thought, i wouldn't be _that_ opposed to it, i suppose if it was _him_..."

The puff ball landed in a slight bump next to Harry, looking puzzled, and Fred started running for his life as Alice started yelling her head off and chasing him, saying, _"I'LL GOING TO RIP YOUR HEAD OFF!"_

"Oh, and tell him congrats on being an uncle!" Harry added loudly as they pushed through the crowds, Fred looking like he was going to die at any moment.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm going to go write a Michael background drabble now.<strong>

**(Also, now you can all have the great mental image of Matthew sleeping in the nude.)**


	57. Off Shooting Brooms

**AN: Thank you for being so patient, hopefully this makes up for it.**

* * *

><p>Charisse followed her father through the overly-bright jokeshop as her father went to searched for her mother. Finally, ignoring as she could plainly hear a few children cheering someone chasing another on, they found her mother staring in a confused fashion at a varied-coloured set of exploding powders.<p>

"Medea, come along, we're _leaving_." Newton spat, Charisse standing rigidly by her father's side.

Medea turned, looking still puzzled. "Ah, alright, 'ear, this 'lace is hurtin my head anyway..."

She took a spot next to her daughter and they followed behind him, and finally exited out of the store and once again onto the grey-tinged Diagon Alley beyond.

Charisse huffed some of her dark hair out of her eyes as she suddenly felt a claw-like hand grip on her arm, which dragged her along.

"What in the hell were you thinking, _girl_?" Newton snapped venomously, his strong hand gripping on Charisse's upper-arm. "_Him_? Of all people? What are you playing at? He's a prime example of filthy little half-bloods!"

Charisse winced at the pain for what must have been the hundredth or so time. She could never argue with her father, he _terrified_ her. Charisse glanced behind her, and her mother blankly stared to the side of her. She should have known, her mother never came to her defence, _never_.

"Must be teenage rebellion phase, isn't it?" Newton sneered, passing the abandoned Ollivander's shop. "My brothers went through that too, and one ended up dead because of it! Do you want to end up like that?"

"He doesn't like me anyway!" Charisse snapped finally, her voice sounding high in fear and anger. "Why should you care! I'm not going to end up dead because of some big-nosed idiot like him!"

Newton glared at her, making it feel as if she was being stared down by a vicious animal. "Oh, being smart, aren't we? That's amazing for you, you obviously have just now learned to use what little intelligence you've got!"

A rock bounced off his temple with a slight tap, and it clunked on the stone-paved street. There was a slight snickering, and Newton turned away from her and to the direction where the small rock came from.

A boy, about sixteen in age, was leaning against one of the other abandoned shops, his long-ish dark brown hair falling in his icy blue eyes. He was giggling at them, his slightly sharp teeth being shown.

"Oi, was that you throwin' rocks at me?" Newton said in a falsely nice voice. The boy shrugged his shoulders, taking another small rock out of his pocket and looking at it before looking back at Newton. "Maybe, who wants to know?"

"I don't think you know who you're talking to, son." Newton said smoothly, his hand still clutched around Charisse's upper-arm.

"I don't fortunately, so maybe some proper introduction is needed?" the boy asked in his own lying sweet voice, tossing the rock aside. "Name's Branin Haskell, i go to school with your, er, _daughter_ there."

He pointed to Charisse, and she blushed pink as Newton looked back at her. "He does, does he? Do you know this boy, dear?"

"N-No..." Charisse said weakly, glancing at Branin. She had seen him around Hogwarts before, actually. Of course, every time she did, he was always moping around that Alice girl in her year to get her to go out with him, which was a complete waste of time, everyone with half-a-brain knew she and that tall ponce from Gryffindor were mad about each other, he was fighting a losing battle.

"You say your name is Haskell, eh?" Newton said, turning once again to Branin, who stared right back at him like a dog about to pounce. "Strange, isn't that a _female_-driven line? And it might just be me, but you don't _look_ like a girl, though the hair is a bit misleading..."

The smirk on Branin's face vanished, and he glared at him as Newton continued. "What's your _real_ name, boy?"

"Who wants to know?" Branin snapped.

"_I_ want to know," Newton said acidly. "Or if i must, _i_ can alert the Ministry that you aren't taking the proper actions in these troubled times. Shouldn't you be with another person at all times, eh? And i don't see anyone else around..."

"S-Salvatore." Branin stammered out in an odd sounding fashion and cutting Newton off. He sounded hollow.

Newton smirked at him. "That's what i thought! You got the eyes of their line. Of course, they were in all the papers a few years back, were they not? You must have been just a baby then..."

Branin's eyes got an odd golden colour to it, but Newton payed no notice to it. "What a _shame_, but then again, that's what they deserve for meddling in things they should have stayed _out_ of-"

"Oh, like _you_ know?" Branin snapped finally, his teeth bared. "How would you know anything about want any good or not they did when you belittle your own kid for what? Liking some prick who wouldn't look _twice_ at her? Why are you judging my family when you don't even know how to take care of your own?"

Medea and Charisse both looked a taken back, Newton, however, kept his cool. "Look at _that_, the boy has a sharp tongue! Well, don't let us keep you, go on, get, with your attitude you'll be with your family again in no time."

Branin pushed himself away from the wall, glaring at Newton and breezed past him. He glanced at Charisse, who looked stupefied and he caught her eye. He felt an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach when her dark eyes locked with his icy ones, it went like a fluttering butterfly was in his stomach, but he quickly recovered and went farther away from them.

Only a few shops away from them, he felt an odd, heavy bump go against his shoulder.

"Ah, Ron, watch where you're going!" said Hermione's voice, which got more distant and sounded oddly ruffled. Branin looked around, he couldn't see her, nor the other two voices.

"C'mon, we're going to miss Malfoy!" said Harry's voice in a rushed whisper and Branin heard shuffled footsteps which went away from him, and it sounded like they went down Knockturn Alley after a few moments.

"Weird." Branin muttered, and he turned and headed back down the Alley in silence.

* * *

><p>"By god, what do you think is wrong with Remus?" Lily asked solemnly as the train rattled on.<p>

Severus gave her confused look, sitting across from her as they sat in one of the more lavish compartments just for the teachers on the Hogwarts Express. "What do you mean?"

"Well, i don't know," Lily started. "He's looking a more grey recently, don't you think?"

Severus thought for a moment. "You don't think the transformations are getting worse for him, do you? I've been making him his potion every month on the dot like i've always have..."

"No, Sev," Lily said, cutting him off. "I don't think it involves the transformations at all, actually."

"Then what would it be then?" Severus asked, looking puzzled. "I mean, i know with _Him_ back everyone has been more stressed as of late, but we've already gone through it once, what could be more different now-?"

The compartment door snapped open, and a booming voice said, "Lily! Severus! It's been too long!"

"Professor!" Lily said in a cheery voice, looking surprised as Slughorn wedged himself slightly into the slim doorframe. "Oh, i mean-"

Slughorn waved her off. "Never you mind, dear, no one has called me 'professor' since after you two got married! Ah, that seems like it was just yesterday!"

"It's good seeing you too, sir." Severus said politely as Slughorn pushed himself into the compartment, looking like he would need to take up half of it anyway.

Slughorn looked at him with his gooseberry coloured eyes and chuckled heartedly, plopping down next to Lily as the door snapped shut behind him, nearly pressing her against the window with his wide frame. "My, my, always the gentleman, aren't you? Haven't changed a bit i see!"

Severus looked slightly embarrassed as Slughorn turned to side to Lily. "I heard a funny rumour about you teaching here as well, but it must be true, why else would you be seated up here?"

"This is the start of my third year, actually." Lily beamed.

"My word, is it?" Slughorn said. "Well, i hope Hogwarts hasn't changed too much since i was there!"

Slughorn chuckled again, and said when he calmed back down, "So, how are the children? They must be so big by now-!"

The compartment door snapped open again, and a long mane of curly black hair whipped into view. "Mum, if i have prefect status, i can give Frederick detentions right...?"

"Ha!" Slughorn said in his booming voice, nearly making Alice jump back against the door frame when she noticed Slughorn there as well. "Look at you! Look just like your mummy, minus a few colouring differences of course..."

"Oh, sweetie, this is Horace Slughorn," Lily said as Alice gave her a confused look. "Remember? He always sends those little pink bows you like for your birthdays?"

Alice nodded after a moment of registration. "Y-Yes... T-Thank you for them, s-sir..."

"Ah, she's just as mannered as her father," Slughorn said with a wink as he noticed the shining silver prefect badge pinned to her robes, a large S behind a curled snake decorating it. "And a prefect! Good show, dear, good show!"

Alice looked nearly as embarrassed as her father was a few moments before when another, much taller person appeared next to her, looking into the compartment with curious eyes.

"My, my, and who might this handsome lad be?" Slughorn said as he looked over the boy with a sort of wondered expression.

"Oh, er, i'm Matthew," Matthew Greenley said in a slightly bemused voice as Slughorn smiled at him. He held his hand out to him and Matthew took it after a moment and Slughorn shook it vigorously. "Greenley's boy, i expect?"

"Uh, yeah, that's me," Matthew said, giving Alice a side long look. She had her hand over her mouth, and he noticed that both she and her father had the same kind of expression on their faces like they were biting back laughter.

"I can tell," Slughorn said in a matter-of-fact voice as he let go of Matthew's hand. "Got your mum's eyes and your father's good looks! Nearly taught all your relatives too, not very big on the girl ratio, are they?"

"Oh, no sir," Matthew said awkwardly. "We, um, haven't had a girl born into the family in a real long time. I mean, other than my grand aunt's side..."

"Ah, well, i'm sure you'll be able to fix that soon enough, you probably have all the girls chasing after you, don't you?" Slughorn said humorously. "Pray tell, you must know Ms Snape here, do you not?"

Slughorn waved his pudgy hand at Alice, and Matthew looked at her then back to Slughorn. "She's my girlfriend, actually."

"You're joking!" Slughorn said in jubilation. He looked towards Lily. "Let me ponder, you two already have nicknames for the grandkids, don't you? Little Prince and Princess? Ah, quite a pair if i've ever seen one!"

Both Matthew and Alice's faces blushed red, as if they were disguising something else entirely, and Severus gave them a raised-brow look.

Slughorn chuckled again. "I kid, of course, i kid..."

"Sir?" Matthew asked suddenly. "I actually only came here to get Alice, there was a bit of a tussle down the train with a boy in Ravenclaw and another boy from Hufflepuff and i just thought since she's a prefect now that-"

"No matter," Slughorn said understandingly, though not sounding at all like he cared. He looked towards Alice. "Do tell, is your brother or sister near by?"

"Oh, um," Alice said weakly. "My brother is with his friend Harry in one compartment, and my sister is with her boyfriend in the one next's to theirs..."

"Harry, eh?" Slughorn asked with a gleam in his eye. "As in 'Harry Potter' Harry?"

"Uh, yeah, that one..." Alice said stiffly.

"Well, if you two don't mind, and if you are already heading down that way, would you mind doing a favour for me?" Slughorn asked.

He fiddled for a moment looking through an inner pocket of his velvet-like waist coat and produced five tiny scrolls of parchment that were tied in violet ribbons. "You you mind delivering these for me? I'm sure Neville Longbottom won't be too hard to find, i've been meaning to catch up with him as well..."

"Neville's in Harry's compartment, actually," Matthew said.

"Is he now? Well, do give the one addressed to him for me then, if you'd please." Slughorn said in a simper. With reluctance, Matthew took the scrolls from him, and he let Alice leave the compartment before him.

"Also, son," Slughorn said before Matthew shut the door on them again. "There's one for Alice in there, i wouldn't mind if you tagged along with her, you know?"

"Oh, um, okay, thank you sir..." Matthew said awkwardly. He gave a sort of embarrassed smile to Severus and let the compartment door snap shut after he left.

"My, my, both of your daughters are in relationships?" Slughorn chuckled, looking at Severus. "I would have thought you'd have them under surveillance at all times, Severus! But boys? Who would have guessed!"

Severus looked annoyed. "I'm still warming up to the idea..."

Slughorn laughed again. "A classic example of the overprotective father, aren't you? You probably still thinks they're six-year olds!"

"Well," Lily said with a slight giggle of her own. "They can still bicker with Frederick like they're six year olds, so i can see where that one comes from..."

"What're these anyway?" Matthew asked as they walked down the length of the train, clutching the scrolls in his arms.

"An invitation," Alice said, unrolling the one with her name on it. "Apparently Sluggy wants to have us for a little get together before we get to Hogwarts..."

"Well, he asked _you_, he only said i can tag along if i wanted to." Matthew added as they pasted a gaggle of third years.

Alice raised a dark brow to him. "Are you tagging along?"

"Like hell i am," Matthew said with a grin. "Who says no to nice little party before classes start up again?"

They ended up at one compartment, where they could plaining see Ron's vivid red hair, and Matthew snapped the door open as Alice went to the one next to it.

"-And i tell you what," Fred said seriously, sitting next to Harry, who looked like he was almost resting his head on Fred's thin shoulder. "I finished that _A Game of Thrones_ book in one weekend, and i'm not sure whether i'm excited for the next one or i'm just too emotionally drained to care, i mean after beheadings and lying and weird brother and sister relationships i don't know if i want to see what happens next..."

"Fascinating story, Freddie," Matthew sniggered.

They looked up, and the pair of them cracked their faces into goofy grins. "Oh he-eey Matty, when did you get here...?"

"About five seconds ago," Hermione said smartly, who was sitting across from Ron as he stuffed another Chocolate Frog in his mouth, who was on the other side of Fred.

"That was a rhetorical question, but thanks," Fred said sweetly, and Hermione gave him a smug look.

"What's up?" Harry asked, noticing the three scrolls of parchments in Matthew's hands.

"I got something fer ya'," Matthew said, and he handed Harry one scroll with his name written upon it, another with Fred's to him, and the last one to a puzzled looking Neville, who was sitting next to Hermione and a colourfully-bespectacled Luna, who was reading another issue of her father's odd magazine.

"Slughorn?" Ron asked as he looked over Fred's shoulder at the invitation. "Wasn't that that bloke you met over the summer, Harry? Why does he want you three for?"

"Because he's testing us to see with we're fit for human/dragon crossbreeding, because really, how wicked would i look with wings?" Fred snickered, rolling it back up.

"Oh no, you never partake in that, Fred," Luna said, lowering her magazine and showing off her odd glasses that gave her the appearance of an owl. "There's many sources on those going catastrophically wrong, like that couple in New Zealand that now dawn snouts and scales-"

"What? You mean someone actually did _that_?" Neville said a shocked voice, giving her a wide-eyed look.

"It happens quite often, actually," Luna said seriously. "Only my father ever reports on it though, it's vastly out-shadowed after You-Know-Who came back into power-"

"Well, i think an impending war is more important to report on than some New Zealanders and their odd fascination with dragon genetics," Hermione said timidly.

"Where we meeting up?" Matthew said as Harry rolled up his scroll once again.

"Compartment C," Harry said, pushing himself up, and Fred followed suit. Neville did the same as well, though not nearly as enthusiastically.

"But what does he want me for?" asked Neville nervously, as though he was expecting detention.

"No idea," said Harry, though not sounding all truthful about it. "Listen," he added, looking as if he was seized by a sudden brain wave, "let's go under the Invisibility Cloak, then we might get a good look at Malfoy on the way, see what he's up to."

Matthew gave him a puzzled look, and Fred said, "He's all suspicious about Malfoy now..."

"You agreed with me that he's acting weird!" Harry snapped.

"I always agree with you, stupid," Fred snapped back, sticking his tongue out at him. "Plus, Malfoy always been a shady little git, how is now any different...?"

"Are we going?" said a voice, and Rose appeared next to Matthew.

Seeing his idea came to no conclusion, and that the corridors, which were packed with people on the lookout for the lunch trolley, made it impossible to negotiate while wearing the cloak, Harry stowed it regretfully back in his bag. "Yeah, c'mon..."

"Tell the trolley to pass everyone else and stop only for us," Ron said a laugh as they left, Matthew leading the pack.

The staring, which was directly mostly to Harry, seemed to have increased in intensity even since he had last walked down the train. Every now and then, students would hurtle out of their compartments to get a better look at him. The exception was Cho Chang, who darted into her compartment when she saw Harry coming. As Harry passed the window, he saw her deep in determined conversation with her friend Marietta, who was wearing a very thick layer of makeup that did not entirely obscure the odd formation of pimples still etched across her face. Harry glanced at Fred, who gave him a sort of triumphant smirk, and they pressed on.

When they reached compartment C, they saw at once that they were not Slughorn's only invitees, although judging by the enthusiasm of Slughorn's welcome, Harry was the most warmly anticipated.

"Harry, m'boy!" said Slughorn, jumping up at the sight of him so that his great velvet-covered belly seemed to fill all the remaining space in the compartment. His shiny bald head and great silvery moustache gleamed as brightly in the sunlight as the golden buttons on his waistcoat. "Good to see you, good to see you! And you must be Mr. Longbottom!"

Neville gave a sort of nervous nod, and Slughorn turned his attention to Fred. "Oh, of course you must be Severus' boy, you look just like him,"

"I'm way more funny than him, but sure, we'll go with that," Fred said cheekily. Harry rolled his eyes, Fred always loved playing up the charm to people he could impress profoundly so they could help him in return, and Slughorn was no exception. Actually, by the look of it, Slughorn was already under Fred's charm.

"And of course i've already had the pleasure of meeting Mr Greenley and Ms Snape here, and you must be her older sister!" Slughorn said, addressing an embarrassed looking Rose. "My, it's been years, you look just like your mother... Well, don't let me keep you, take a seat, take a seat-!"

They followed his instructions, and Harry glanced around at their fellow guests. Rose sat next to a Slytherin from their year, a tall black boy with high cheekbones and long, slanting eyes, who by what he could remembered was named Blaise Zabini. There were also two seventh-year boys Harry did not know and, squashed in the corner beside Slughorn and looking as though she was not entirely sure how she had got there, Ginny, who was giving a fleeting look to Fred as he scratched his head.

"Now, do you know everyone?" Slughorn asked Harry and Neville. "Blaise Zabini is in your year, of course —"

Zabini did not make any sign of recognition or greeting, nor did Harry or Neville. Fred snickered at them and said, "Oh you three, such big babies, can't we ever have house unity or what?"

"Says the one dating a fellow Slytherin," Ginny giggled.

"Oi, that's just easy access, shut it," Fred said smartly.

"This is Cormac McLaggen," Slughorn said, ignoring Fred and Ginny. "Perhaps you've come across each other —? No?"

Cormac, a large, wiry-haired youth, who Matthew sat next to, raised a hand, and Harry and Neville nodded back at him.

"—and this is Marcus Belby, I don't know whether —?"

Belby, who was thin and nervous-looking, gave a strained smile.

"— and this charming young lady tells me she knows you!" Slughorn finished.

Ginny grimaced at Harry and Neville from behind Slughorn's back. Fred giggled again, gaining a seething look from Ginny all the while.

"Well now, this is most pleasant," said Slughorn cozily. "A chance to get to know you all a little better. Here, take a napkin. I've packed my own lunch; the trolley, as I remember it, is heavy on licorice wands, and a poor old man's digestive system isn't quite up to such things… Pheasant, Belby?"

Belby started and accepted what looked like half a cold pheasant.

"I was just telling young Marcus here that I had the pleasure of teaching his Uncle Damocles," Slughorn told Harry and Neville, now passing around a basket of rolls. "Outstanding wizard, outstanding, and his Order of Merlin most well-deserved. Do you see much of your uncle, Marcus?"

Unfortunately, Beiby had just taken a large mouthful of pheasant; in his haste to answer Slughorn he swallowed too fast, turned purple, and began to choke.

"_Anapneo_," said Slughorn calmly, pointing his wand at Belby, whose airway seemed to clear at once.

"Not… not much of him, no," gasped Belby, his eyes streaming.

"Well, of course, I daresay he's busy," said Slughorn, looking questioningly at Belby. "I doubt he invented the Wolfsbane Potion without considerable hard work!"

"I suppose…" said Belby, who seemed afraid to take another bite of pheasant until he was sure that Slughorn had finished with him. "Er… he and my dad don't get on very well, you see, so I don't really know much about…"

His voice tailed away as Slughorn gave him a cold smile and turned to Cormac instead.

"Now, you, Cormac," said Slughorn. "I happen to know you see a lot of your Uncle Tiberius, because he has a rather splendid picture of the two of you hunting nogtails in, I think, Norfolk?"

"Oh, yeah, that was fun, that was," said McLaggen. "We went with Bertie Higgs and Rufus Scrimgeour; this was before he became Minister, obviously —"

"Ah, you know Bertie and Rufus too?" beamed Slughorn, now offering around a small tray of pies; somehow, Belby was missed out. "Now tell me…"

Everyone here seemed to have been invited because they were connected to somebody well-known or influential — everyone except Ginny. Zabini, who was interrogated after McLaggen, turned out to have a famously beautiful witch for a mother (from what Harry could make out, she had been married seven times, each of her husbands dying mysteriously and leaving her mounds of gold). Harry knew of course that three of the Snapes had two of Slughorn's favourite students for their parents, and then there was Matthew having a famous Quidditch star and another favourite student of Slughorn's for his mother and father with some reference to his "extended family", whatever that meant. It was Neville's turn next: This was a very uncomfortable ten minutes, for Neville's parents, well-known Aurors, had been tortured into insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange and a couple of Death Eater cronies. At the end of Neville's interview, it looked that Slughorn was reserving judgment on Neville, yet to see whether he had any of his parents' flair.

"And now," said Slughorn, shifting massively in his seat with the air of a compere introducing his star act. "Harry Potter! Where to begin? I feel I barely scratched the surface when we met over the summer!" He contemplated Harry for a moment as though he was a particularly large and succulent piece of pheasant, then said, "'The Chosen One,' they're calling you now!"

Fred stared into space, twirling his finger in his hair absentmindedly. Matthew was bending down and whispering something to Alice and quickly pecking her on the cheek, and Ginny was giving Rose a 'i-really-wish-i-was-somewhere-else-right-now' look. Belby, McLaggen, and Zabini, however were all staring at Harry. "Of course," said Slughorn, watching Harry closely, "there have been rumors for years… I remember when… well — after that terrible night — Mary — James — and you survived — and the word was that you must have powers beyond the ordinary —"

Zabini gave a tiny little cough that was clearly supposed to indicate amused skepticism. An angry voice burst out from behind Slughorn. "Yeah, Zabini, because you're so talented… at posing…"

"Oh dear!" chuckled Slughorn comfortably, looking around at Ginny, who was glaring at Zabini around Slughorn's great belly. "You want to be careful, Blaise! I saw this young lady perform the most marvelous Bat-Bogey Hex as I was passing her carriage! I wouldn't cross her!"

Zabini merely looked contemptuous.

"Anyway," said Slughorn, turning back to Harry. "Such rumors this summer. Of course, one doesn't know what to believe, the Prophet has been known to print inaccuracies, make mistakes — but there seems little doubt, given the number of witnesses, that there was quite a disturbance at the Ministry and that you were there in the thick of it all!"

Harry, who could not see any way out of this without flatly lying, nodded but still said nothing. Slughorn beamed at him.

"So modest, so modest, no wonder Dumbledore is so fond — you were there, then? But the rest of the stories — so sensational, of course, one doesn't know quite what to believe — this fabled prophecy, for instance —"

"We never heard a prophecy," said Neville, turning geranium pink as he said it.

"That's right," said Fred staunchly, snapping back into focus. "I mean, me and Rose were there, and so was Ginny and Neville, and all this 'Chosen One' rubbish is just the Prophet making things up as usual."

"You were there too, were you?" said Slughorn with great interest, looking from each of them, but as you can tell, all of them sat clam-like before his encouraging smile.

"Yes… well… it is true that the Prophet often exaggerates, of course…" Slughorn said, sounding a little disappointed. "I remember dear Gwenog telling me (Gwenog Jones, I mean, of course, Captain of the Holyhead Harpies) —"

He meandered off into a long-winded reminiscence, but Harry had the distinct impression that Slughorn had not finished with him, and that he had not been convinced by Fred in the slightest, which he looked disappointed in, which Harry could tell by the slight muscle moving in his jaw.

The afternoon wore on with more anecdotes about illustrious wizards Slughorn had taught, all of whom had been delighted to join what he called the "Slug Club" at Hogwarts. Finally the train emerged from yet another long misty stretch into a red sunset, and Slughorn looked around, blinking in the twilight.

"Good gracious, it's getting dark already! I didn't notice that they'd lit the lamps! You'd better go and change into your robes, all of you. McLaggen, you must drop by and borrow that book on nogtails. Greenley, if you need any embarrassing details about your cousins, never be afraid to ask. Harry, Blaise — any time you're passing. Same goes for you, miss," he twinkled at Ginny. He looked at Fred. "And don't cause too much trouble for your parents, the three of you. Well, off you go, off you go!"

As he pushed past Harry into the darkening corridor, Zabini shot him a filthy look that Harry returned with interest.

"I'm glad that's over," muttered Neville as they stepped into the corridor and Slughorn disappeared from view. "Strange man, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he is a bit," said Harry, his eyes on Zabini. "How come you ended up in there, Ginny?"

"He saw me hex Zacharias Smith," said Ginny. "You remember that idiot from Hufflepuff who was in the D.A.? He kept on and on asking about what happened at the Ministry and in the end he annoyed me so much I hexed him — when Slughorn came in I thought I was going to get detention, but he just thought it was; it really good hex and invited me to lunch! Mad, eh?"

"Better reason for inviting someone than because their mother's famous," said Harry, scowling at the back of Zabini's head, "or because their uncle —"

"Oi, Matty," said a voice, and Harry nearly jumped as they looked behind them as Cormac patted Matthew's back. "Rhys has been worried sick, he's about to owl your mum unless you come back to our compartment."

"Oh, but i-," Matthew said weakly as Alice gave Cormac an annoyed looked.

"Dear god, you're letting shrimpy here tell you what to do?" Cormac said in scandalised voice as he noticed the look on Alice's face. "I thought you had a backbone-"

"Fer _your_ information," Matthew snapped acidly, his bright eyes narrowed at him. "Due to the fact that this is my _last_ year and it's only her _fifth_, our time together is a bit limited, and i don't mean to brag, but i'd rather spend as much time as possible in her company than all those failed attempts that you call dates, thank you very much."

"Oooo," Fred and Harry said in unison. "You better go to Madam Pomfrey, because that was a _burn_." Fred giggled with a snap of his fingers.

Cormac frowned at him. "See? This is why you should have stuck _strictly_ to inter-House relationships, mixing up with the others always screws ya' up-"

"Yes, well, i'll make sure to remember that next time you get hit over the head with a dinner plate because you were bugging that Dixon girl in Hufflepuff for the fiftieth time..." Matthew said smartly.

Alice wrapped her hand around his own and started pulling forward. "See you back at the dorms, send Rory my love!" Matthew said as they departed away. When they were about three compartments away, Matthew got his hand out of her grasp and put his arm instead around her shoulders and brought her closer to him and bent down, kissing the crown of her dark hair.

"Argh, he's like a lovesick puppy," Cormac said in a drone. "One that could kick my arse, mind you, but still..."

With a huff, and slight nod to Harry, he turned and went back down the opposite length of the train.

"Wow, she's got prefect duties and we've got our O.W.L.S this year _and_ she has to make quality time with her boyfriend?" Ginny laughed. "Sounds fun."

"Oh trust us, Alice can manage," Rose said a matter-of-factly, and Fred nodded in agreement. Rose turned to the right and saw the dark blue sky. "C'mon, we better go get our robes on..."

She turned, and noticed that Harry was long gone. "What the-?" She said, looking puzzled. "Where did Harry go?"

"Hmm?" Fred said, looking bored. "Oh, he's sneaking around in his Invisibility cloak."

"What? Why?" Rose asked.

Fred shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno, bored? He's always been a bot of Sherlock Holmes type, don't you think?"

"Oh yes well, let's hope he doesn't pull a Reichenbach Falls on us." Rose said slowly as they went back down the length of the train.

* * *

><p>There was a clicking noise, and Severus snapped the door to the loo behind him.<p>

"Heehee, having a wee potty break, Snaperdoodle?" Peeves said in his oily voice as he hovered over his head.

"Good to know you haven't lost your charms over the summer holidays, Peeves," Severus said smoothly. He started walking down the first floor corridor and Peeves hovered over his head all the while.

Severus pasted the massive oak doors leading out of the castle, and could distrinctly see a faint silvery glow coming in from the crack just at the bottom of the door.

"What the-?' Severus said to himself. He took his wand out and tapped the door's massive lock system, which had been put in as a safety precaution over the summer. It unravaled itself and one side of the doors creaked open.

"To a Hogwarts professor," said an immense, silvery four-legged wolf-like creature in the darkness in a very familiar, though slightly hollow-sounding, voice. "Harry J. Potter is currently waiting at the enterance gates to arrive for the feast. He was held up on the train, and is accompanied by Auror Nymphadora Tonks. Please come soon."

The patronus vanished, and after blinking the burned imprint it made on his eyes, Severus slipped out of the door, and quickly conquering a lantern.

"Oi! Where ya' goin'? Yer a' missin' the ickle first years getting sorted!" Peeves yelled after him as the door nearly shut on him.

"Lily will fill me in!" Severus said back, tapping the lantern with his wand and causing it to illuminate with a small bit of fire.

He departed down the steps, the lantern bobbing in his hand, and keeping alert, just in case.

After a few moments, he could plainly see two figures waiting at the locked gate, and he approached it.

"Good to see you in one piece, Potter," Severus said, taking out his wand and tapping the padlock once, so that the chains snaked backward and the gates creaked open.

Harry looked battered, a dark substance under his nose and smeared over his mouth, and it was quite apparent that he was not wearing his school robes. Tonks stood next to him, just as depressed and grey as she had been as of late.

"There is no need to wait, Nymphadora, Potter is quite safe in my hands." Severus said in a soft tone. Tonks just gave him a sort of blank stare.

He shut the gates as Harry walked over them with a loud clang and tapped the chains with his wand again, so that they slithered, clinking, back into place.

"By the way," Severus asked as Harry started wiping his nose with the sleeve of his coat. "Tonks, did your patronus change recently-?"

Tonks looked a taken back. "Y-You noticed?"

"Well, it's certainly a lot bigger than your old one," Severus said. "This one looks a bit more - ah - _suitable_, i suppose."

For reasons unknown to Harry, the ends of Tonks' mouth twitched, as if she was going to smile. They set off a second later.

As Severus swung the lantern about, Harry saw, fleetingly, a small section of her now-mousy brown hair before she was swallowed up in darkness once again.

"Good night," Harry called to her over his shoulder, as he began the walk up to the school with Severus. "Thanks for… everything,"

"See you, Harry."

Severus did not speak for a minute or so.

"Pray tell," Severus said finally as Harry sniffed, sounding congested. "What kept you?"

"Oh, er," Harry started weakly. He didn't speak for a moment. "If i tell you, you won'd get mad, right?"

"Does it involve anyone with my last name?" Severus asked seriously, having the inkling that Fred got himself into more trouble than normal.

"Never, they weren't even there," Harry said. The lantern bobbled in his direction, and Severus could plainly see that the substance on his face was a dark red colour. "It's just, it's hard to explain, let's just say that me and Malfoy got into a bit of a - a - tussle..."

"Did he hit you?" Severus asked plainly.

"More like stomped on my face, but yes, i guess that's pretty similar..." Harry said.

"And how exactly did you two getting into a tussle?" Severus asked.

Harry huffed. "Well, recently i've noticed he's been acting really weird, and i was trying to see what was going on. He keeps dropping hints about 'bigger things' after this year and, i dunno, i noticed when i went to Diagon Alley a few weeks ago that he was acting really strange when Madam Malkin tried to fit him new robes, he wouldn't let her lift up his sleeves or anything..."

"Hmm, that does sounds a bit - well - _odd_..." said Severus thoughtfully, his brows furrowed.

They reached the castle steps at last and as the great oaken front doors swung open into the vast flagged entrance hall, a burst of talk and laughter and of tinkling plates and glasses greeted them through the doors standing open into the Great Hail.

"If you must, slip your cloak on," Severus said from the corner of his mouth. "Let's keep the rumours about you at a standstill until tomorrow, shall we?"

"Thank you, sir." Harry said, sounding slightly amazed. He pulled his cloak back out, and threw it over him, concealing him from view.

Severus passed the Slytherin table as Draco Malfoy was miming the shattering of a nose to raucous laughter and applause to his little cronies. Severus gave them a sweeping, rather seething look and they hastily quieted down, though Draco gave him a rather nasty look of his own as Severus made his way back up to the staff table.

"Oh no, no, wait," Fred said as his father whipped pass their spot at the Slytherin table. "I'm not kidding, it was all from a seven-year-old's persceptive, he thought he was hurting her when really he was-"

"Okay, seriously, we don't want to know about the Lannisters and their way-too-close relationships," Alice said with a disgusted face.

"You don't get it, you need to read the books to realise what complete yellow-haired shits they are!" Fred said seriously, and it caused Sam to snort into her hand.

"Hey, not everyone with yellow hair is bad..." Ina said stiffly.

"Yeah, i know, Evan isn't the product of his dad being _way_ too close to his sister, we know," Fred said with a laugh.

Dumbledore got to his feet at the staff table. The talk and laughter echoing around the Hall died away almost instantly, and Rose had to slap Fred on the arm so he'd shut up.

"The very best of evenings to you!" he said, smiling broadly, his arms opened wide as though to embrace the whole room.

Sam's eyes got wide. "What happened to his hand?" she gasped.

She was not the only one who had noticed. Dumbledore's right hand was blackened and dead-looking. Dumbledore, interpreting them correctly, merely smiled and shook his purple-and-gold sleeve over his injury.

"Nothing to worry about," he said airily. "Now… to our new students, welcome, to our old students, welcome back! Another year full of magical education awaits you…"

"It looks it's dead," said Sam with a nauseated expression. "Is it cursed?"

"No way, he would have had it cured by now." Rose said seriously.

"But there are some injuries you can't cured," Ina said quietly. "Old curses, and there are poisons without antidotes…"

"…and Mr. Filch, our caretaker," Dumbledore said, cutting their conversation short. "Has asked me to say that there is a blanket ban on any joke items bought at the shop called Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes."

Fred had a proud grin on his face as Dumbledore went on. "Those wishing to play for their House Quidditch teams should give their names to their Heads  
>of House as usual. We are also looking for new Quidditch commentators, who should do likewise."<p>

"We are pleased to welcome a new member of staff this year, Professor Slughorn"— Slughorn stood up, his bald head gleaming in the candlelight, his big waistcoated belly casting the table into shadow — "is a former colleague of mine who has agreed to resume his old post of Potions master."

"Potions?"

"_Potions_?"

"Professor Snape, meanwhile," said Dumbledore, raising voice so that it carried over all the muttering that irrupted afterwards, "will be taking the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"OH YOU SNEAKY ARSE! YOU NEVER TOLD US A DAMN THING!" Fred yelled, jumping up and pointing his finger at his father, who was giving him a wink as Lily placed a kiss on his cheek and they started applauding respectfully. Sam wrapped her arms around Fred's middle and yanked him back down, causing the whole room to burst into raucous laughter as Fred still looked beyond surprised, staring at his equally surprised sisters, though they looked more happy about it than scandalised.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Good to know you're taking the news well, Mr Snape,"

They laughed even harder again, and Evan's voice, heard over the sstudents giggling, could be plainly heard as he said, "Go Freddie!"

"Hopefully you'll pass your Defence O.W.L. with flying colours," Dumbledore continued as he waited for the noise to die down again.

"Now," Dumbledore said, his voice dropping into one of the most upmost seriousness. "Staffing appointments aside. As everybody in this Hall knows, Lord Voldemort and his followers are once more at large and gaining in strength."

The silence seemed to tauten and strain as Dumbledore spoke.

"I cannot emphasize strongly enough how dangerous the present situation is, and how much care each of us at Hogwarts must take to ensure that we remain safe. The castle's magical fortifications have been strengthened over the summer, we are protected in new and more powerful ways, but we must still guard scrupulously against carelessness on the part of any student or member of staff. I urge you, therefore, to abide by any security restrictions that you teachers might impose upon you, however irksome you might find them — in particular, the rule that you are not to be out of after hours. I implore you, should you notice anything strange or suspicious within or outside the castle, to report it to a member of staff immediately. I trust you to conduct yourselves, always, with the utmost regard for your own and others' safety."

Dumbledore's blue eyes swept over the students before he smiled once more.

"But now, your beds await, as warm and comfortable as you could possibly wish, and I know that your top priority is to be well-rested for your lessons tomorrow. Let us therefore say good night. Pip pip!"

With the usual deafening scraping noise, the benches moved back and the hundreds of students began to file out of the Great Hall toward their dormitories.

"I can't believe him," Fred said as they pushed through the crowds, Alice going in front so she could direct the first years to the Slytherin dungeons. "He didn't tell us anything!"

"Oh come on, can't you be happy for him? He's been pining after that job for years-" Rose said, frowning slightly.

"Who says i'm not happy?" Fred snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm just saying it wouldn't have killed him to let us share in the fun too..."

"Well, now you can enjoy having him tell you about curses instead of the difference between newt and salamander eyes." Rose said certainly.

"Oh goodie." Fred said sarcastically as they stepped down the stone steps and into the dungeons below.

* * *

><p>"Ah, good to see a non-judgemental face," Harry said as Rose walked over to the Gryffindor table, her now cleared schuedle in her ahnd. "Did you say your congrats to your dad?"<p>

"Of course," Rose said with a smile. "So," she added, looking over Harry's shoulders. "What classes have you got?"

"Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Transfiguration, and Potions," Harry said quickly, reading down his schedule. He looked up at her. "What about you?"

"Basically the same thing," Rose shrugged, taking the spot next to him and stuffing her roll in the pocket of her robes. "Of course, i wish Ina or Zach wasn't taking their Ancient Runes class right now, we'd have a free period right now..."

"And a free period after break," Ron said, who was sitting on Harry's other side and looking mighty pleased, though not seeming to realise that Rose had just sat down. "_And_ after lunch… Hermione was sayin' this morning that the sixth year is a killer, i don't know what she's talking about, it seems excellent to me..."

"You should just live like i do then," said Fred, appearing behind them and grinning down at them. "I'm as a free as a bird..."

"Yes, we know, you have been since you were a day old," Rose said with a roll of her eyes. "Honestly, do you memories of Alice hitting in you before you two were technically born?"

Fred looked thoughtful for a moment. "You know, i do get sort of war flashbacks to someone hitting me, so that must be her."

As he said that, Alice slipped into the spot across from Harry, a pale pink, highly ornate box in her hands, and the top open on it.

"Well speak of the devil, just on time!" Fred said, waving to Alice. She ignored him and pulled out a sort of pale lavender-coloured, rounded pastry, with two soft cookies with matching cream filling in the middle of it.

"What the hell is that?" Ron said, staring at the colourful treat in her hand as she took a bite of it.

"French macarons." Alice said after she swallowed her bite.

"Where in the seven hells did you find _french_ macarons?" Fred asked, cocking a brow at her.

"Dusk gave them for me," Alice smiled. She lifted the box to show them about twenty four other macarons, all in different colours. "You want one?"

"Uh duh, obviously," Fred said, grabbing the light green one. Alice nodded the other three and they took their own, Ron with a brown one, Harry with a red, and Rose with a vivid blue one.

"O' my god these are good," Fred said, wiping his mouth as Ron went for another. He glanced to his right and saw that Sam had entered the Great Hall. "Oi, Al, what's our first class today?"

"History of Magic." Alice said right away.

"Sweet, free period, thanks," Fred said with a grin, causing Alice to roll her eyes at him. He grabbed a purple-coloured macaron and speed away in Sam's direction.

When he reached her, they could plan hear him say, "Aw, someone looks tired! Don't worry, i'll wake you up-"

Fred bent down and wrapped his arms around her middle and hoisted her up, making her start laughing as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Macaron?" He said, handing her the purple treat. She took it and smiled at him as Fred looked over his shoulder. "See you at Herbology, Al!"

"Oh come on, it's not even noon yet!" Rose said as Fred started marching himself while carrying Sam out of the Great Hall, both of them laughing before Sam started kissing his neck.

"Ugh, what now?" Harry said as more students started heading out of the Hall for their morning classes.

"Dunno, we can just relax in the common room before Defence," Ron said as Alice said goodbye and left for her own class.

"Well, if that's the plan then, i'll see you two in about an hour," Rose said, pushing herself up from her seat.

"What? C'mon, Sam is off with Fred and Ina has Ancient Runes, we'll sneak you in-" Harry started.

"No, it's okay, i need to brush up on my Defence anyway, i can't have myself look the fool in my dad's new class, now can i?" Rose said steadily.

Ron huffed. "I wish i had that problem..."

"Please, we're going to pass with no problem at all after the D.A., remember?" Harry said with a self-satisfied grin. He looked at Rose. "We'll see you in a bit then."

She waved them off and departed back to the Slytherin common room. When Rose entered the low-ceiling room, she saw that a few assorted sixth years were chatting at one table in the corner, and a slightly larger group of seventh years were near the large panelled windows, which let in the accustomed green-tinged light.

Rose flop down onto one of the pitch-black leather sofas and propped her cheek on her hand. She really didn't have anything to do, it's not like she could just run into Ancient Runes and yank Zachary away saying they had a serious situation to fix, which would really just end up in snogging, or a little more.

There was a groan of the leather sofa as someone sat down next to her. She turned to her side and saw that a seventh year boy was sitting next to her. He had a sort of long face, and odd looking hazel eyes. His hair was a sort of pale bronze colour, and his face was cracked into a cheeky grin. "You Rose Snape?"

"Uh, yeah..." Rose said weakly.

"Chase Caruso." the boy said, nodding to her. "What are you doing here all by yourself? It's first day of classes!"

"Oh, um, i have a free period right now," Rose said awkwardly.

"I could tell," Chase said knowingly. He looked around the room. "Say, i could have sworn you had a boyfriend, where is he?"

"He's in Ravenclaw," Rose said, not being able to hide the happy tone in her voice as she talked about Zachary. "And he's got Ancient Ruins right now."

"_Runes_?" Chase said with a disgusted face. "Boring! Come on, he's wasting his time in there when he could be spending it with you!"

Rose's cheeks blushed red. She went to retort but nothing came out.

"Listen," Chase said with a wink. "If you're ever bored, just come on over and we'll hang, okay?"

"Oh, um, o-okay..." Rose said weakly.

Chase gave her a smile and departed, leaving her there on the sofa and blushing like mad.

An hour later she left the common room for the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom four floors above the dungeons. Hermione, Ina, and Zachary were already queuing outside, carrying an armful of heavy books and looking put-upon.

"Hey Ro-" Zachary started, but he was cut off as Rose pressed her lips to his own, taking him for a surprise. Hermione and Ina giggled despite themselves.

"Ah, such a shame he has his arms full, we'd love to see a real good snogging session right before class, eh?" Ron laughed as they separated, him and Harry joining the group.

Zachary's cheeks were blushing pink as Rose licked her lips, her hands on his upper arms. "You would like that, wouldn't you?"

"As if, we already get enough of that already with Fred and Sam, we're fine." Harry said a matter-of-factly.

"Bugger off, Harry, you just wish it was you instead of me," Sam said, suddenly appearing next to him and nearly making Harry yelp. "By the way, if Filch asks, the knocking from the broom closet on the second floor was just Peeves, okay?"

"Lovely mental image there, Sam, thanks," Ron said as Harry started biting back laughter.

"If you'd please clear the way, i can open the door," said a voice, and they looked as Severus started striding towards them, his usual black cloak billowing around him.

Severus took out his wand and flicked his wrist and the door went inward. "If you may," he said, and they went inside.

Evan slipped through the doorway hastily before Severus snapped it shut. Compared to Umbridge's decorating from last year, the room looked mostly back to normal, though it was slightly darker in light sources, seeing as thicker curtains were now hanging.

"No books just yet" said Severus, noticing Hermione shuffling through her bag and moving to face the class from behind his desk; Hermione quickly dropped her copy of _Confronting the Faceless_ back into her bag and stowed it under her chair. "I wish to speak to you, and I want your fullest attention."

His dark eyes roved over their upturned faces. "Unfortunately, you've all had five previous teachers in this class, and arguably, only one was actually sufficient enough to properly teach you, the others, _well_, i'm sure you know how that went..."

Ron let out a cough that sounded oddly like '_Lockhart_', and they started giggling. The end of Severus' mouth even twitched upwards despite himself. "Indeed, Misterr Weasley," he said smoothly.

"Now," he said. "Naturally all these teachers will all have had their own methods and priorities. Given this confusion, i'm kind pleased to see that so many of you have passed your O.W.L. exams with such of high scores, hopefully you can keep it up for the N.E.W.T level, or another one of you will need to start another secret group for practice."

Harry had a proud smile on his face as Severus' voice dropped into a serious tone. "Joking aside, the Dark Arts, are many, varied, ever-changing, and eternal danger. Fighting them is like fighting a many-headed monster, which, each time a neck is severed, sprouts a head even fiercer and cleverer than before. It advances every moment, and hopefully, we can learn to control it, or more importantly, _destroy_ it."

"Therefor, your defenses," said Severus a little louder than before, "must be as flexible and inventive as the arts you seek to undo. For instance, the Cruciatus Curse is one of a dark wizard's favourite spells to inflict on their victims. Then there is the Dementor's Kiss, which is said to be nearly unwatchable, much less to be exposed to, or provoke the aggression of the Inferius, which i assume most of you have now heard of-"

"Has an Inferius been seen, then?" said Parvati Patil in a high pitched voice. "Is it definite, is _He_ using them?"

"Certainly he has used Inferi in the past," said Severus with a slightly restrained voice. "Which means you would be well-advised to assume he might use them again. Now, you are, I believe, complete novices in the use of nonverbal spells. What is the advantage of a non-verbal spell?"

Like Clockwork, all three of Hermione, Ina, and Zachary's hands shot into the air. Severus lingered on them. "Hmm, what do you think Miss Granger?"

"Your adversary has no warning about what kind of magic you're about to perform," said Hermione. "Which gives you a split-second advantage."

"Quite right you are." Severus said. "Yes, those who progress in using magic without shouting incantations gain an element of surprise in their spell-casting. Not all wizards can do this, of course; It is a question of concentration and mind power which some, sadly, _lack_."

Evan gave a sort of depressed moan next to Ina and Severus said, "You will now divide into pairs. One partner will attempt to jinx the other without speaking. The other will attempt to repel the jinx in equal silence. Carry on."

A reasonable amount of cheating ensued after he spoke and let them go to work; many people were merely whispering the incantation instead of saying it aloud. Typically, ten minutes into the lesson Hermione managed to repel Neville's muttered Jelly-Legs Jinx without uttering a single word, a feat that, surprisingly, earned her twenty points for Gryffindor , though consider that Severus finally got the job he irked for, he must have been in a better mood that usual. He swept between them as they practiced, until finally lingering at Harry and Ron.

Ron, who was supposed to be jinxing Harry, was purple in the face, his lips tightly compressed to save himself from the temptation of muttering the incantation. Harry had his wand raised, waiting on tenterhooks to repel a jinx that seemed unlikely ever to come.

"Not quite," Severus said with a slight frown. He spoke more loudly to the whole of them. "Here's a bit of advice for you all. I'm assuming that most of you have had inner monologues and debates within your minds from time to time, am i correct?"

They muttered 'yes', and Severus said, "Well, it is much like that, but instead of talking to yourself like a loon, you are casting a spell. Say it clearly in your _mind_ as you would out loud."

With that said, and slightly 'what-could-go-wrong?' looks, they did what he said, and nearly more than three-fourths of the class were taken for a surprise as it actually worked, though with the surprise, more than half fell over on the ground, clearly jinxed.

"AHH, get it off!" Evan said dramatically as little bat boogies flew around his face. Ina flicked her wand and they disappeared, and she bent down over his face to ask with he was okay. His eyes fluttered open and he grinned, "Oh well," he said cheekily. "_This_ is a much more welcomed sight."

"See?" Severus said as the other half of the class picked themselves up, including Rose yanking Zachary back up after her Leg-Lock spell hit him. "Put enough mental power into it and you'll do just fine."

"Ah, can we have classes like that more often?" Ron said an hour later after the bell rang and they departed for break (For some reason, Zachary had to leave half an hour earlier than the rest). "I tell you, Dumbledore shuld have let him have that job years ago if we get him in a good mood like _that_-"

"That's funny," Evan said, walking up to him. "Isn't that job cursed?"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

Evan shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno, i mean, none of the teachers have lasted more than a year, and Dumbledore didn't say that Slug guy was staying for long..."

"_Well_," Rose said cooly, appearing besides him suddenly and looking put-off. "Maybe he'll break the curse, don't you think?"

"Y-Yes," Evan said weakly, being scrutinised under Rose's glare. Ina walked besides Rose and rolled her eyes as a muscle moved in Rose's jaw.

They walked down the stone corridor mindlessly chatting until a voice said, "Harry! Hey, Harry!"

Harry looked around; Jack Sloper, one of the Beaters on last year's Gryffindor Quidditch team, was hurrying toward him holding a roll of parchment.

"For you," panted Sloper. "Listen, I heard you're the new Captain. When're you holding trials?"

"I'm not sure yet," said Harry, looking at him like it would be very lucky of him to get back on the team. "I'll let you know."

"Oh, right. I was hoping it'd be this weekend —"

But Harry was not listening; he had just recognized the thin, slanting writing on the parchment.

Leaving Sloper in mid-sentence, he hurried away with the others, unrolling the parchment as he went.

"What did he want?" Ron asked as Harry caught up with them.

"It's a note for Dumbledore," Harry said in a low voice to him. "Our first lesson is on Saturday."

"Wicked." Ron whispered back.

After their free period after break, they headed down to lunch, where they decided to sit at the Ravenclaw table, which was right next to the Gryffindor one.

"Where's Zach?" Ina asked as the other students filled through.

"I don't know.." Rose said, sounding worried. "You don't think he got caught up in something do you?"

"Oh really, he's fine you pessimist," Fred said in a bored voice, swatting Harry's hand away as he tired poking his head with his wand. "Look, he's right over there."

Fred pointed to the oak doors, where Zachary was talking to boy that was about an inch or so taller than him. He had slightly sun-kissed skin and dark hair.

"Hey," Ron said weakly, a confused look on his face. "Isn't that that kid from St Mungo's?"

"What?" Harry and Fred said in unison.

"You know, that one that kissed Fred on the cheek, i think that's him," Ron said with a bemused voice.

As he said that, Sam cocked her head to side, and her face cracked into a grin. She pushed her up from her seat and said, "Rodrigo! You finally go cleared!"

She ran to them and, sure enough, the same boy that Ron had rightly regonised turned to see her. He bent down and gave her a tight hug as she did the same.

"Oh my gooood," Fred said in a weird, high voice. "What the _hell_ is going on?"

Sam talked to him for a few minutes, which they could not hear but by the look on his face, he looked happy. Sam nodded to Zachary and finally, they went back to the others at the Ravenclaw table.

"Okay, what the hell Sam," Fred said seriously as they reached them once again. "How do you know my lovely Rodrigo?"

Sam grinned. "He's my cousin on my dad's side, sweetie."

"_Oh_," Harry said thoughtfully. "That makes sense, they kinda look the same..."

"You mean to tell me you are related to my favourite Mungos patient and you never told _me_?" Fred asked, looking shocked.

Sam shrugged her shoulders and sat next to him. "You never _asked_."

"Wait, wasn't he in the permanent patient ward?" Rose asked as Zachary sat next to her. "Why is he, uh, here?"

"He finally got most of his wits about him and they asked his parents, and they let him come back here for his last year." Zachary said simply.

"And you know that how?" Hermione asked, raising a brow to him.

"Because i work there, didn't i?" Zachary said a matter-of-factly. "The other Healers just checked up on him, i bothered to say around and ask what happened..."

"Wow, hold it, you _know_ what happened to his head?" said Fred, giving him a wide-eyed look. "Well shit, tell us what happened!"

"Yeah, we wanna know," Ron said with a grin.

Zachary sighed, knowing they wouldn't stop bugging him until he finally said otherwise. "_Fine_, the details are a bit blurry, but by what he told me, he went to Yule Ball with this girl. Apparently she was a bit, ah, clingy-"

"Ah, women, you can't always get a sane one the first few times around," Ron said seriously, and Hermione gave him a seething look.

"Yeah," Zachary said weakly. "Anyway, by what i know she was the one that gave him the bad Love Potion, and it probably didn't help that she found him snogging someone else when she went to force-feed it to him-"

"Oh my god, frisky," Harry said, and Fred laughed.

"Wait, who was he snogging?" Rose asked, giving him a confused look. "Not another girl, was it? We would of heard all about it if it was..."

"No, no, it was someone in his year," Zachary said certainly. "Which i thought was kinda cute because he would come and visit Roddy when he was at Mungos..."

"He?" Harry asked. "Who's 'He'?"

Zachary shrugged his shoulders. "I don't remember the name, but he has kinda sandy hair, and he's really shy, and i think he's in Gryffindor..."

"Oh, you mean Rory?" Rose said. They each gave her surprised looks. "What? Alice pointed him out to me, he's nice."

"So what, are they like, boyfriends?" Fred said nonchalantly.

"I guess so." Zachary said, looking unsure.

"Well, i think you'll get your answer right now," Sam said. She pointed her finger. "Look."

They turned and faced the Gryffindor table, Sam's finger leading him to the group of seventh year Gryffindor boys chatting. Not surprisingly, Alice was sitting on Matthew's lap and kissing him, stopping here and there to say something to him before starting again. Rory was talking to Rhys as Rodrigo slipped into the spot next to him and tapped his shoulder. Rory turned and his eyes went wide when he realised who it was. "Rodr-?"

His voice was cut off as Rodrigo took him by his arms and pushed themselves together, taking Rory for a surprised as he kissed him. Cormac gave them a shocked look. Matthew was too busy with Alice to care, and Patrick didn't look at all surprised.

"Oh no, no, _no_, i'm not have two couple snogging around me when i get nothin'!" Rhys snapped loudly. "Damn you both!"

They burst into laughter as Alice snapped her hand away from Matthew and slapped Rhys squarely in the face, making Patrick and Cormac double-over in laughter of their own. "We're proud of you, Roddy!" Fred said happily as Rory wrapped his arms around Rodrigo and eased into himself.

"We'll need to show them up, i hope you realise that," Harry said, looking at Fred.

"Oh, most definitely." Fred grinned.

By the looks on their faces, no one knew whether they were being serious or not.

* * *

><p>They had only just finished lunch when the bell rang for the afternoon's double Potions and they beat the familiar path down to the dungeon classroom that had, for so long, been Snape's.<p>

"Why isn't Sam taking this class?" Harry asked as they reached the stairs downwards to the dungeons.

"She only got an "Acceptable' on her score, i think she fell asleep half-way through the exam," Rose said. Harry gave her a questioning look and she added, "She's not so great with fumes, actually. Plus, it's Fred's one free period, you really think she'd give that up for this?"

"What about Evan then?" Hermione asked Ina.

"He got an 'A' as well," Ina said with a slightly sad voice. "Of course, he says he'll use it to study, but we'll see..."

When they arrived in the corridor they saw that there were only a less than half of their year people progressing to N.E.W.T. level. Draco was talking to a rather stringy boy named Theodore Nott, and Blaise was with them as well, looking bored. Zachary was near Michael Corner and Terry Boot of his House, and the one Hufflepuff, Ernie Macmillan, was there as well.

As soon as they approached them, Ernie held out his hand as Harry. Rose turned and went to Zachary instead.

"Hopefully there's not gonna be too bad of a workload of homework for this class, huh?" Rose said, absentmindedly brushing her fringe out of her eyes.

Zachary frowned slightly. "You don't reckon he's a tough teacher, do you?"

"Nah, he's already by what i know about him, we'll do fine." Rose said with a slight grin.

The ends of Zachary's mouth twisted upwards as Terry said, "Oi, is Branin coming to this class or what?"

"Hm? What do you mean?" Rose asked, giving him a confused look.

Terry shrugged. "Well, he has the tendency to not show up except for maybe once a month, or just at the end of the semester so he doesn't fail the exams."

"Really?" Rose asked. "Why would he do that?"

"Well," said Michael. "We think he only really started doing that after Yule Ball. You know, he probably didn't want to be in the company of your dad when he was so pissed about what Branin did to your younger sister."

"Oh, yeah, right..." Rose said, a slight bitter edge in her voice.

The dungeon door opened suddenly and Slughorn's belly preceded him out of the door. As they filed into the room, his great walrus moustache curved above his beaming mouth, and he greeted Harry, Rose, and Zabini with particular enthusiasm.

The dungeon was, most unusually, already full of vapors and odd smells. Harry, Ron, and Hermione sniffed interestedly as they passed large, bubbling cauldrons. Draco, Nott, and Blaise. The Ravenclaws grouped together, Ina and Rose went to their own table, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione were left to sit with Ernie just behind them. They chose the one nearest a gold-colored cauldron that was emitting one of the most seductive scents Harry had ever inhaled: Somehow it reminded him simultaneously of treacle tart, the woody smell of a broomstick handle, and something flowery he thought he might have smelled at the Burrow. He found that he was breathing very slowly and deeply and that the potion's fumes seemed to be filling him up like drink. A great contentment stole over him; he grinned across at Ron, who grinned back lazily.

"Do you smell pine?" Rose asked in a voice reminiscent to Luna.

"I smell honey, actually." Ina responded back with a crooked grin.

"Now then, now then, now then," said Slughorn, whose massive outline was quivering through the many shimmering vapors. "Scales out, everyone, and potion kits, and don't forget your copies of _Advanced Potion-Making_…"

"Sir?" said Harry, raising his hand.

"Harry, m'boy?"

"I haven't got a book or scales or anything — nor's Ron — we didn't realize we'd be able to do the N.E.W.T., you see —"

"Ah, yes, Professor McGonagall did mention… not to worry, my dear boy, not to worry at all. You can use ingredients from the store cupboard today, and I'm sure we can lend you some scales, and we've got a small stock of old books here, they'll do until you can write to Flourish and Blotts…" Slughorn strode over to a corner cupboard and, after a moment's foraging, emerged with two very battered-looking copies of _Advanced Potion-Making_ by Libatius Borage, which he gave to Harry and Ron along with two sets of tarnished scales.

"Now then," said Slughorn, returning to the front of the class and inflating his already bulging chest so that the buttons on his waistcoat threatened to burst off, "I've prepared a few potions for you to have a look at, just out of interest, you know. These are the kind of thing you ought to be able to make after completing your N.E.W.T.s. You ought to have heard of 'em, even if you haven't made 'em yet. Anyone tell me what this one is?"

He indicated the cauldron nearest the Slytherin table. Those away from them raised themselves upwards and saw what looked like plain water boiling away inside it.

Hermione's well-practiced hand hit the air before anybody else's; Slughorn pointed at her.

"It's Veritaserum, a colorless, odorless potion that forces the drinker to tell the truth," said Hermione.

"Very good, very good!" said Slughorn happily. "Now," he continued, pointing at the cauldron nearest the Ravenclaw table, "this one here is pretty well known… Featured in a few Ministry leaflets lately too… Who can —?"

Hermione's hand was fastest once more.

"lt's Polyjuice Potion, sir," she said.

"Excellent, excellent! Now, this one here… Yes, my dear?" said Slughorn, now looking slightly bemused, as Hermione's hand punched the air again.

"It's Amortentia!"

"It is indeed. It seems almost foolish to ask," said Slughorn, who was looking mightily impressed, "but I assume you know what it does?"

"It's the most powerful love potion in the world!" said Hermione.

"Quite right! You recognized it, I suppose, by its distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen?"

"And the steam rising in characteristic spirals," said Hermione enthusiastically, "and it's supposed to smell differently to each of according to what attracts us, and I can smell freshly mown grass and new parchment and -"

But she turned slightly pink and did not complete the sentence.

"May I ask your name, my dear?" said Slughorn, ignoring Hermione's embarrassment.

"Hermione Granger, sir."

"Granger? Granger? Can you possibly be related to Hector Dagworth-Granger, who founded the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers?"

"No. I don't think so, sir. I'm Muggle-born, you see."

Harry saw Draco lean close to Nott and whisper something; both of them sniggered, but Slughorn showed no dismay; on the contrary, he beamed and looked from Hermione to Harry, who was sitting next to her.

"Oho! 'One of my best friends is Muggle-born, and she's the best in our year!' I'm assuming this is the very friend of whom you spoke, Harry?"

Rose turned around and smiled at him as he said, "Yes, sir,"

"Well, well, take twenty well-earned points for Gryffindor, Miss Granger," said Slughorn genially.

Draco looked rather as he had done the time Hermione had punched him in the face. Hermione turned to Harry with a radiant expression and whispered, "Did you really tell him I'm the best in the year? Oh, Harry!"

"Well, what's so impressive about that?" whispered Ron, who for some reason looked annoyed. "You are the best in the year — I'd've told him so if he'd asked me!"

Hermione smiled but made a "_shh_-ing" gesture, so that they could hear what Slughorn was saying. Ron looked slightly disgruntled.

"Amortentia doesn't really create love, of course. It is impossible to manufacture or imitate love. No, this will simply cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. It is probably the most dangerous and powerful potion in this room — oh yes," he said, nodding gravely at Draco and Nott, both of whom were smirking skeptically. "When you have seen as much of life as I have, you will not underestimate the power of obsessive love. I'm sure you heard about that Balavan boy? He only just got back today, and he was in St Mungos for a few years before they cold properly fix him again!"

Harry could distinctly hear Draco whisper, _"Well, he's not all fixed right, now is he? He started kissing a boy in front of everybody."_

"And now," said Slughorn, giving Draco a rather judgemental look from the corner of his beady eyes, "it is time for us to start work."

"Sir, you haven't told us what's in this one," said Ernie, pointing at a small black cauldron standing on Slughorn's desk. The potion within was splashing about merrily; it was the colour of molten gold, and large drops were leaping like goldfish above the surface, though not a particle had spilled.

"Oho," said Slughorn again. "Yes. That. Well, that one, ladies and gentlemen, is a most curious little potion called Felix Felicis. I take it," he turned, smiling, to look at Hermione, who had let out an audible gasp, "that you know what Felix Felicis does, Miss Granger?"

"It's liquid luck," said Hermione excitedly. "It makes you lucky!"

The whole class seemed to sit up a little straighter. Now all Harry could see of Malfoy was the back of his sleek blond head, because he was at last giving Slughorn his full and undivided attention.

"Quite right, take another ten points for Gryffindor. Yes, it's a funny little potion, Felix Felicis," said Slughorn. "Desperately tricky to make, and disastrous to get wrong. However, if brewed correctly, as this has been, you will find that all your endeavors tend to succeed… at least until the effects wear off."

"Why don't people drink it all the time, sir?" said Terry eagerly.

"Because if taken in excess, it causes giddiness, recklessness, and dangerous overconfidence," said Slughorn. "Too much of a good thing, you know… highly toxic in large quantities. But taken sparingly, and very occasionally…"

"Have you ever taken it, sir?" asked Michael with great interest.

"Twice in my life," said Slughorn. "Once when I was twenty-four, once when I was fifty-seven. Two tablespoonfuls taken with breakfast. Two perfect days." He gazed dreamily into the distance. Whether he was playacting or not, thought Harry, the effect was good.

"And that," said Slughorn, apparently coming back to earth, "is what I shall be offering as a prize in this lesson."

There was silence in which every bubble and gurgle of the surrounding potions seemed magnified tenfold.

"One tiny bottle of Felix Felicis," said Slughorn, taking a minuscule glass bottle with a cork in it out of his pocket and showing it to them all. "Enough for twelve hours' luck. From dawn till dusk, you will be lucky in everything you attempt."

"Now, I must give you warning that Felix Felicis is a banned substance in organised competitions… sporting events, for instance, examinations, or elections. So the winner is to use it on an ordinary day only… and watch how that ordinary day becomes extraordinary!"

"So," said Slughorn, suddenly brisk, "how are you to win this fabulous prize? Well, by turning to page ten of _Advanced Potion Making_. We have a little over an hour left to us, which should be time for you to make a decent attempt at the Draught of Living Death. I know it is more complex than anything you have attempted before, and I do not expect a perfect potion from anybody. The person who does best, however, will win little Felix here. Off you go!"

There was a scraping as everyone drew their cauldrons toward them and some loud clunks as people began adding weights to their scales, but nobody spoke. The concentration within the room was almost tangible. Harry saw Malfoy riffling feverishly through his copy of _Advanced Potion-Making_. It could not have been clearer that Malfoy really wanted that lucky day. Harry bent swiftly over the tattered book Slughorn had lent him.

To his annoyance he saw that the previous owner had scribbled all over the pages, so that the margins were as black as the printed portions. Bending low to decipher the ingredients (even here, the previous owner had made annotations and crossed things out) Harry hurried off toward the store cupboard to find what he needed. As he dashed back to his cauldron, he saw Malfoy cutting up Valerian roots as fast as he could.

Everyone kept glancing around at what the rest of the class was doing; this was both an advantage and a disadvantage of Potions, that it was hard to keep your work private. Within ten minutes, the whole place was full of bluish steam. Hermione, of course, seemed to have progressed furthest. Her potion already resembled the "smooth, black currant-coloured liquid" mentioned as the ideal halfway stage.

Having finished chopping his roots, Harry bent low over his book again. It was really very irritating, having to try and decipher the directions under all the stupid scribbles of the previous owner, who for some reason had taken issue with the order to cut up the sopophorous bean and had written in the alternative instruction: _Crush with flat side of silver dagger, releases juice better than cutting._

Harry looked upwards to see if anyone else was doing some as unusual as that. Surprisingly, he saw that Rose was barely glancing at her open book, and was, like the book said, crushing her bean with the edge of knife.

"Sir, I think you knew my grandfather, Abraxas Malfoy?" Harry looked to his side; Slughorn was just passing the Slytherin table.

"Yes," said Slughorn, without looking at Draco, "I was sorry to hear he had died, although of course it wasn't unexpected, dragon pox at his age…"

And he walked away. Harry bent back over his cauldron, smirking. It looked as though Draco would have to rely on nothing but talent to win the bottle of Felix Felicis.

Seeing as his bean was rather hard to cut, he went and poked Rose in the back and whispered, "Can I borrow your silver knife?"

She turned to look behind her and nodded, huffing some of her red hair out of her face and handed her knife to him. Rose went back to glance at her potion, which was turning a light shade of lilac, not like the still dark purple liquid that was in everyone else's cauldrons.

Harry crushed his bean with the flat side of the dagger. To his astonishment, it immediately exuded so much juice he was amazed the shriveled bean could have held it all.

Hastily scooping it all into the cauldron he saw, to his surprise, that the potion immediately turned exactly the shade of lilac described by the textbook.

His annoyance with the previous owner vanishing on the spot, Harry now squinted at the next line of instructions. According the book, he had to stir counterclockwise until the potion turned clear as water. According to the addition the previous owner made, however, he ought to add a clockwise stir after every seventh counterclockwise stir. Could the old owner be right twice?

Harry stirred counterclockwise, held his breath, and stirred once clockwise. The effect was immediate. The potion turned pale pink.

"How are you doing that?" demanded Hermione, who was redfaced and whose hair was growing bushier and bushier in the fumes from her cauldron; her potion was still resolutely purple. "Add a clockwise stir —"

"No, no, the book says counterclockwise!" she snapped.

Harry shrugged. "Rose is doing it, look."

He nodded and Hermione looked as Rose started stirring counterclockwise, which earned her a shocked look from Ina. Strangely, after she did seven stirs, she did one clockwise, paused, then did another seven stirs counterclockwise, one stir clockwise…

Across the table, Ron was cursing fluently under his breath; his potion looked like liquid licorice.

"And time's… up!" called Slughorn finally. "Stop stirring, please!"

Slughorn moved slowly among the tables, peering into cauldrons. He made no comment, but occasionally gave the potions a stir or a sniff. He gave clap for Rose's potion. "By god, i haven't seen anyone's quite like this in years! Of course, your talent runs in the family, doesn't it?"

Draco looked about to flip over his cauldron as Rose said, "Thank you, sir."

"I dare say, we might just have our winner..." Slughorn said as he went to the table behind her. He smiled ruefully at the tarlike substance in Ron's cauldron. He passed over Ernie's navy concoction. Hermione's potion he gave an approving nod. Then he saw Harry's, and a look of incredulous delight spread over his face.

"My, my, two perfect potions!" he yelled jubilantly. He looked back and forth from Rose and Harry. "Oh my, i should have made more-"

"Harry can have it, sir." Rose said, curring him off.

Harry gave her an amazed look as Slughorn. "Really? Are you quite sure?"

Rose nodded. "Yeah, he can have it."

"Well, i believe i owe you a bottle of Felix Felicis then, don't i?" Slughorn said, his giant moustache moving upward as he smiled, picking the small bottle out of his robe pocket and handing it to him.

Harry slipped the tiny bottle of golden liquid into his inner pocket, feeling an odd combination of delight at the furious looks on the Slytherins' faces and guilt at the disappointed expression on Hermione's, or just at the fact that Rose let him have the potion instead of him. Ron looked simply dumbfounded.

"How did you do that?" he whispered to Harry as they left the dungeon.

"Got lucky, I suppose," said Harry, because Draco was within earshot.

Once they were securely ensconced at the Gryffindor table for dinner, however, he felt safe enough to tell them. Hermione's face became stonier with every word he uttered.

"I s'pose you think I cheated?" he finished, aggravated by her expression.

"Well, it wasn't exactly your own work, was it?" she said stiffly.

"What wasn't exactly his work?" said a voice, and they saw that Matthew had slipped into the spot across from them, readjusting his tie before patting his ruffled hair down.

"He got an used textbook," Hermione explained in a strained voice. "And it has notes in it, and he cheat-"

"He only followed different instructions to ours," said Ron, cutting her off rudely. "Could've been a catastrophe, couldn't it? But he took a risk and it paid off."

He heaved a sigh. "Slughorn could've handed me that book, but _no_, I get the one no one's ever written on. Puked on, by the look of page fifty-two, but —"

"Hang on," said a voice close by Harry's left ear and he caught a sudden waft of that flowery smell he had picked up in Slughorn's dungeon. He looked around and saw that Ginny had joined them. "Did I hear right? You've been taking orders from something someone wrote in a book, Harry?"

She looked alarmed and angry. Harry knew what was on her mind at once.

"It's nothing," he said reassuringly, lowering his voice. "It's not like, you know, Riddle's diary. It's just an old textbook someone's scribbled on."

"But you're doing what it says?"

"I just tried a few of the tips written in the margins, honestly, Ginny, there's nothing funny -"

"Ginny's got a point," said Hermione, perking up at once. "We ought to check that there's nothing odd about it. I mean, all these funny instructions, who knows?"

"Hey!" said Harry indignantly, as she pulled his copy of _Advanced Potion-Making_ out of his bag and raised her wand. "_Specialis Revelio_!" she said, rapping it smartly on the front cover. Nothing whatsoever happened. The book simply lay there, looking old and dirty and dog-eared.

"Finished?" said Harry irritably. "Or d'you want to wait and see if it does a few backflips?"

"It seems all right," said Hermione, still staring at the book suspiciously. "I mean, it really does seem to be… just a textbook."

"Or is it?" Matthew said seriously. He yanked it out of her hand quickly. "Or is it the secret to the our mortal enemy's downfall?"

"Oh come on, what enemies do _you_ have besides clingy Ravenclaws?" Ginny said with a questioning look.

"I dunno, people who don't like gingers?" Matthew said, pointing to his fiery hair.

Ron nodded in agreement. "A truly dangerous enemy indeed."

"Damn right," Matthew said as he flipped the book open to a random page. "Hey, this writing looks familiar..."

"_Really_?" Harry said, perking up suddenly.

"Oh yeah, it kinda looks like Alice wrote in it." Matthew said, his eyes darting as he read it. "Man, they sure wrote a lot..."

Harry frowned. "Why would she have an advanced potions book, much less one she scribbled all over in and left in the dungeons?"

"Like i know, she's a ruddy genius, isn't she? Too smart for me, i know that," Matthew said smartly. He flipped to the back cover. He looked down at the very bottom of the page and said, "Well there you go, go ask the Half-Blood Prince."

"The _what_?" Hermione and Ginny said in unison.

"The Half-Blood _Prince_," Matthew said, looking up from the book. "It says it's his property right here."

He showed them the back cover, and sure enough it said exactly that in cramped, spidery writing.

"There's no branch of royalty that rules _just_ wizards though, it's usually the whole country or collection of them. I think "Half-Blood" is a bit of stretch, truthfully speaking," Hermione said doubtfully. "I mean, at least until Lady Di came along but this looks _much_ older than her..."

"Well, if someone wants to call them that then let 'em," Matthew said, snapping it shut and handing it back to Harry. "Plus, my brother only took up History of Magic to prove we were descended from Scottish kings anyway. Though not Macbeth, fer some reason."

"Wait, you're _not_ related to Macbeth?" Ron said, looking shocked. "Fred owes me ten galleons now, thanks!"

The next morning, and to no forward word beforehand, Harry nearly dumped his tea on himself as he realised that Alice and Rose had snuck over from the Slytherin and right next to him.

"_So_," Alice said, sounding innocent. "Who's this 'Half-Blood Prince' fellow?"

Harry turned and stared wide-eyed at Matthew, who was determinedly trying to look just as innocent as Alice. "Way to go babbling, Matt!"

"Don't blame me, it kinda just slipped out!" Matthew said defensively, his cheeks blushing pink.

"Oh, i bet you say that about a lot of things, don't you?" Harry snapped. "Which is amazing, did you two sneak off for a late-night snog and let it '_slip out'_?"

"Hey, i will do the same thing to you as i did to Rhys, so shut it," Alice said acidly. "Tell us, who is it?"

"Does it _look_ like i know?" Harry said in an aggravated voice. "It's just someone who wrote in my textbook, and by the way," He added, looking at Matthew from the corner of his eye. "I checked, and that book was used way before our or our parents time, so do you really think i would know anyone who that could be?"

"Me, obviously," said a familiar voice, and they looked and saw Fred standing over him, and grinning from ear to ear. "Half-Blood Prince, right? I'm obviously royalty material, and i'm a half-blood, therefor," he pointed to himself. "It's la' _me_. Thank you, case solved."

"Okay, if we ever need to know something weird, we'll just draw it back to you, thanks," Matthew said with a slight giggle.

"Oh come on, you told him too?" Harry said hotly.

"More like her over heard me telling Rose, but yes, he knows." Alice said briskly.

"You look _way_ too happy," Rose muttered, her eyes narrowed at Fred in questioning at his beaming face. "What happened now?"

"What?" Fred said with a slight pout. "I can't just be randomly happy?"

"_Fred_."

"Oh alright," Fred said happily. "I just talked with McGonagall, and i am proud to announce to your four that _i_ am the new Quidditch commentator."

They gave him wide-eyed looks. "Oh really, calm down with the congrats guys." Fred said scornfully.

"She's letting you-?" Rose said, looking perplexed. "Why would she-?"

"Because who doesn't want to hear me commentating on them throwing balls at each other while on brooms?" Fred said, putting his hands on hips. "By the way, i convinced her to let Luna be my co-host, so be prepared for the best Quidditch commentary of your _lives_."

"Are you getting one of those moving lion heads like hers' to wear as well?" Alice giggled.

Fred thought for a moment. "Well, it would ruin my hair, but then again, i'd look _awesome_..."

For or the rest of the week's Potions lessons Harry continued to follow the Half-Blood Prince's instructions wherever they deviated from Libatius Borage's, with the result that by their fourth lesson Slughorn was raving about Harrys abilities, saying that he had rarely taught anyone so talented. Neither Ron nor Hermione was delighted by this, in fact, only Rose seemed to be happy that he was getting noticed in something that didn't involve him and the cut on his forehead. Although Harry had offered to share his book with both of them, Ron had more difficulty deciphering the handwriting than Harry did, and could not keep asking Harry to read aloud or it might look suspicious. Hermione, meanwhile, was resolutely plowing on with what she called the "official" instructions, but becoming increasingly bad-tempered as they yielded poorer results than the Prince's.

Harry wondered vaguely who the Half-Blood Prince had been. Although the amount of homework they had been given prevented him from reading the whole of his copy of _Advanced Potion-Making_, he had skimmed through it sufficiently to see that there was barely a page on which the Prince had not made additional notes, not all of them concerned with potion-making. Here and there were directions for what looked like spells that the Prince had made up himself. Besides, he had already had his lesson with Dumbledore, the pass memories of seeing Voldemort's maternal family lingering in his head, and of course, how Love Potions warped with your mind, which it had to Voldemort's father, actually. At least Sam's cousin seemed to heal from it eventually, he and Rory were quite happy together, holding hands while walking through the corridors and kissing when they could. Harry even asked if Matthew was okay with the revelation that his dorm mate was, well, _gay_, and Matthew responded with, "Listen, if he loves him, let him go for it. Love is love, whether they got the same parts or not. I'm glad to see him so happy, i'll tell you that much."

After explaining for what felt like the hundredth time, Fred absolutely had to know what Harry was seeing in these memories Dumbledore had acquired.

"So her dad and brother were abusive sods," Fred recited as he and Harry walked down the corridor on one free afternoon. "And they got locked up finally and she like, spells some muggle she fancies into 'loving' her and they just happen to make the most evil arsehole in the world?"

"That's a pretty spot on summary of the situation, actually," Harry said.

"Wait, wouldn't that mean Voldy was a product of, well, you know..." Fred said in a surprising awkward tone.

"Love Potion?" Harry asked innocently.

"Well, besides that..." Fred said. "Though, it would explain why he's such an insensitive arse, doesn't it? He wasn't made out of real love, it was artificial, and how can you know love when you never had it to begin with it?"

"True," said Harry, nodding slightly. "Whatever was supposed to be filled with actually compassion must be full of hate."

"And the idea that it's okay to kill a one year old," Fred added.

"Damn right." Harry said bitterly, his scar pricking uncomfortably.

They turned the corner, and saw that Rory and Rodrigo were sitting together on the ground, flipping through one of their Charms books as Rory played with Rodrigo's blue and bronze tie.

"Hold on, i got an idea..." Fred said. He grabbed Harry's hand sped over to them.

"'Ello future cousin in-law," Fred said cheerfully, smiling down at them.

Rodrigo gave them a look and cocked his head to the side. "You two should kiss."

"What?" Harry said, his cheeks blushing pink. Fred just blinked at him slowly.

"Oh, sorry," Rory said, looking embarrassed. "He can be a little blunt sometimes..."

"You two should kiss," Rodrigo repeated.

"We're not kissing," Harry said, his voice sounding oddly high. Fred bit his lip to fight back a laugh.

"Kisssss," Rodrigo said with a voice that sounded like he was a begging child.

"Ugh, here," Fred said. He went and pecked Harry on his blushing cheeks and turned back to them. "There, that's all you're getting from us."

Rodrigo grinned. "For now."

"Uh huh," Fred said. "Now, we were wondering, you were in that love potion for awhile, right?"

"Oh yes, it was weird," Rodrigo said simply. Harry couldn't but notice, but he had a sort of Luna-esque way of speaking.

"How did that lass who made you take it trick you to drink it in the first place?" Fred asked.

Rodrigo shrugged his shoulders. "Well, when she found me and Rory snogging, by the way, he's a great kisser," Rory's cheeks flushed red. "I think she went to Filch's office since he was out at the Ball with everyone else and i reckon she found some old love potion in there and put whatever bit of her hair or something to make me like her..."

"Oh, classic mistake!" Fred said with a mournful shake of his head. "Never, _never_, use an out-dated potion, they absolutely will not work."

"Yeah, well, i don't really think she cared since she dragged me away by the scruff of my neck and force-fed me the potion, which was a stinker idea for her. She wasn't some great beauty before but since it was tampered with... Let's just say it wasn't a nice sight..." he said weakly.

"And after that?" Harry asked.

"I ended up in St Mungos sharing a ward with Lockhart and having this handsome bugger come and visit me and keep me company when he could." Rodrigo said, smiling at Rory, who grinned right back.

Fred and Harry gave out an in-unison "_Aww_."

"Is that all you wanted to know?" Rory asked, looking at them with his pale eyes.

"Yeah, thanks, mate." Harry said appreciatively.

Fred and Harry left them at their spot on the stone ground, and they turned onto the next corridor.  
>"Shoot, i wonder how Rory confirmed that to himself." Harry said as soon as they were out of earshot of them.<p>

"Confirm what?" asked Fred, raising a brow at him.

Harry shrugged. "Well, that he likes guys! I mean, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it, but damn, it must have been confusing..."

"Yeah, it probably was," Fred said. "But if he likes blokes like we like lasses, then shit, let him go it."

"Plus," Fred added with a humorous grin. "I reckon sharing a dorm with a hot scotsman who doesn't like to sleep with clothes on for a portion of the year probably confirmed a lot of things for him and the rest of them."

"Oh i don't think so," Harry said scratchily. "Rhys and Patrick seem pretty immune to him."

"Because Rhys is a stubborn son of a bitch and Patrick is as asexual as it gets," Fred said certainly. "But everyone else though, _they_ are not free of his Greenley charms."

"Except your dad." Harry said with a grin.

"Yes, and You-Know-Who," Fred added.

Harry gave him a confused look. "Why wouldn't he like Matt for? Because he's a Gryffindor who is a blood-traitor and stands for everything he's against?"

"No, he's got great hair and a nose," Fred said seriously. "Voldy' two greatest fears."

"_Ah_." Harry said understandingly.

As Hermione had predicted, the sixth years' free periods were not the hours of blissful relaxation Ron had anticipated, but times in which to attempt to keep up with the vast amount of homework they were being set. Not only were they studying as though they had exams every day, but the lessons themselves had become more demanding than ever before. Harry barely understood half of what Professor McGonagall said to them these days; even Hermione had had to ask her to repeat instructions once or twice. Incredibly, and to Hermione's increasing resentment, Harry's best subject had suddenly become Potions, thanks to the Half-Blood Prince. Much to Fred's enjoyment, and Rose's disapproval, he really hadn't bothered to put any effort into the fact that it was technically his O.W.L. year. On the contrary, he was taking everyone in his year's slow demise into exam-driven insanity in stride, though Alice had somehow kept her spirits up, and Fred wasn't all that sure he wanted to know _why_.

Nonverbal spells were now expected, not only in Defence Against the Dark Arts, but in Charms and Transfiguration too. Thankfully due to Professor Snape's advice, it thankfully wasn't as horrible as it could have been, but still. It was a relief to get outside into the greenhouses; they were dealing with more dangerous plants than ever in Herbology, but at least they were still allowed to swear loudly if the Venomous Tentacula seized them unexpectedly from behinds.

Later the next week, Harry scheduled Quidditch tryouts, and much to his surprise, he saw that a much larger group than he expected showed.

"Heh, whatcha doin', Matty?" Ron said as he and Harry walked up to him on the Pitch.

"Doing - push-_ups_-" He said in a grunt, his hair in his eyes as he bent his arms up and down over and over again.

"And Alice is on your back for what reason exactly?" Harry asked, cocking a brow at him.

Harry wasn't joking. Alice was literally sitting on his back, reading a book entitled "Wicked" and acting quite oblivious to the fact that she was sitting on her boyfriend's back.

"Weight-resistance," Matthew said simply. Alice turned to her side and saw Harry there. "Oh," she said, closing her book. "Is it tryouts now? I'll go take my spot in the stands then."

She slipped off his back and Matthew pushed himself up again, wiping his red fringe out of his eyes. He turned to Alice and she wrapped her arms around his middle and smiled up at him. "Try not to scare them all with your talent, okay?"

"I'll try," Matthew said jokingly, bending down until their foreheads touched. Alice giggled and pushed her chin up and gave him a kiss before departing for the stands.

"I swear, when can we get a cool girl like her for a girlfriend?" Harry said with a shake of his head as Alice climbed the stands.

"I dunno about that, Harry, not everyone here is too bad..." Ron said, his gaze focused on Hermione, who was watching from her own seat in the stands.

As Harry looked around who had come out to tryout, it seemed that half of Gryffindor House had seemed to have turned up, from first years who were nervously clutching a selection of the dreadful old school brooms, to seventh years who towered over the rest, looking coolly intimidating. The latter included a large, wiry-haired boy Harry recognized immediately from the Hogwarts Express, who cheekily put his arm around Matthew as he walked up to them.

"We met on the train, in old Sluggy's compartment," he said confidently, patting Matthew on the shoulder. "Cormac McLaggen, Keeper."

Ron's ears went red as Harry asked, "You didn't try out last year, did you?"

"I was in the hospital wing when they held the trials," said McLaggen, with something of a swagger. "Ate a pound of doxy eggs for a bet."

"Good ol' Rhys." Matthew said dreamily. "You were puking for three days straight."

"Yeah, and his hair looked lovely in that pink colour, didn't it?" Cormac said, nodding knowingly.

"START THE TRYOUTS!" said a loud voice. They turned and saw that a group had went around where Alice was sitting, and they noticed that Rhys was the one who shouted, and that he was wearing a black and white Montrose Magpies jersey, the number 6 on the shoulder.

"Just wait!" Rhys yelled with his thumbs pointing upwards. "The Greenley on the back of these will be for you in no time!"

"Oh well, that's nice words of encouragement," Ron said, nodding.

Cormac gave Matthew a shocked look. "Matty, i can't believe you, you haven't told them yet?"

"I only told Alice, jeez..." Matthew said weakly.

"Tell us what?" Harry asked, looking confused.

Cormac sighed. "Matty here," He patted Matthew again. "Thanks to his dad's connections, got into the Magpies training camp, which starts this summer..."

"_Wait_," Ron said seriously. "You mean to tell us that, _technically_, you're _on_ the Magpies team right now?"

"Well, i'm more of a recruit, really..." Matthew said stiffly.

Cormac snorted. "_So modest_. He out-flew and threw the damn veterans on the team, his dad invited us to watch. Hermes Trask nearly looked like he was about to faint with his shock, good shock, mind you. Plus, i don't think Duff Cameron or Stuart Bateson looked so happy to see a newbie on their team, it was _amazing_."

"So, why exactly are you trying out for our House team when you're already set to be a ruddy professional one?" Ron asked.

Matthew shrugged his shoulders. "It'd be cool to know i helped Gryffindor win in my last year, don't you?"

"See, that's the attitude i want to see." Harry said with a grin. "Well, we'll see if the Magpies rightfully deserve you, now, let's get down to business..."

Harry decided to start with a basic test, asking all applicants for the team to divide into groups of ten and fly once around the pitch. This was a good decision: the first ten was made up of first years, and it could not have been plainer that they had hardly ever flown before. Only one boy managed to remain airborne for more than a few seconds, and he was so surprised he promptly crashed into one of the goal posts.

The second group was comprised of ten of the silliest girls Harry had ever encountered, who, when he blew his whistle, merely fell about giggling and clutching one another. Romilda Vane, a girl who he had met on the train, was amongst them. When he told them to leave the pitch, they did so quite cheerfully and went to sit in the stands to heckle everyone else.

The third group had a pileup halfway around the pitch. Most of the fourth group had come without broomsticks. The fifth group were Hufflepuffs.

"If there's anyone else here who's not from Gryffindor," roared Harry, who was starting to get seriously annoyed, "leave now, please!

"Damn Ravenclaws," Rhys said, shaking his head as a couple of little Ravenclaws went sprinting off the pitch, snorting with laughter. "Trying to infilitrate our greatness, rude buggers."

"Hey," Rodrigo said weakly, frowning. "We're not all bad..."

"Well you're Rory's boyfriend, o' course you're fine, the others though..." Rhys said, shaking his head. Rory smiled and pecked Rodrigo on the cheek, and Patrick grinned at them.

Alice heard footsteps and a girl no older than her went up to her, clutching her blue and bronze coloured scarf around her neck. "Did i miss anything good?" Dusk Owens said, her dark blue eyes worried.

"Not yet, they just flew around," Alice said. Dusk smiled and took the empty spot next to her, patting her bright blond hair down. Though you wouldn't know it, Dusk was like another sister to Alice, even though when they first met in their first year, Dusk didn't seem like she particularly liked Alice, and it may or may not have to do with the fact that she might have had a small crush on Matthew, but she grew out of that soon enough. As the years passed, they eventually became friends, despite the fact that Dusk was friendly with Branin, but as of late, she wasn't on speaking terms on him. Alice didn't want to know why.

"Has Jack tried out yet?" Dusk asked, looked worried. "I promised to cheer him on, i hope not..."

"He just flew around the pitch." Alice said.

"Was he good? Did he do alright?" Dusk asked, looking hopeful.

Alice smiled. "He's definitely a shoo-in to join, don't worry."

Harry and Ron stared in awe as Matthew did his trial. They never guessed that he could fly with such ease, as if it was second nature, or that he could out-score and throw better than they ever expected, even better than Ginny, and that was saying something, and he barely broke a sweat all the while. After a final fly around the pitch, he landed finally, pushing his hair back and looking as happy as if Alice had just accepted his marriage propsal.

Katie Bell, who had returned to the team after an excellent trial, walked up to him with her eyes wide. "What the bloody hell, Matt! Why didn't you try out early?"

"Oh, uh, my mum wanted me to focus on my studies..." Matthew muttered.

"To hell with your mum, you're ruddy brilliant!" Ginny said, walking up to him with an impressed expression on her face. "We're sure to win the Cup this year!"

"T-Thanks." Matthew said sheepishly, smiling embarrassedly at them. He heard cheering and looked up to the stands and saw that the others who came to watch him were clapping for him, but he only cared for the extremely proud look he could see on Alice's beautiful face as she beamed at him. He smiled from ear to ear at her.

After that, the Chasers now standing back on the pitch to watch, the Beaters were next, and Ginny immediately gave her approval to one in particular.

"Oh, he's good," Ginny whispered to Harry as boy in her year walked up to them on the pitch, his slightly long-ish blond hair hanging around his green eyes. Harry had already chosen a boy Jimmy Peakes, a short but broad-chested third-year boy who had managed to raise a lump the size of an egg on the back of Harry's head with a ferociously hit Bludger as one Beater.

"Jack White," the boy said, extending his hand out to Harry. Harry shook it and he said, "You trying out for Beater?"

"I'm hopefully gonna be Beater after this," Jack grinned.

He did his trial, and Harry couldn't help but noticed that he had an extremely accurate swing, and a hard hit when the bludgers went in his direction. There was no doubt in Harry's mind that he got his other Beater. Dusk from up in the stands jumped up and down as Jack waved to her from up on his broom while he was in the air.

Matthew watched as Jack landed back down on solid ground, Jack's hair rustled by the wind but looking very pleased with himself. Matthew went over to give him his congrats on a job well done when Jack's green eyes suddenly narrowed in anger when he glanced up at the stands.

"On, come to cheer me on, hm?" Jack growled, not sounding like he cared if anyone, much less Matthew, could hear him or not,

Matthew looked up to where Jack's eyes were focused on to see, surely enough, Branin waving very half-heartedly at Jack, his blue and bronze scarf around his neck.

"Well, here's what I think," said Jack before, and much to Ginny's disapproval, as she looked at them just in time to see Jack make a very offensive hand gesture at him. By the looks of it, Branin looked ataken back and put his hand down quickly.

Jack shouted, "Nice to see you too, Haskell!" before putting his hand back down. "Like it's your real last name anyway..." he added in an inaudible mumble.

"Hey," said Matthew, his brows knotted in confusion. "Lay off him, he's just waving-"

"Oh that's a good one," Jack said, cutting him off and waggling his finger at him.

"What is?" asked Matthew, feeling annoyed all of a sudden.

"You're Matthew Greenley, right?" asked Jack, turning his attention to him instead.

"Yeah..." said Matthew slowly, not exactly sure where this was going.

"And Alice Snape is your girlfriend, hmm?"

"Yeah, she is," Matthew said. "Why does it matter?"

"Because _you_," Jack waggled his finger to him again. "Are supposed to be on _my_ side."

"What for?" asked Matthew.

"Because of Branin, you ponce," snapped Jack impatiently.

"So?" Like i care what Haskell does-" said Matthew.

Jack gave out a snort of laughter. "Whats so funny?" asked Matthew irritably.

"Didnt you hear what I said?" said Jack. "Haskell _isn't_ his last name."

"No, you didn't." said Matthew, looking confused.

"Well, that's what I meant..." Jack said.

"What's his real last name then?"

"Salvatore," explained Jack, "Haskell is just his mum's maiden name..."

"Oh..." Matthew said.

His brows crashed together. "Wait a minute, don't distract me! Why should i be on your side for?"

"Oh, i don't know, didn't he get drunk off his arse and kiss your girlfriend against her will?" Jack said acidly.

Matthew frowned. "Listen, i know he wasn't in the right state of mind, and i can't stay mad at him for something he did when he was out of it. Plus, Alice wasn't even going out with me then..."

Jack shook his head, his long-ish blond hair swinging slightly. "See? _That's_ your problem."

"What problem?" Matthew snapped.

"You're too damn forgiving." Jack said.

They hardly noticed that the Keepers were now in their places for tryouts. Ginny blazed off on her broom in a streak of red as they continued.

"Because really, it makes it _really_ hard to dislike you," said Jack.

"Well, i don't exactly want everyone to hate my guts, do i?" snapped Matthew. "I know Haskell, i mean _Salvatore_, hates everything fibre of my being, my existence, everything, but i can't stop that! Every time i try and apologise to him he pushes me away-"

"Because he's ruddy jealous of you, _that's_ why," Jack said, cutting him off. "He doesn't want the pity of the person who he wants to hate so badly."

Matthew stared at him, not even noticing that the crowd who came to watch were now cracking up as Cormac's broom shot in a completely different direction than he should have been going. "But, it's not-"

"Listen," Jack said in a steady voice, brushing the blond fringe out of his eyes. "You're everything Branin _isn't_. _You_ don't push your friends away. _You_ aren't some git who purposely makes everything a million times more complicated than it needs to be, if at all. _You_ are modest about what you've got, and _you're_ pretty much the nicest bloke i've ever met. _You_ get to be with the girl you love unconditionally, while he..."

Jack trailed off, and Matthew gaze shot up to the stands and at Alice, who was sitting with an eager looking Dusk, though both were more focused on the Quidditch pitch than he or Jack.

"I know he likes her," said Matthew in a low tone, looking back at him. "But i don't think-"

Jack sighed. "You know, sometimes you are really oblivious..."

"Yeah, i know," snapped Matthew. "But that doesn't mean-"

"You realise that, if he could get away with it, he'd kill you, right?" Jack said quickly, as if that would lessen the blow.

Matthew stared at him. "I - uh - "

"Well, he can't kill you," Jack retorted. "It would have too many negative outcomes..."

"What? You mean besides _killing_ someone?" Matthew said stiffly.

"_Besides_ that," said Jack, waving him off. "Can you imagine how heartbroken Alice would be if you were killed?"

Matthew didn't answer. But Jack could tell by the defeated look in his eyes that Matthew was thinking about any possible outcomes that could happen. Jack continued.

"Yeah, i wouldn't want to see that either," Jack said simply. "I don't reckon him killin' ya' would win him any dates with her anytime soon, to be honest with ya'."

"You think?" Matthew said in a sort of weak voice. He never though about it, but with You-Know-Who back and regaining his forces, they were all in danger. Who knows, they could all be gone by next year...

"He's ruddy stubborn too," added Jack, snapping Matthew out of thought. "He knows he's got a snowball's chance in hell when it comes to getting with Alice, and yet he still goes with it..."

"It's very romantic triangle, innit?" said Jack. "It's like, here's Team Branin versus Team Matthew..."

"I guess," said Matthew, noticing the look in Jack's eyes that he was trying to make a joke of the situation. "But that makes it sound a bit like a bad teenage romance novel, doesn't it?"

"Oh yea'," Jack grinned. "The werewolf versus the scotsman, maybe you can get turned into a vampire and and then things can get _really_ interesting."

"Uck, and have a taste for blood afterwards?" said Matthew, looking disgusted. "No thanks..."

"So, tell me," Matthew said in a low tone a moment later. "How do you know him? Are you friends with him?"

"_Were_ friends." Jack said bitterly.

"What happened?" Matthew asked.

Jack sighed. "Well..."

Branin felt insulted. Yes, obviously he wasn't on the best of terms with Jack for the past year or so, but god forbid he wanted to show him some support, right?

He had half-a-mind to leave, almost certain that they'd start cheering randomly for Greenley in three seconds purely because he exists, when someone sat down next to him on the wooden stand.

"Hey," Charisse said in a weak voice, her hands clasped on her lap and giving him a scared look. Branin glanced at her from the corner of his eye, and upon noticing who it was said in a slightly disappointed voice, "Oh, what do you want?"

"I," Charisse started. She took a steading breath and said, "I just wanted to say t-thanks..."

"For what?" Branin snapped, sounding annoyed.

"I don't know, who standing up for me?" Charisse said awkwardly. "No one stands up for me, not ever my mum..."

"Yeah, well, if you want to tell your sob story, get in line, short stuff." Branin said coldly.

"Oh, what about you then?" Charisse said in her own aggravated tone. "What's your story then?"

"What, like you wanna know?" Branin asked, turning to her and giving her a surprised look.

"Sure," Charisse shrugged. "Why not? Why did my father say you went by a difference last name for?"

"Because it hurts too much." Branin said acidly.

"And why is that?" Charisse asked.

"Well," Branin started. "The details are scattered a bit, and i made up some of it over the years, but..."

He sighed. "When i was little, my parents had a ton of kids, apparently twins and triplets run in our family,"

"Weird," Charisse said.

"Yeah," Branin sighed again. "But it was years ago, and we'd be babies then, and my parents did some uh, unconventional things politics-wise..."

"How so?" Charisse asked in an interested voice.

Branin shrugged. "They helped werewolves, tried to help them and shit like that..."

"Oh..." Charisse said in a small voice.

"Yeah," Branin continued. "I don't reckon a good majority of people liked it either. Anyway, ever since i could walk, i'd stroll around the house, and i guess a lot of the werewolves they helped liked to linger around our house, it was like a safe haven for them, i think..."

"Oh, i h-heard," Charisse started in a shaky voice.

"That i was bitten when i was little?" Branin asked for her. Charisse nodded and Branin smiled weakly at her. "It happened alright, and it's funny, my parents preached about helping any and all werewolves, but once one of their kids finally get bitten they send them away to like with a git and his evil mum!"

Charisse glanced at the Quidditch Pitch. Jack was chatting to Matthew, who had a shocked look on his face as Jack spoke animatedly. Jack was making a sort of wand movement, and Matthew looked more sick by the moment.

"Anyway," Branin said as he went on and Charisse turned back to him again. "I don't know if the Prophet got all the details right, but apparently the week or so i got sent away, some of Voldy's ah, more rapid, non-jailed followers got a hold of them..."

Charisse looked shocked. "Did they, um..."

She made a cross over her heart, and Branin nodded. "It's weird, isn't it?" Branin said in a strange voice. "Something horrible happens to me, and they get killed instead! Very ironic, don't you think?"

"Then again," he added with a shrewd laugh. "I had to also deal with Jack and his evil mum. She hates me. Eventually by my third year i just told people i lived with some bloke in Slytherin named Roger..."

"There's no one in our House named Roger though," Charisse said uncertainly.

"Duh," Branin said coolly. "Of course, i don't have to deal with his mum now, she kicked me out after i almost attacked her a while back..."

"Why'd you attack her for?" Charisse asked, her eyes wide.

"Because she was pissing me off!"

"You can't go attacking everyone when you get mad at them!"

"Yea', i got that now!"

"Where do you live then?" Charisse asked, brushing her fringe out of her eyes.

Branin shrugged again. "Here and there, i still got my parents fortune, and i get their house once i turn seventeen, and that's only in a few months time..."

Charisse sighed herself and looked back at the field. Alice had ran back down to the pitch and was giving Matthew a tight hug as he bent down and kiss her on the head, looking happier than any of them at seen him. Dusk was hugging Jack as well, though he was blushing a deep pink colour. That Rhys, Rory and Patrick boys were giving a whopping pat on the back to Matthew, while the other one, named Cormac, looked extremely mad. Then again, Matthew's broom didn't shoot out in the wrong direction during his trial.

Charisse made a disgusted face and huffed.

"Hmm?" Branin said, looking over at her and looking surprised. "What was that for?"

"What?" Charisse said. "Greenley is a total idiot."

Branin's mouth twisted upwards into a wicked grin. "You just got that now?"

"_Please_," Charisse said seriously. "You should have seen my face when i found out that he and little princess Snape were in item, i nearly gagged on my own vomit."

"Huh, not a big fan of him then?" Branin grinned at her.

"Why should i be?" Charisse said smoothly. "Oh, he's good at Quidditch. Big deal! Oh, he's _so_ nice to everyone and treats his girlfriend like a spoiled queen. Honestly, i wouldn't be surprised that once they get married and he knocks her up that he'll refuse to let her walk on her pregnant elephant ankles, mind you, she'd look like a planet, but still."

Branin laughed, and Charisse smiled at him. "Oh, now this is a surprise!"

"Wh-What is?" Branin said, trying to stop his laughter.

"Well, shouldn't you be yelling at me to not insult your little _crush_?" Charisse said, cocking a brow at him.

"Oh _yeah_," Branin said with a smirk. "I gave up on her _months_ ago. Why should i bother going after someone who is too stubborn to give me a chance? I'm too good for her anyway. Let her be with her little scottish prince, no one would pick me over a git like him anyway."

"I would." Charisse said softly. She bowed her head slightly to hide her blush and he gave her an amazed look. She smiled at him slightly. Now that he thought about, what kind of idiot was Fred? One like his twin? He should be lucky Charisse fancied him for that short amount of time when she did, she's too good for him anyway.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Roddy owes me big time. I demand his first born.<strong>


	58. Overheard Conversations

**AN: This is literally the goofiest chapter i've ever written. Enjoy.**

**P.S. I like reviews/comments (i am so clingy i'm sorry.)**

* * *

><p>"Alice hasn't been forcing you to listen to her music, has she?" Fred asked, himself sneaking over to the Gryffindor table on a rather cloudy Monday morning.<p>

Matthew cocked a brow at him. "Who wants to know?"

Fred shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno, i mean yeah, there's nothing wrong with Fleetwood Mac or Van Morrison, but if you want _really_ good music, you'd start listening to Led Zeppelin or-"

"Who says Alice hasn't already introduced me to it?" Matthew said, cutting him off mid-sentence. "'_Stairway to Heaven'? '_Black Dog_'? _All fine choices, if i do say so myself."

Fred went to retort, when he narrowed his eyes at him suddenly, giving him a shrewd look. "Wait a minute, all my records of theirs at our house, how would you hear them? Alice never borrowed them or went to your house during the summer..."

Matthew's face was oddly blank of emotion. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh my _god_," Fred said, looking disgusted. "How many times this past summer has Alice let you into our house when we were out? You know my dad would kick down the door if he caught you two going at it in her room, right?"

Harry, who was on one side of Fred, laughed. "Its called _'asserting his authority as her father'_, Fred."

"Is that what we're calling it now?" Fred asked, looking somewhat annoyed. "Because I went over to Sam's house durin' the summer and her dad did the same exact thing..."

"He kicked the door down?" Ron asked, looking surprised.

"More like he just opened the door without knocking," Fred said certainly. "I will just say, thank god we bothered to stay under the sheets..."

"Okay, we _really_ didn't need to know that." Matthew said, sticking his tongue slightly has Fred looked completely unfazed by what he just said.

"_What_? _I_ had to wait outside in the garden wrapped in a goddamn bedsheet until i got the okay from her dad to let me get my clothes again," Fred frowned. "Which really, if it wasn't for Sam's mum being so cool with me, i'd probably be castrated by now."

"Wow, _wait_," Harry said, giving him a perplexed look. "You mean to say her dad caught you two, well, _you know_..."

"Oh yeah. And you know what's funny about it?" Fred said, looking very pleased with himself all of a sudden. "He thought it was like, the third time that's happened between me and her."

"What does that mean?" Harry asked.

"Well," Fred said with a cheeky smile. "Let's just say in the stamina department, i'm only second to Matty over here."

They looked at Matthew. "And how would you know that?" He asked, not even looking remotely close to denying it at all.

"Because you're Matthew Goddamn Greenley, and you're scottish, of course you've a master at it." Fred said seriously.

"Should we start calling him the 'Scottish Stallion' now or what?" Ron asked, smirking slightly.

Matthew looked a tiny bit gratified. "I can work with that."

"We should get you a t-shirt with that on it." Ron said with a laugh.

Fred thought for a moment. "Wait a minute, you still need to give me my K-9 shirt back too!"

"Shut it, it looks good on me," Matthew said seriously. "I don't even know what a K-9 is though, is it a metal dog or what?"

"It's a robot companion from _Doctor Who_, fireball," Fred said. "And basically everything looks good on you, that doesn't mean you get to keep it!"

"Well i'm using it for a pyjama shirt, so bleh on you." Matthew said.

Fred raised his brow at him. Harry and Ron gave him the same '_Really_?' look.

"Alice told you 'bout my sleeping arrangement, didn't she?" Matthew said a sort of low voice, catching on to their expressions quickly.

"More like i read it, but yeah, we know," Fred said cheekily.

"And you told these two?" Matthew asked, nodding towards both Harry and Ron. Fred nodded with a self- satisfied grin.

"Trust us, we appreciate it." Ron said, looking like he was about to start laughing.

"Which reminds me," Harry said, looking like he too was about to start giggling at any moment. "When did you decide to start doing that?"

"Oi, don't knock it 'til you try it," Matthew said in a matter-of-factly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Pants are way too constricting while sleepin', aren't they?"

"Point taken, mate." Ron said with a grin.

"Yeah, and isn't your whole ethnicity about wearing _skirts?" Harry giggled. "It's on your blood to not like them, you're born to want a healthy breeze below the belt."_

"They're _kilts," _Matthew said in a stressed tone, a muscle moving in his jaw in annoyance. "And by the way, throwing heavy items is in my nationality too, and if ya' want, i could easily throw you three from the Gryffindor Tower fer fun since, you know, i___t's in my blood."___

"You know what?" Fred said, the corner of his mouth twisting upwards. "You would probably get away with that too."

"No doubt." Ron agreed.

"Oh thanks guys, i appreciate it." Matthew said, raising a brow to the three of them as they started laughing.

Zachary walked over from the Ravenclaw table, brushing his black fringe out of his line of vision. "Hey, what was the length needed for Flitwick's es-?"

The rest of his words were lost as he looked towards the Great Hall's large doors, and saw Rose talking to a tall boy with pale bronze hair and a long face. By the look of it, he was making Rose laugh.

Zachary's face dropped slightly. "Who in the world is that?"

"Hm? Oh, that's Chase Caruso," Matthew said simply, glancing over his shoulder to where Zachary was looking. "He's in my year."

"In what house?" Zachary asked, looking still at Chase. He couldn't help but notice, but in his sort of really annoying-git-way, he was kind of good looking, though not much.

"Slytherin," Matthew said before taking a sip of pumpkin juice. "Why do ya' ask?"

"Because he's flirting up my girlfriend, that's why!" Zachary snapped, his voice getting slightly high and cracked sounding. "And he seems to be doing a better job than i ever have!"

"Oh no, don't get that look on yer face," Matthew said when he looked around and seeing the worried look on Zachary's already pale face. "C'mon, sit down, calm down too while yer at it..."

Zachary didn't listen, and with a roll of his eyes Matthew tugged Zachary down with a simple flick of his arm as he grabbed the sleeve of Zachary's robes, pulling him down and onto the sit next to his.

"What's up with you, eh?" Fred said, cocking a brow at him, looking genuinely concerned for once.

"Thi-this Chase guy is trying to steal my girlfriend!" Zachary said in a high voice, glancing as Chase smiled at Rose's laughing face.

"Oh come on, she can have boy friends just like the everyone else," Matthew said seriously.

"Yeah well, no one in the right would dump _you _if some arse like him showed up," Zachary said acidly. "You'd always win in any situation..."

Matthew frowned. "But Rose is completely mad about you, she would never drop you for him."

"You reckon?" Zachary snapped, turning around and looking at him, his blue eyes wide. "Do you know anything about him? Tell me!"

"Well, he's not _bad_, i guess," Matthew said weakly, trying to soften any sort of blow. "I mean, a notice a bunch of girls trail after him, but you know how some school crushes are..."

"Oh great! So she's obviously beat out any sort of competition? Fantastic! Splendid!" Zachary said shrilly.

Matthew looked to be stiffening a giggle, and Zachary shoot him a seething look. "What's so damn funny, ginger snap?"

"I dunno, you never dawned me as the _jealous_ type," Matthew said, fighting back a smile.

"Well i guess i am! Is that funny to you?" Zachary snapped.

"A little bit, yeah." Matthew said. "How in the hell is this funny?" Zachary asked, his face red.

Matthew smiled at him. "Well, you're so uptight and calm most of the time, it's funny seein' ya' get so jittery."

"Oh thanks for that, i'm so glad this is amusing you!"

"No, no, thank _you."_ Matthew said, nodding his head with a grin.

"Don't you have Alice to shag or something?" Zachary said venomously, narrowing his eyes at him.

Matthew looked around in slight fear as Harry, Ron, and Fred started giggling. "Hey, her dad might overhear you!"

"That's a heap of dung, we all know what _you two_ do in your alone time anyway," Zachary said in a fuming voice. "Her dad is going to have to deal with it anyway, especially in a few years time once a little kid who looks like you and with her hair pops up! How else would you explain that unless you two got frisky under the sheets?"

"Or _over_ them. Or anywhere _including_ the sheets." Harry added in an afterthought, making Fred giggle even harder.

Matthew looked thoughtful. "You reckon our kid would have her hair?"

"IT'S CALLED DOMINANT GENETICS, YOU TWIT!" Zachary said loudly. Matthew looked about to double-over in laughter as Harry and Ron clung to Fred so they could keep their balance from their own hard giggles so they wouldn't fall off the stone bench and onto the ground.

"Oh, you four are awful!" Zachary said, his cheeks red. He went to stand up but Matthew's hand yanked him back down.

"'Ey, don't get drastic over here,"Matthew said seriously, any hint of laughter gone from his face.

"I'm not getting drastic, I'm trying to not lose my girlfriend here!" Zachary said, his dark brows shooting downwards.

"Mate, I will smack you upside the face if you don't calm the hell down right now," Matthew said smoothly.

"You'd slap me on the face?" Zachary repeated.

"Right in the face." Fred giggled.

"Multiple times." Harry said.

"Until you're seeing _stars_." Ron laughed.

Matthew nodded towards the three of them. "Them too just because they deserve it."

"Ah, we don't deny it either," Harry said dreamily.

"It would be an honour for you to grace our faces with your lovely touch, oh mighty Greenley." Fred said, batting his eyes at him and bowing slightly.

"Well give me some freaking advice then before you start using your Scottish brand of help across my face!" Zachary said anxiously.

"Okay then. First off, _we're_ really proud people," Matthew said seriously, obviously addressing his ethnicity. "So don't be questioning a lot of the weird shet we do, especially the whole kilt thing, my cousins Drummond and Desmond will force-feed you haggis if you call 'em _skirts_, and you don't have the eighteen years worth of eating it to get used to it if that happens. You'll puke and cry and they'll laugh at you as payback"

"Would you laugh with them?" Zachary asked.

"Definitely." Matthew said simply.

"Are your cousins attractive like you?" Ron asked.

"If they're last name is Greenley, then they are my default." Harry said.

"Question: What would happen if I went to one of your family reunions and brought a leaf blower?" Fred asked. "Hypothetically speaking, of course."

"It's for science." Harry said a matter-of- factly. "We have to clear up some rumours."

"I'll answer that fer you, yes, it's true about what they day 'bout Scottish lads." Matthew said clearly.

Fred and Harry looked at each other. "Alice is one lucky lady."

"Agreed." Harry nodded.

"She should share, it's very selfish of her to keep you all to herself." Fred said, pouting.

Matthew raised a brow to them. "Fer one, I don't _go_ that way, and if I did, I definitely would not go for either of you two."

"But I'm like the guy version of Alice anyway!" Harry said, his mouth twisting downwards. "I'm short and have black hair and I'm _sassy_."

"Bullshit, i'm her _twin, you can't get closer than that." Fred said pridefully._

Matthew looked at Ron. "No comment?"

"There would be too much orange between us, it'd be an eyesore." Ron said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yeah, and you got Lavender trailing after you," Harry said with a grin. "Remember how you puffed out your chest when she wished you luck before the Quidditch tryouts?"

Ron's ears went red as Zachary said, "Oh yes great, everyone wants to get on Matt and Ron might actually get a date! Wonderful! Now can someone please help me? I don't want to lose my girlfriend! It took my forever to get her in the first place, and i'm not quite ready to lose her yet!"

"Mate, she can have friends who also happen to be guys too," Matthew said. "That doesn't mean she'll drop you and go with him instead."

"Says the guy who never has problems ever with his girlfriend except for guys hitting on her all the time." Zachary said coldly.

"That's right," said Matthew proudly. "Because we don't stress over stupid shet, its completely useless when theres so much good in our lives to be mad fer no reason, and the only heated debate we've ever had was whether The Beatles are a _great band or the _greatest_ band."_

Suddenly, Alice walked past them with Luna besides her and said, "Thats true love right there."

Matthew held his hand up, still looking straight at Zachary, and Alice slapped it with her own. They both grinned and Alice and Luna kept walking down the length of the table and talking as if nothing just happened.

"Did you just give her a sequenced high five on the random?" Harry asked, his eyes wide in surprise. "How the hell did you two do that?"

"We're on the same brain frequency, we just know how to work with each other," Matthew said, waving a finger at his head. "Plus, random high fives are just such good morale boosters, don't you think? Got a good grade? High five. Finally got some spell to work? High Five. Just want a high five? High. _Five_."

"Just got shagged?" Ron said.

"High ten." Harry responded.

"Me and Sam should start doing that." Fred smiled.

"Go fer it, it's fun," Matthew said.

"Like that bite mark on your neck there?" Ron asked. He pointed to him and they noticed a slight red and purple mark on his neck.

"_Oooh_," Fred laughed again as Matthew tried pulling his collar up to hide it. "Matty likes it rough, does he? Does it look like a cat attacked your back too? Alice has kinda long nails..."

"I'll leave that up to your imaginations," Matthew said, looking like he was fighting back a grin.

Harry and Fred looked at each other and started laughing like excited school girls.

"That's so great for you two then!" Zachary muttered irritably. "Don't you have some counter-acting advice to that bloke's flirting?"

Matthew looked sheepish. "Er, well, you can't really tell if he's _flirting with her,"_

"I can tell!" Zachary snapped.

"_And_," Matthew said slowly. "I dunno if i'm the best person to ask about counter-actin' flirtin'..."

"What for?" Zachary asked, his brows furrowed.

"Well, according to rumours, basically every time i speak it sounds like i'm flirtin' anyway..." Matthew said.

Fred giggled. "Oh my god you're _right_, what was the first real thing you said to Alice when you met her again?"

_"That's nonsense."_ said Harry said in a fake scottish accent. _"Who'd forget a pretty girl like you?"_

"Subtle, mate, subtle." Ron laughed. "She blushed redder than my hair at that."

"No, no, i can remember the look on her face," Fred said with a wicked grin. "It's like she was thinking 'Oh i am _so_going to have that in a few years', and look where we are now..."

Matthew had a sort of half-annoyed, half-amused smirk on his face. "You guys are _so_ clever, how where you not in Ravenclaw again?"

"Because Ravenclaw can't handle all of this unadulterated amazingness," Fred said, and Harry and Ron nodded in agreement, looking completely serious and smiling at him.

Zachary huffed irritably when Matthew looked to his side and suddenly poked him in the shoulder. "Look, Rose is comin' over now."

Zachary turned and saw that she was indeed walking over, a smile plastered on her face and that Chase boy slinking over to the Slytherin table, looking immensely pleased with himself. It made Zachary's stomach boil with anger.

"Don't say anythin' stupid, okay?" Matthew whispered to him. Zachary paid no attention to him.

Rose walked up and said, "Hey Zach-"

"Rose, do you love me?" Zachary asked suddenly.

Matthew rolled his eyes and turned back to Fred. "Why does no one listen to my advice?" Matthew mumbled to himself, looking unamused.

"Because they're too distracted by your face and body than to listen to anything you have to say." Fred said seriously.

Matthew huffed and Ron said, "'Tis both a blessing and a curse."

"Emphasis on blessing." Harry giggled.

Rose looked slightly surprised. "Of course I do, why wouldn't I?"

"I, um," Zachary started weakly, any flare of anger he had lost as Rose stood in front of him. She always had this strange way of making him speechless even with no effort at all. "I mean, I just saw you with that Caruso fellow and-"

"You mean Chase?" Rose asked.

Zachary nodded and she said, "Oh yeah, he's a friend."

"I told you so." Matthew muttered to him.

"Shut it, fireball." Zachary mumbled to him from the corner of his mouth.

Rose giggled. "Are you jealous? That's so cute!"

"No i'm not!" Zachary said, his voice cracking once again. His cheeks blushed red and Rose giggled again, sitting down next to him.

"He's just a friend, Zach, you don't have to get all over- protective of me, i can take care of myself." Rose said simply. She pecked Zachary on the cheek and he smiled sheepishly at her. "That's so adorable though, you're too sweet, Zach."

"T-Thanks..." Zachary said softly, his face burning red.

"Yeah, yeah, that's great, now let's get back to the serious issue at hand here," Fred said, making Rose look annoyed at him.

He turned his attention to Matthew and looked impeccably serious. "Be honest, in the near future when you and my baby sister get married-"

"She's a minute younger than you," Matthew said, cutting him off. "But yeh, what 'bout it?"

"I like how you're so certain her dad would give you the okay to marry her." Harry said in an amused tone.

"Yeh well, i reckon you'd be tapping against the window of his livin' room window with a Beater's bat until he says yes, so that gives me some hope." Matthew said with a pleased face.

Harry thought for a moment. "Oh my god, i would _so_ do that too. Fred, give me your address, i need to practice for that."

"Later Harry, but i have to know," Fred said, staring at Matthew. "Even if we're on the bride's side, would we be able to wear kilts? You know, since it's in your culture and stuff..."

Matthew raised a brow at them. "Er, yeah, if you want to. I mean, it's not _required_..."

Fred wasn't paying attention at all. He had a wide grin on his face. "Holy hell, Harry i will get you a Beater's bat so we make this happen."

"You're giving me permission to threaten your dad with a Beater's bat?" Harry asked, looking amazed.

"No, it's more of a subtle push, know what i mean?" Fred grinned wickedly. "You know, daughter's happiness, marriage and all that dung..."

"And kilts." Ron added.

"And _lots _of beautiful kilts." Fred said dreamily.

Matthew looked both unsure and alarmed. "Dear Saint Cathróe of Metz, what have i just done?"

"I have no idea what that is but it sounded incredibly sexy in your accent, don't stop doin' what you're doin'." Fred said, waving him off. "Now come along you two, we have a wedding to plan."

"We're not even out of school, you knob!" Matthew said, looking aspirated.

"Minor details!" Fred said in a flamboyant tone, flicking his wrist at him

* * *

><p>Over the next few weeks, it was quite apparent to those who paid attention that Dumbledore was rarely there. In fact, Harry had only seen him twice, it was a bit unsettling for him.<p>

Harry had already attempted a few of the Prince's self-invented spells, as he spent his few free hours spilling over the scribbled on textbook. There had been a hex that caused toenails to grow alarmingly fast (Which with Fred's suggestion, he had tried this on Vincent in the corridor, with very entertaining results as Charisse tried to figure out what was going on with him); a jinx that glued the tongue to the roof of the mouth (which he had twice used, to general applause, on an unsuspecting Argus Filch); and, perhaps most useful of all, _Muffliato_, a spell that filled the ears of anyone nearby with an unidentifiable buzzing, so that lengthy conversations could be held in class without being overheard. The only person who did not find these charms amusing was Hermione, who maintained a rigidly disapproving expression throughout and refused to talk at all if Harry had used the _Muffliato_spell on anyone in the vicinity.

Filch was standing at the oak front doors as usual in mid-October before they went on their first Hogsmeade trip of the semester, checking off the names of people who had permission to go into the village. The process took even longer than normal as Filch was triple- checking everybody with his Secrecy Sensor.

"What does it matter if we're smuggling Dark stuff _OUT_?" demanded Ron, eyeing the long thin Secrecy Sensor with apprehension. "Surely you ought to be checking what we bring back _IN_?"

The others hardly cared as Ron's cheek earned a few extra jabs with the Sensor. Fred was more focused near the middle of the line.

He jabbed Alice in the shoulder, making her wince and she glared up at him. "What do you want, Frederick?"

He pointed his finger. "Look at Chair!"

Alice followed his finger and sure enough, she saw Charisse a few dozen students away from them, except the thing that dawned them as strange as she was whispering something to Branin, who was standing with her. He had a wide grin on his face as she laughed at something he said to her.

"Holy _hell_," Alice said with a slightly glad look on her face. "Have the answers for our prayers finally come true?"

"I think so," Fred grinned. "Are they gonna finally leave us alone now?"

"Oh glorious day, i think you're right on this one!" Alice said excitedly.

"You notice that too, have you?" said Matthew from in front of them, and they turned to face him. He grinned at the pair of them. "Yeh, i knew somethin' was up when i wasn't gettin' death threats from him, and would you look at that-!"

"You reckon they're an item?" Fred asked, cocking a brow at him.

Matthew's grin flattered slightly. "Er, she's that Sullivan prat's girlfriend though..."

"They look more chummy than just friends, Matt, come on," Fred said seriously.

"You think she'd cheat on her boyfriend for him then?" Alice asked.

Fred shrugged his shoulders. "If he's more tolerable than Sullivan, sure, why not?"

"You have such great morals, Fred," Matthew said.

"I'm not saying cheating _good_, but hell, if that's your thing, go for it," Fred said. "Mind you, i'd never stray from Sam, she's perfect..."

"Or Harry." Alice smirked at him. Fred just smiled back at her.

Harry passed the Sensor finally and Matthew was up. "We'll talk about it on the way to the village, 'kay?"

"Not if yeh' fail this, yer not." Filch growled at him, not caring what they were actually talking about. He pasted the Sensor over Matthew and purposely smacked him on the side of the head with it, making Matthew flinch in pain.

"Okay, i'm not even gonna comment on that, i don't feel like gettin' in trouble today..." Matthew said, a muscle moving in jaw as Filch glared at him.

"C'mon, get goin', yer fine." Filch snapped, poking Matthew with the Sensor and pushing him along as Fred stepped up to be checked.

"Too bad he didn't do a strip search," Alice said as she linked her arm with Matthew's as they finally all got through the Sensor. "You would have finally been able to show off your tattoo."

Fred's eyes went wide as Sam readjusted her Slytherin scarf next to him. "Hold it, _he_ has a tattoo?"

"_Five_, actually," Matthew said simply. "Early Birthday present, i'm gettin' another fer Christmas."

"Oh _goodie_," Fred said in an odd, high voice. "Just great, yeah..."

They started walking down the way to Hogsmeade, the bitter wind blowing against them. Harry walked up next to Fred as he said, "He has freaking _tattoos_, i swear to god, what else is up his sleeve to make me faint? I think he might be trying to kill me, Harry."

"_You_ like tattoos?" Harry laughed, the wind making his already unmanageable hair a tangled mess. "I should have guessed..."

Fred's face was flushed, and Sam said from the corner of her mouth, "If we go to the Three Broomsticks, i'll take care of you in the Ladie's loo..."

"Hey everyone!" Fred said loudly over the wind. "Let's go to the Three Broomsticks, yeah?"

"After Honeydukes, c'mon," Ron responded back, shaking slightly from the cold as they entered the village finally and saw that Zonko's was boarded up.

"Thank _God_," shivered Ron as they were enveloped by warm, toffee-scented air as they staggered into the candy shop, some of them diverging to other areas of the shop to find certain candies. It left only Rose with Zachary, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Let's stay here all afternoon."

"Harry, m'boy!" said a booming voice from behind them.

"Oh no," muttered Harry. They turned to see Professor Slughorn, who was wearing an enormous furry hat and an overcoat with matching fur collar, clutching a large bag of crystallised pineapple, and occupying at least a quarter of the shop.

"Harry, that's three of my little suppers you've missed now!" said Slughorn, poking him genially in the chest. "You've been keeping you and Greenley away from my company. It won't do, m'boy, I'm determined to have you both! Miss Granger loves them, don't you?"

"Yes," said Hermione helplessly, "they're really —"

"And Rose dear has been brining her sister and brother with her as well!" Slughorn added, nodding at Rose, who flushed as red as her hair. "I've even had the pleasure of meeting her better half here!"

He waved his large hand at Zachary, who looked like he was under a blazing spotlight, looking embarrassed. "Did you know his parents are the top Healers at St Mungo's? I should have known, he looks just like his father-!"

"So why don't you come along, Harry?" demanded Slughorn, turning to Harry and scrutinising him.

"Well, I've had Quidditch practice, Professor," said Harry, who had indeed been scheduling practices every time Slughorn had sent him a little, violet ribbon-adorned invitation, which neither Ron or Matthew were complaining as he purposely made it impossible for them to attend.

"Well, I certainly expect you to win your first match after all the hard work!" said Slughorn. "But a little recreation never hurt any body. Now, how about Monday night, you can't possibly want to practice in this weather…"

"I can't, Professor, I've got — er — an appointment with Professor Dumbledore that evening."

"Unlucky again!" cried Slughorn dramatically. "Ah, well… you can't evade me forever, Harry!"

And with a regal wave, he waddled out of the shop, taking as little notice of Ron as though he had been a display of Cockroach Clusters.

"I can't believe you've wriggled out of another one," said Hermione, shaking her head. "They're not that bad, you know… They're even quite fun sometimes…" But then she caught sight of Ron's expression. "Oh, look — they've got deluxe sugar quills — those would last hours!"

Glad that Hermione had changed the subject, Harry showed much more interest in the new extra- large sugar quills than he would normally have done, but Ron continued to look moody and merely shrugged when Hermione asked him where he wanted to go next.

"Oi, Zach," said Evan a few minutes later, pushing his way through the crowds with Ina holding his hand. "Fred and Sam already headed to the Three Broomsticks, you guys wanna join 'em?"

Zachary turned to Rose, in which they both turned to Hermione as she tried cheering Ron up. "They'll catch up. Sure, let's go."

They pushed through the crowds and bundled their scarves back over their faces and left the sweetshop. The bitter wind was like knives on their faces after the sugary warmth of Honeydukes. The street was not very busy; nobody was lingering to chat, just hurrying toward their destinations.

Matthew kicked the door open, causing another gust of freezing wind to push through into the pub as the others filed past him.

"Oh god, it's so _warm_ in here," Evan said, patting his fluffy hair down and taking his scarf off. The pub was more crowded than normal, but then again, it seemed that everyone would rather stay indoors than be left another minute in the freezing cold outside.

They crowded themselves around one corner table, Evan taking the action to order them all drinks and Fred and Sam finally emerging from the girl's loo a few minutes later a looked ruffled. Soon afterwards, as Evan was on a tangent about his little brother, Harry pushed his way into the pub with Ron and Hermione stalking behind him, himself looking quite mad indeed.

"Oh, everyone brace yourselves, midget looks pissed," Evan said a whisper as Harry stomped over to him, fuming red in the face.

"He nicked my stu-" Harry started when he finally got close enough to them, but Fred sat up slightly in his seat and wrapped his arms around Harry's middle, stopping him mid-sentence and yanking him down until he was on Fred's lap.

"Hush little thing, you worry too much," Fred said, a slightly sloppy grin on his face as it was after his fourth or so Butterbeer. "Chill out."

"But that arse Mundungus stole my st-" Harry started again.

Fred shushed him and started petting his head. "Now, now, little man, calm thy body."

"What the? What's wrong with you?" Harry asked, giving Fred a puzzled look as Fred patted his hair.

Ron stiffened a giggle as Fred said, "Never you mind, little man."

"I'm not little, you just make me look tiny by comparison," Harry said harshly.

"Hush little baby don't say a word, Freddie is gonna buy you a Mockingjayyyy-" Fred sang drizzly.

They have him confused looks. "What in the hell is Mockingjay?" Zachary asked, looking confused.

"Oh, what? I meant Mockingbird, but then i saw Sam's hair and it was all blue and it made be think of Blue Jays soo..." Fred said, hiccuping slightly. "Harry let's make a new bird and call it Mockingjay."

"Maybe for your birthday, Fred." Harry said weakly, his arm around Fred's shoulders as to not be so awkwardly placed.

"Nooo, that's too far awaaaay," Fred pouted, putting his head on Harry's chest. "I wanna do it _noooow."_

"I don't think that's the only thing you wanna do." Matthew snickered as Harry started poking Fred in the face so he wouldn't doze off, making Sam start laughing as Fred stuck his tongue out at him.

* * *

><p>Severus frowned slightly from his chair as Dumbledore fiddled with the Pensieve. He didn't know what his lessons were with Harry, but they must be important to be submerged in such mystery.<p>

"How long will Ms Bell be in St Mungo's?" Severus asked politely. Over the past Hogsmeade trip, Katie Bell of Gryffindor had been tricked (or Imperio'd?) into carrying and accidentally touching a cursed opal necklace, which oddly enough, was addressed to be sent to Dumbledore himself instead. After as much as Madam Pomfrey could do, they sent Katie to the hidden wizarding hospital in urban London.

"The Healers don't quite know just yet," Dumbledore said simply, taking his seat on his high-backed chair behind his lavish desk. He looked quite somber. Dumbledore was far beyond his younger years, but Severus had never quite noticed how aged he was until now. Maybe the threat of the oncoming war was finally taking a strain on the Headmaster.

"It's odd, isn't it?" Severus asked quietly. "Who in the world would sent you a cursed necklace?"

"Well, i have been known to be a bit outlandish with my fashion selections," Dumbledore joked.

"_Sir_," Severus said in a voice that told he was speaking with the upmost seriousness. "It's of most importance that you don't take these threats light-heartedly! What if they succeeded delivering you that package, what then?"

"I suppose i'd be dead," Dumbledore said, absentmindedly rubbing his blackened hand.

Severus gave an uneasy look to the dead-looking hand and Dumbledore said, "It's quite kind of you to be so concerned for my well-being, Severus, but even then, you cannot control how the future pans out, we all meet our end eventually."

"Yes, well, i intend to help you see the end of this damn war before you must permanently depart from us," Severus said bitterly.

He looked momentarily distracted again by Dumbledore's blackened hand as Dumbledore said, "I can assure that i'm not departing just yet, Severus, never fret."

"Not even after what Lily and i were told over the summer?" Severus asked, his dark brows furrowed.

"You've told me it a many of times, and i've thought it out even more so," Dumbledore said. "And there's not a doubt in my mind that what Narcissa has told you both is of valued importance."

"So you think her-?" Severus started.

"I know it's true," Dumbledore said, cutting Severus off. "Voldemort has been known to punish his failed followers in cruel ways, but that, well... I've never quite seen it before... He must be trying everything to get to me, especially with that necklace of his..."

"You think that was _him_ then?" Severus asked. The odd thing was, they weren't even speaking about Voldemort then. "Minerva said he wasn't even at Hogsmeade that day..."

"Theres no doubt that it was a brilliant plan, but even then, it has it's flaws..." Dumbledore said.

"How so?" Severus asked.

"Well," Dumbledore started. "For one thing, I was the intended victim, and I can humbly say that I do wish to go down with a fight, not by a matter of jewellery."

"So, you know what is planned for you then?" Severus asked, looking skeptical.

"I do, i'm afraid," Dumbledore said lightly, as if it wasn't at all serious. "But i have my plans as well..."

"Like what?" Severus asked.

Dumbledore smiled at him from behind his long, white beard. "I do not wish to burden you with it just yet, Severus, but in due time, you shall know..."

"And i can tell Lily?" Severus asked.

"Most certainly," Dumbledore said with a slight chuckle, which Severus frowned at. "I dare say, her anger at you leaving her in the dark will most likely be more deadly than whatever is in store for me."

* * *

><p>Katie Bell was still in St. Mungo's Hospital with no prospect of leaving, which meant that the promising Gryffindor team Harry had been training so carefully since September was one Chaser short. He kept putting off replacing Katie in the hope that she would return, but their opening match against Slytherin was looming, and he finally had to accept that she would not be back in time to play.<p>

Harry did not think he could stand another full-House tryout. With a sinking feeling that had little to do with Quidditch, and more to do with Ginny, he cornered Dean Thomas after Transfiguration one day and asked him to fill in, which he was more than happy to oblige, though Seamus, who was easily out-flown by Dean at the tryouts, looked quite agitated at.

Seamus was not the only person disgruntled by the choice of Katie's substitute. There was much muttering in the common room about the fact that Harry had now chosen two of his class-mates for the team. As Harry had endured much worse mutterings than this in his school career, he was not particularly bothered, but all the same, the pressure was increasing to provide a win in the upcoming match against Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, Harry knew that the whole House would forget that they had criticised him and swear that they had always known it was a great team. If they lost… well, Harry thought wryly, he had still endured worse mutterings…

Harry had no reason to regret his choice once he saw Dean fly that evening at practice; he worked well with Matthew and Ginny. The Beaters, Peakes and Jack, were getting better all the time. The only problem was Ron.

Harry had known all along that Ron was an inconsistent player who suffered from nerves and a lack of confidence, and unfortunately, the looming prospect of the opening game of the season seemed to have brought out all his old insecurities. After letting in half a dozen goals, most of them scored by Matthew, who looked rather sympathetic for Ron. Eventually, and much to Jack's effort as he tried not to laugh, Ron's technique became wilder and wilder, until he finally punched Matthew in the nose, surely by accident.

"It was an accident, I'm sorry, Matt, really sorry!" Ron shouted after him after he landed back on the ground, blood rushing out of his nostrils. "I just —"

"_Panicked_," Ginny said angrily, landing next to Matthew and examining his broken nose. "You prat, Ron, look at the state of him!"

"'M fine, honest, Michael's given me worse," Matthew said, waving her off as he pinched the end of his nose and flinching in pain. "Damn, Ron, how tight of an 'ist did you 'ave?"

"I can fix that," said Harry, landing beside the two of them, pointing his wand at Matthew's face, and saying _Episkey,_causing the blood flow to stop immediately as they heard a slight cracking noise as his nose fixed itself. "And Ginny, don't call Ron a prat, you're not the Captain of this team —"

"Well, you seemed too busy to call him a prat and I thought someone should —"

Harry forced himself not to laugh. "In the air, everyone, let's go…"

Overall it was one of the worst practices they had had all term, though Harry did not feel that honesty was the best policy when they were this close to the match.

"Good work, everyone, I think we'll flatten Slytherin," he said bracingly, and the Chasers and Beaters left the changing room looking reasonably happy with themselves.

"What to ya' reckon, hmm? Are we totally gonna give the Slytherins a new one or what?" Jack asked as he and Matthew started back for the castle after they changed back into their non-Quidditch uniforms.

"Definitely," Matthew said with a grin, wiping his top lip again as to make sure there was no more blood on it.

"Let's just hope Ron doesn't puke five minutes in," Jack said weakly as they headed for the front door of the castle.

"Oh come on, he's not _bad_, he's just nervous..." Matthew said bracingly.

"Yeah, says the guy who got his nose broken because of him," Jack laughed. "Yer' lucky Bran Flakes wasn't there, he would have died laughin'..."

"Nah, he's leavin' me alone now," Matthew said as the doors swung open for them. They stepped over the threshold and he said, "I mean, he's been hanging out with Wargrave, he seems more occupied with her-"

"_Wargrave?" Jack asked suddenly, giving him a confused look. "What do you mean he's 'occupied' with her?"_

Matthew shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno, i've just noticed that they've been hanging out lately, they're just friends..."

"Yeh', well, isn't that the same thing you said to everyone when they asked if you were datin' Alice or not but you really were?" Jack asked as they went up one of the many stone staircases.

"Okay, yeh, you got a point there," Matthew said. "But i don't think he'd get tangled up with her in that way, she has a boyfriend and everythin'..."

"Well," Jack said solemnly. "Branin isn't known to keep himself out of drama, i think that how he sleeps at night..."

They finally reached and entered the common room, and Jack went straight to bed, looking like he was deep in thought. Not feeling particularly tired, Matthew sat next to the fireplace, just relaxing.

Matthew was about to doze off a few minutes later when the portrait hole opened suddenly, and Ron stomped in, his face nearly as red as his hair.

"Peeves 'gain?" Matthew asked, wiping his eye as Harry followed in after him. Ron huffed and said nothing, and went straight for his own dormitory.

"What'd i say?" Matthew said as Harry flopped down into the chair next to him, looking oddly unfocused.

"We just saw Ginny snogging Dean, actually..." Harry said weakly. "Ron got a bit mad, and they kinda, _argued_..."

"Ah, understandable," Matthew said, nodding. "Siblings have the tendency to do that..."

Harry's face was pink, for some reason. "What's up with you?" Matthew asked.

"I dunno," Harry said, sounding a bit out of it. "I mean, there's nothing wrong with Dean, he's brilliant, really, but Ginny..."

He trailed off, looking embarrassed, and it snapped in Matthew's mind. He grinned at him. "_No way,"_

Harry looked at him. "What?"

"You fancy Ginny, don't you?" Matthew asked lightly, grinning at him.

"What? No i don't!" Harry said a little too loudly, which quite obviously gave it away. .

"Ah bless, you're in _love_," Matthew said, clapping his hands together and sitting up more straighter. "You probably wanted to knock Dean's head off, didn't yeh?"

"Shut up, Matt," Harry snapped, his cheeks burning red.

"I will not, i had to deal with everyone making fun of me and Alice, now its yer turn." Matthew grinned.

"Yeah well, how could you tell then? _You're_ never the one to be this on top of it." Harry snapped.

"You're lucky Fred isn't here, he'd make an implication out of that righ' away." Matthew said. "

That didn't answer my question."

"Righ', sorry 'bout that, but you're completely being obvious about it, I can see it on yer face," Matthew explained. "Plus, ya' have the same reaction to her as I did fer Alice before we got together."

Harry's stomach gave out a loud growl, though it sounded like it had nothing to do with Harry being hungry.

"What's _that_? Yer Ginny Monster?" Matthew laughed, pointing to Harry's stomach as it gave another annoyed growl of a noise.

Harry's hands went right to covering his stomach, looking more embarrassed. "You don't know that! Plus, if i _did_ like her, which i don't, I don't care what my face says! I wouldn't be able to ask her out, she has a boyfriend!"

"See? That's how i know you're not friends with Rhys," Matthew said.

"And why is that?" Harry asked irritably.

"Because his life motto is 'Just because there's a Keeper doesn't mean you can't score'," Matthew said sheepishly. "It's kinda funny, if ya' think about it..."

"No, you don't say..." Harry said as his stomach gave another angry growl.

Harry awoke next morning feeling slightly dazed and confused by a series of dreams in which

For whatever reason, Ron and Hermione were back in another long session of being completely angry at each other. To Harry's dismay, Ron's new aggression at the situation did not wear off over the next few days. Worse still, it coincided with an even deeper dip in his Keeping skills, which made him still more aggressive, so that during the final Quidditch practice before Saturdays match, he failed to save every single goal the Chasers aimed at him, but bellowed at everybody so much that he nearly reduced Jack to jumping him.

"Let me at' em!" shouted Jack, who, though not quite Ron's height, looked admittedly terrifying with him carrying a heavy bat as Matthew held him back. "Yell at us again, Weasley, i dare ya'!"

"ENOUGH!" bellowed Harry, who had seen Ginny glowering in Ron's direction and, remembering her reputation as an accomplished caster of the Bat-Bogey Hex, soared over to intervene before things got out of hand. "Peakes, go and pack up the Bludgers, will you? Jack, pull yourself together, you played really well today, there's no need to get so off it, Ron…" he waited until the rest of the team were out of earshot before saying it, "you're my best mate, but carry on treating the rest of them like this and I'm going to kick you off the team."

He really thought for a moment that Ron might hit him, but then something much worse happened: Ron seemed to sag on his broom; all the fight went out of him and he said, "I resign. I'm pathetic."

"You're not pathetic and you're not resigning!" said Harry fiercely, seizing Ron by the front of his robes. "You can save anything when you're on form, it's a mental problem you've got!"

"You calling me mental?"

"Yeah, maybe I am!"

They glared at each other for a moment, then Ron shook his head wearily. "I know you haven't got any time to find another Keeper, so I'll play tomorrow, but if we lose, and we will, I'm taking myself off the team."

Harry glanced at the ceiling when they entered the Great Hall for breakfast, ignoring some of the Slytherins as they hissed at them, and saw a clear, pale blue sky: a good omen.

The Gryffindor table, a solid mass of red and gold, cheered as Harry and Ron approached. Harry grinned and waved; Ron grimaced weakly and shook his head. "Cheer up, Ron!" called Lavender. "I know you'll be brilliant!"

Ron ignored her.

"Tea?" Harry asked him. "Coffee? Pumpkin juice?"

"Yes i shall," said a voice, and Harry looked just in time to see Fred yank a cup of coffee and take a sip of it.

"Look at how happy you are!" Harry grinned. "Why are you so up for?"

"Because now everyone has to hear what the hell i want to say." Fred said, taking another sip of the black liquid. He stuck his tongue out. "Ah, my coffee is black like my metal."

"Oh yeh, you're the commentator, aren't ya'?" Matthew asked, munching in toast. "You're not gonna embarrass us, are you?"

"Don't be stupid and I won't embarrass you," Fred said simply.

"Yeh Matty," said Rhys, who was sitting across from him, wearing once again his Montrose Magpies jersey. "This is yer time to shine, don't blow it fer us."

"_Well_, i don't know 'bout that, but if you're in the mood fer blowing, then I'm sure Rodrigo can help you out with that." Matthew said smartly. Rhys' mouth hung open slightly in shock as they started giggling.

A moment later, green sleeved arms wrapped themselves around Matthew's neck and he turned his face just in time for Alice to kiss him on the cheek. "Try and win, okay?" she said sweetly.

"Look at her, she's a contradiction!" Rhys said, waving his hand at her.

They looked at Alice and sure enough saw that she was wearing a Slytherin green sweater, though it was apparent that she tied a little maroon and gold ribbon into her hair.

"A Slytherin wishing a Gryffindor luck, I never thought I'd see the day," Rhys said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Yeh, House unity is so stupid, innit?" Matthew said. He turned and kissed Alice on the cheek, smiling appreciatively at her afterwards. "Thank you fer your support, love."

"Anytime," Alice smiled back, kissing him on the nose.

"What? No good luck kiss for me?" Harry jokingly asked as Ron tried eating any of his breakfast.

"If you insist," Fred said. He bent down and pecked Harry in the cheek, making him blush pink as someone from the Ravenclaw table yelled out, "YES!"

"I swear to god, Roddy has a goddamn sixth sense fer stuff like that," Matthew said as Rory tried pulling Rodrigo back down at the table clad in blue and bronze.

A few minutes later after Alice went back to the Slytherin table to talk with her sister, Hermione, who had become so tired of Ron's recent unpleasant behaviour that she had not come down to breakfast with them, paused on her way up the table.

"How are you both feeling?" she asked tentatively, her eyes on the back of Ron's head. "Fine," said Harry, who was concentrating on handing Ron a glass of pumpkin juice. "There you go, Ron. Drink up." Ron had just raised the glass to his lips when Hermione spoke sharply.

"Don't drink that, Ron!"

They jumped at her sudden outburst. "Where's the fire?" Fred asked, giving her a questioning look.

"Why not?" asked Ron.

Hermione was now staring at Harry as though she could not believe her eyes. "You just put something in that drink."

"Excuse me?" said Harry. "

You heard me. I saw you. You just tipped something into Ron's drink. You've got the bottle in your hand right now!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Harry, stowing the little bottle hastily in his pocket.

"Wow, is that Felix Felicis?" Fred asked, his eyes widened in awe. "No way!"

"Ron, I warn you, don't drink it!" Hermione said again, alarmed, but Ron picked up the glass, drained it in one gulp, and said, "Stop bossing me around, Hermione."

She looked scandalised. Bending low so that only Harry could hear her, she hissed, "You should be expelled for that. I'd never have believed it of you, Harry!"

"Look who's talking," he whispered back. "Confunded anyone lately?"

Fred gave a confused look as Hermione stormed up the table away from them. Harry watched her go without regret. Hermione had never really understood what a serious business Quidditch was. He then looked around at Ron, who was smacking his lips.

The frosty grass crunched underfoot as they strode down to the stadium. Matthew was stopped as Alice ran back up to him, pulling him down by the scruff of his jersey collar and pushing herself up on her toes and kissing him on the mouth.

Matthew was about to throw his broomstick down onto the ground and wrap his arms around her to eliminate any empty space between them when someone went besides her and picked Alice up, separating them.

"'Ey, save that for afterwards, will ya'?" Rhys said as Rodrigo carried a squirming Alice away, ignoring as she said "Let me down!"

"Oh come on, not cool!" Matthew yelled after them as Rhys waved back to him.

"Good luck, Matt!" Alice yelled out to him and waving before they disappeared into the crowds.

"Ah, stop bein' cute, yer' givin' the rest of us a bad name," Jack said, his cheeks burning pink as Dusk had just then ran up to him and kissed him on the cheek in good luck. "

Pretty lucky the weathers this good, eh?" Harry asked Ron.

"Yeah," said Ron, who was pale and sick-looking.

"Conditions look ideal," said Ginny as they entered the changing rooms, and ignoring Ron. "And guess what? That Slytherin Chaser Vaisey — he took a Bludger in the head yesterday during their practice, and he's too sore to play! And even better than that — Malfoy's gone off sick too!"

"What?" said Harry, wheeling around to stare at her. "He's ill? What's wrong with him?"

"No idea, but it's great for us," said Ginny brightly. "They're playing Harper instead; he's in my year and he's an idiot."

"You mean that dolt who thought Sprout was a man in disguise and said so out loud?" Jack asked, grinning slightly.

"The very same." Ginny responded.

"Its like they want us to win, eh? He's dumber than a sack of dragon dung. They don't stand a chance." Jack laughed.

"Fishy, isn't it?" Harry said in an undertone to Ron after they changed I to their Quidditch robes. "Malfoy not playing?"

"Lucky, I call it," said Ron, looking slightly more animated. "And Vaisey off too, he's their best goal scorer, I didn't fancy — hey!" he said suddenly, freezing halfway through pulling on his Keepers gloves and staring at Harry.b"What?" "I… you…" Ron had dropped his voice, he looked both scared and excited. "My drink… my pumpkin juice… you didn't…?"

Harry raised his eyebrows, but said nothing except, "We'll be starting in about five minutes, you'd better get your boots on."

"...And the weather is absolutely lovely out here," Fred said into his old-fashioned microphone in the commentator box, Luna sitting right next to him in her usual lion-topped hat. "I suspect your supporting Gryffindor, Luna?"

"Oh yes," Luna said in her airy tone into her own microphone, readjusting her hat, which was blinking in the sunlight.

"Well, _I'm_ not allowed to pick sides since I'm from combined household," Fred explained. "But I've been told by some honey-haired arse in Hufflepuff that I'm supposed to be nice to the Badgers when they play no matter what."

"Thats nice," Luna said, staring up at the wispy clouds in the sky with vivid interest.

The two teams walked out onto the pitch to tumultuous roars and boos.

"Oi, shut it," Fred said over the crowds. "Only my and Luna's opinions matter here, and Madam Hooch too, I suppose, she is the referee after all..."

Madam Hooch was standing ready to release the balls from the crate, and Harry had his hand crushed by the new Slytherin Captain, Urquhart as they shook hands. whistle sounded, each of them kicked off hard from the frozen ground, and they were away.

"Just as a precaution," Fred said as Harry soared around the perimeter of the grounds, looking around for the Snitch. "If you see a streak of red flying around, don't worry, it's just Matthew, his hair might look like it's on fire, but he won't get you. Though he might throw Quaffles at you if you get on his bad side, so be warned."

"Would you like to try that theory out?" Matthew yelled at him from his broom, cupping his one free hand at the side of his mouth so he could be heard.

"I humbly decline!" Fred said in his microphone, and Matthew shot away as he went after the others.

"Oh, and here comes Slytherin's first attempt on goal," Fred said, his attention finally on the actually game-playing. "It's Urquhart streaking down the pitch and, wow, look at that Weasley saves it! And now Greenley has hold of the Quaffle, hopefully he doesn't throw it at me now..."

"It would be funny," Luna said dottily. "

Yeah, for everyone else!" Fred said.

Half an hour of the game passed, Gryffindor were leading sixty points to zero, Ron having made some truly spectacular saves, some by the very tips of his gloves, and Matthew having scored four of Gryffindor's six goals. After the fourth one, in fact, he found Alice had pushed her way into the front of the stands, and he flew over to her, grabbed the edge of the barrier of the stands that was to keep the crowds from flying down onto the field, and kissed her on the mouth, his lower half still sitting on his broom and the crowds cheering as she put her hands on either side of his face.

"Dear lord Greenley," Fred said in his microphone, sounding scandalised. "There are children here! Honestly, unless you're expecting to kiss everyone else here you better get back to goal scoring! You know, unless you wanna go through with that idea, we're not opposing to it..."

Alice gave him one quick kiss before they separated, him smiling at her before he shot off into the game once again, herself grinning from ear to ear as Rhys, who was next to her, started wolf-whistling.

"Of course, everyone knows that if Gryffindor wins this, which they are, let's me honest here," Fred said seriously. "Greenley is going to get much better than a kiss from my dear little sister later..."

"Hit a Bludger at him!" Matthew called to Jack as he zoomed past, but Jack, grinning broadly, chose to aim the next Bludger at Harper instead, who was just passing Harry in the opposite direction. Harry was pleased to hear the dull thunk that meant the Bludger had found its mark.

"And now Harper is getting hit by Bludgers!" Fred said into the microphone. "Oh the humanity! Is his head thick or something because he's still flying, how about that... I think my head must be like that too, my dear sisters love hitting me, I must be immune to it by now."

Matthew shot past the commentator stands in a streak of red, and the rush of air that followed after him made Fred's hair fly into in his line of vision.

"Okay, thank you Matt, NOW I CAN'T SEE," Fred spat into his microphone.

Luna glanced at him and pushed his hair out of face.

"My god, I can see again!" Fred yelled dramatically. "Thank you Odin!"

It seemed as though Gryffindor could do no wrong. Again and again they scored, and again and again, at the other end of the pitch, Ron saved goals with apparent ease. He was actually smiling now, and when the crowd greeted a particularly good save with a rousing chorus of the old favorite "Weasley Is Our King," he pretended to conduct them from on high.

"I swear to Loki, this kid is something else," Fred said as Matthew scored another ten points, nearly making the Slytherin Keeper topple off his broom from the impact. "Not to insult Greenley senior, but I think we can all agree that Matt is definitely giving him a run for his money! What do you reckon, I think we might have a new superstar on our hands, don't you think?"

The crowds cheered in approval and Fred could plainly see from his seat that Matthew's face was flushed pink as he sat on his broom. "Aw, you guys are too nice, you're making him blush! Such the modest bloke, isn't he? It doesn't hurt that he's damn cute too."

Just then, Harry was nearly knocked off his broom as Harper collided with him hard and deliberately. Madam Hooch's back was turned, and though Gryffindors below shouted in anger, by the time she looked around, Harper had already sped off.

"Harper, you son of Lannister," Fred said angrily into his microphone. "Don't go hurting my little midget Harry!"

"I'M NOT A MIDGET!" Harry shouted, rubbing his shoulder. "

Yes you are, stop lying!" Fred yelled back.

Harry raced after him determined to ram him back. "Bullocks, i think Harper of Slytherin's seen the Snitch," Fred said into the mircophone. "Yep, he's certainly seen something my boy Potter hasn't, what a load of-"

McGonagall's voice yelled, "_FREDERICK_!" into the microphone, gaining him a blazing roar of laughter as Fred tried hastily to apologise for his foul language.

The Snitch was speeding along high above them, glinting brightly against the clear blue sky. Harry accelerated; the wind was whistling in his ears so that it drowned all sound of Fred's commentary or the crowd, but Harper was still ahead of him, and Gryffindor was only a hundred points up; if Harper got there first Gryffindor had lost… and now Harper was feet from it, his hand outstretched… "Oi, Harper!" yelled Harry in desperation. "How much did Malfoy pay you to come on instead of him?" He did not know what made him say it, but Harper did a double-take; he fumbled the Snitch, let it slip through his fingers, and shot right past it. Harry made a great swipe for the tiny, fluttering ball and caught it.

Fred was still trying to get McGonagall off his back for swearing when Harry wheeled around, hurtling back toward the ground, the Snitch held high in his hand. As the crowd realised what had happened, a great shout went up that almost drowned the sound of the whistle that signalled the end of the game.

"I'm just saying, it spilled out, I'm sorry!" Fred said aspirated. Just then, the Quaffle sped up and nearly hit Fred in the head, crashing into the wood of the stand besides him and making it splinter.

"What the-?" Fred said. He turned and saw Ginny waving at him from her broom, then pointing to the Quaffle and back to herself. "You like it?" she shouted at him.

"Ginny, you evil witch! You almost killed me!" Fred yelled. He then realised that the crowds were cheering, Harry trapped in the midst of a mass midair hug with the rest of the Gryffindor team. The Slytherin team was in a midst of yelling at each other on the ground.

Fred grabbed the microphone and said clearly into it, "Well shoot, better luck next time, Slytherin, but at least Gryffindor gets their fun today! Try and not break Matt, Alice dear, he still needs to be able to walk straight tomorrow."

"Fred! Really!" McGonagall said, her eyes wide in shock.

"What? It's true!" Fred said, shrugging his shoulders as the crowd laughed.

Luna looked around, her face bemused. "Hmm? It's over already?"

"Luna, really, where are you most if the time?" Fred asked weakly.

Laughing, Harry broke free of the rest of the team and hugged Ginny, but let go very quickly, his face blushing red. He turned around just in time to see Matthew grin and him and wink knowingly, making Harry stick his tongue out at him.

Avoiding her gaze, he clapped cheering Ron on the back instead as, all enmity forgotten, the Gryffindor team left the pitch arm in arm, punching the air and waving to their supporters.

They nearly made it to the changing room when Alice caught up with them, grabbing Matthew by the arm and pulling him free of their grasps.

"Hey, where you takin' our new star?" Ron laughed as Alice grinned up at her boyfriend. "We have a party to attend!"

"He'll meet back up with you lot later, we have our _own_ celebration to take care of," Alice said devilishly, entwining her fingers with his own. He grinned down at her with a teasing glint in his eyes and she pulled them along, both of them giggling.

"Oh okay, _i_ get in trouble for predicting the future, i get it," said Fred, walking up besides Harry. He grinned at him. "Good game, short stuff."

"Why are you referring to me with Sam's nicknames?" Harry asked, pouting slightly.

"No, no, _you_ get all the height-related nicknames, she's my queen, you know that," Fred smiled at him as they went into the changing room.

Ron and Harry were the last two in the changing room, Fred looking bored as he waited for them, when Rose entered, dressed in Slytherin greens and silver.

"Nice game," she smiled at them. "But then again, Gryffindor hasn't had that good of a lineup since you've come along, have they?"

"Oh look at you, stop flirtin' with everyone, sh_eesh_," Fred said, scratching his head.

Rose turned and gave him an irritated look. "Look who's talking! Is Sam okay with your flirting with Harry on a daily basis?"

"Everyone knows i love everyone, it's in my nature, i'm a natural flirter," Fred said seriously.

Harry laughed. "He's got a point, you know."

Hermione entered the room just then. She was twisting her Gryffindor scarf in her hands and looked upset but determined. "I want a word with you, Harry." She took a deep breath. "You shouldn't have done it. You heard Slughorn, its illegal."

"What are you going to do, turn us in?" demanded Ron.

Rose gave him a suspicious look. "What's she talkin' about?"

Fred giggled and she glared at him. "If Harry did something wrong, obviously _you'd_ push him to do it,"

"Oh yeah, perfect deduction there, Sherlock," Fred snapped, looking offended. "I wish i had more of an influence on my little midget here, but i'm always one step behind, aren't i?

"You don't know?" said Hermione shrilly. "Fine, i'll tell you, Harry spiked Ron's juice with lucky potion at breakfast!"

"No, I didn't," said Harry, turning back to face them after he put his robe away, both Rose and Hermione giving him defensive faces.

"Yes you _did_, Harry, and that's why everything went right, there were Slytherin players missing and Ron saved everything!" Hermione said acidly.

"I didn't put it in!" said Harry, grinning broadly.

Fred looked about to make a joke of what Harry just said when Rose gave him a seething look, shutting him up almost instantly.

Harry slipped his hand inside his jacket pocket and drew out the tiny bottle that Hermione had seen in his hand that morning. It was full of golden  
>potion and the cork was still tightly sealed with wax. "I wanted Ron to think I'd done it, so I faked it when I knew you were looking."<p>

He looked at Ron. "You saved everything because you felt lucky. You did it all yourself." He pocketed the potion again.

"There really wasn't anything in my pumpkin juice?" Ron said, astounded. "But the weather's good… and Vaisey couldn't play… I honestly haven't been given lucky potion?"

Harry shook his head. Ron gaped at him for a moment, then rounded on Hermione, imitating her voice. "_You added Felix Felicis to Ron's juice this morning, that's why he saved everything_! See! I can save goals without help, Hermione!"

"Oh, i _love_ sassy Ron, don't stop." Fred giggled.

"I never said you couldn't — Ron, you thought you'd been given it too!"

But Ron had already strode past her out of the door with his broomstick over his shoulder.

"Er," said Harry into the sudden silence; he had not expected his plan to backfire like this, "Shall… shall we go up to the party, then?"

"You go!" said Hermione, blinking back tears. "I'm sick of Ron at the moment, I don't know what I'm supposed to have done…"

And she stormed out of the changing room too.

Harry turned to the other two. "What about you, you wanna come?"

"Maybe after we switch into Gryffindor colours," Rose said.

"Yeah, and we find our sister," Fred said. He thought for a moment and said, "You know, can you imagine what would happen with Gryffindor won the Cup? We wouldn't be able to find Alice or Matt for a week at least."

"Oh, sounds like you and Sam when you're in a good mood then." Rose said smartly.

Harry walked slowly back up the grounds toward the castle through the crowd, many of whom shouted congratulations at him, but he felt a great sense of letdown; he had been sure that if Ron won the match, he and Hermione would be friends again immediately. He did not see how he could possibly explain to Hermione that what she had done to offend Ron was kiss Viktor Krum, not when the offence had occurred so long ago.

Harry could not see Hermione at the Gryffindor celebration party, which was in full swing when he arrived. Renewed cheers and clapping greeted his appearance, and he was soon surrounded by a mob of people congratulating him. What with trying to shake off the Creevey brothers, who  
>wanted a blow-by-blow match analysis, and the large group of girls that encircled him, laughing at his least amusing comments and batting their eyelids, it was some time before he could try and find Ron. At last, he extricated himself from Romilda Vane, who was hinting heavily that she<br>would like to go to Slughorn's Christmas party with him.

Harry was finally free as the portrait hole swung open again and Rhys' voice said over the noise, "Oi, Matt's back!"

Harry turned around and saw that Matthew was holding the opening of his Quidditch robe closed tightly around him as Rhys and Patrick grabbed onto him, pulling him back as Alice hugged him, strangely enough wearing his Quidditch jersey, and giving him one more quick kiss before a set of hands, which Harry could plainly tell were Fred's, yanked her back.

"You can do more of that later, c'mon, let them have their party!" Fred's voice said. Alice waved to him and Matthew grinned widely as the portrait hole slammed shut after her.

Matthew turned around, holding the opening of his robe closed still as Rhys said, "Everyone, you're superstar as joined us at last!"

Their cheers boomed around the room as Matthew grinned modestly, and Rhys and Patrick both pushed on his back until he went into a slightly bowing position.

He blew his hair out of his line of vision when he straightened himself back out, Harry sneaking up next to him, Rhys still laughing next to him on the other side. "'Bout time you showed, put your robe back in your dorm so we can celebrate."

"Hm? Oh no, i can't do that," Matthew said.

"What? Why not?" Harry asked.

"Because Alice stole my shirt, that's why." Matthew said simply.

Harry took a moment to let that sink in. "Wow, wait, you mean you don't have a shirt on under that?" He pointed to Matthew's robe.

"Nope." Matthew said, not looking embarrassed in the slightest.

"Heh, why'd she steal yer jersey fer?" Rhys asked, grinning wickedly.

"Oh _you'd_ like to know, wouldn't you?" Matthew said cleverly.

"I already know," Rhys grinned. "But ya' will need to tell me before hand if you lot need the dormitory fer yerselves later, i can wrap me' tie 'round the doorknob until otherwise. You know, unless Alice needs the tie because she's into tying yer hands onto the bedp-"

"Okay, you're done talkin'," Matthew cut in, making Rhys laugh even harder.

Ginny slinked over, Arnold the purple Pygmy Puff riding on her shoulder and Crookshanks mewing hopefully at her heels.

"Looking for Ron?" she asked, smirking. "He's over there, the filthy hypocrite."

Harry looked into the corner she was indicating. There, in full view of the whole room, stood Ron wrapped so closely around Lavender Brown it was hard to tell whose hands were whose.

Matthew looked a taken back as Rhys stuck his tongues out. "_Bleh_, i thought Weasley had some dignity, at leas' when you an' Alice snog in front of everyone it's nice to look at..." Rhys said, looking sick.

"Oh thanks," Matthew said, frowning slightly.

"It looks like he's eating her face, doesn't it?" said Ginny dispassionately. "But I suppose he's got to refine his technique somehow. Good game, Harry."

She patted him on the arm; Harry felt a swooping sensation in his stomach, but then she walked off to help herself to more Butterbeer. Crookshanks trotted after her, his yellow eyes fixed upon Arnold.

Harry turned away from Ron, who did not look like he would be surfacing soon. He got a glimpse of bushy brown hair as it's owner accidentally bumped into Rhys' arm and sped off after a hastily apology.

"Oh damn..." Harry said weakly, darting forward, side-stepping Romilda Vane again, and pushing open the portrait of the Fat Lady and out to the corridor beyond.

Matthew was silent until after a brief moment when Rhys said loudly, "Oi! Greenley is shirtless under this thing!"

"TAKE IT OFF!" said an obviously Irish male's voice from one corner of the room, making them all laugh and most cheer in agreement.

"Bugger off, Seamus!" Matthew shouted back, holding on tightly to the robe's opening and making Rhys grin even wider than before as Ron and Lavender shot past him, giggling loudly.

* * *

><p>In no time at all, snow was swirling against the icy windows once more. Christmas was approaching fast. Hagrid had already single-handedly delivered the usual twelve Christmas trees to the Great Hall; garlands of holly and tinsel had been twisted around the banisters of the stairs; everlasting candles glowed from inside the helmets of suits of armour and great bunches of mistletoe had been hung at intervals along the corridors. Large groups of girls tended to converge underneath the mistletoe bunches every time Harry went past, which caused blockages in the corridors. Fortunately, however, Harry's frequent nighttime wanderings had given him an unusually good knowledge of the castle's secret passageways, so that he was often, without too much difficulty, to navigate mistletoe-free routes between classes.<p>

Ron, who might once have found the necessity of these detours excuse for jealousy rather than hilarity, simply roared with laughter about it all. Although Harry much preferred this new laughing, joking Ron to the moody, aggressive model he had been enduring for the last few weeks, the improved Ron came at a heavy price. Firstly, Harry had to put up with the frequent presence of Lavender Brown, who seemed to regard any moment that she was not kissing Ron as a moment wasted; and secondly, Harry found himself once more the best friend of two people who seemed unlikely ever to speak to each other again.

Ron, whose hands and forearms still bore scratches and cuts from an attack from Hermione with a flock of magically procured birds, was  
>taking a defensive and resentful tone.<p>

"She can't _complain_," he told Harry. "_S_he snogged Krum. So she's found out someone wants to snog me too. Well, it's a free country. I haven't done anything wrong."

"I never promised Hermione anything," Ron mumbled. "I mean, all right, I _was_ going to go to Slughorn's Christmas party with her, but she never said… just as friends… I'm a free agent…"

Harry didn't answer, instead pretended he was absorbed in his Charms textbook as Ron muttered more to himself than anything else.

"See? You know what totally could have solved their problems?" Fred said seriously as they left the Great Hall together a half hour later. "They should just like, snog or something, because we all know they wanna."

"Oh yeah, because that solves _everything_, doesn't it?" Harry said lamely.

"Well, it's better than them being enemies forever, isn't it?" Fred said. "Shit, imagine if me and Sam did that, it'd be _unbearable_. It's so obvious there's somethin' else there, but they just won't act on it!"

"_Honestly_," Fred said as they turned the corner, ignoring as Matthew walked past them, carrying a giggly Alice on his back as she wore his billowing maroon and gold coloured Quidditch robe, a group of jealous looking girls glaring her smiling face as she kissed his neck, which had noticeable bruises on it. "What will it take? A near-life-and-death moment? You do i need to set into battle to make this happen?"

Hermione's schedule was so full that Harry could only talk to her properly in the evenings, when Ron was, in any case, so tightly wrapped around Lavender that he did not notice what Harry was doing. Hermione refused to sit in the common room while Ron was there, so Harry generally  
>joined her in the library, which meant that their conversations were held in whispers.<p>

"He's at perfect liberty to kiss whomever he likes," said Hermione, while the librarian, Madam Pince, prowled the shelves behind them. "I really couldn't care less."

She raised her quill and dotted an 'i' so ferociously that she punctured a hole in her parchment. Harry said nothing. He thought his voice might soon vanish from the lack of use. He bent a little lower over Advanced Potion-Making and continued to make notes on Everlasting Elixirs, occasionally pausing to decipher the prince's useful additions to Libatius Borage's text.

"And incidentally," said Hermione, after a few moments, "you need to be careful."

"For the last time," said Harry, speaking in a slightly hoarse tone after three-quarters of an hour of silence, "I am not giving back this book. I've learned more from the Half-blood Prince than Snape or Slughorn have taught me in —"

"I'm not talking about your stupid so-called _Prince_," said Hermione, giving his book a nasty look as though it had been rude to her. "I'm talking about earlier. I went into the girl's bathroom just before I came in here and there were about a dozen girls in there, including that Romilda Vane, trying to decide how to slip you a love potion. They're all hoping they're going to get you to take them to Slughorn's party, and they all seem to have bought Fred and George's love potions, which I'm afraid to say probably work —"

"Why didn't you confiscate them then?" demanded Harry, it seemed extraordinary that Hermione's mania for upholding the rules could have abandoned her at this crucial juncture.

"They didn't have the potions with them in the bathroom," said Hermione scornfully, "They were just discussing tactics. As I doubt the Half-blood Prince" she gave the book another scornful look "could dream up an antidote for a dozen different love potions at once, I'd just invite someone to go with you, that'll stop all the others thinking they've still got a chance. It's tomorrow night, they're getting desperate."

"There isn't anyone I _want_ to invite," mumbled Harry, who was still not trying to think about Ginny any more than he could help, despite the fact the fact that she kept cropping up in his dreams in ways that made him devoutly thankful that Ron could not perform Legilimency.

"Well, just be careful what you drink, because Romilda Vane looked like she meant business." said Hermione grimly.

"Yeah, well, i'd bring Rose like i did for the Yule Ball, and look how well that turned out." Harry whispered back.

"That, and she's already bringing her boyfriend," Hermione corrected.

"Yes, that too." Harry said.

Hermione hitched up the long roll of parchment on which she was writing her Arithmancy essay and continued to scratch away with her quill. Harry watched her with his mind a long way away.

"Hang on a moment," he said slowly. "I thought Filch had banned anything bought at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes?"

"And when has anyone ever paid attention to what Filch has banned?" asked Hermione, still concentrating on her essay.

"But I thought all the owls were being searched. So how come these girls are able to bring love potions into the school?"

"Fred and George send them disguised as perfumes and cough potions," said Hermione. "It's part of their Owl order service."

"You know a lot about it."

Hermione gave him the kind of nasty look she had just given his copy of Advanced Potion-Making.

"It was all on the back of the bottles they showed Ginny and me in the summer," she said coldly, "I don't go around putting potions in people's drinks… or pretending too either, which is just as bad…"

"Yeah, well, never mind that," said Harry quickly. "The point is, Filch is being fooled isn't he? These girls are getting stuff into the school disguised as something else! So why couldn't Malfoy have brought the necklace into the school —?"

"Oh, Harry… not that again…"

"Come on, why not?" demanded Harry. "Fred believes me!"

"Because he believes a whole lot of nonsense, doesn't he?" Hermione said harshly.

"Look," she sighed, "Secrecy Sensors detect jinxes, curses, and concealment charms, don't they? They're used to find dark magic and dark objects. They'd have picked up a powerful curse, like the one in the necklace, within seconds. But something that's just been put in the wrong bottle wouldn't register — anyway Love potions aren't dark or dangerous -"

"Easy for you to say," muttered Harry, thinking of Romilda Vane. He thought for a moment. "Do you reckon any of those girls would use one on Matt?"

"And have Alice at their necks?" Hermione said in disbelief. "They're drastic ,Harry, but not _stupid_, they know not to cross her."

"Who knew that little shy girl from Second Year could be so intimidating, eh?" Harry said, cocking a brow at her.

"Yes, and snagging the most desirable boy at school." Hermione added in an afterthought, which Harry nodded at.

Hermione went to go on when she stopped dead; Harry had heard it too. Somebody had moved close behind them among the dark bookshelves. They waited, and a moment later the vulture-like countenance of Madam Pince appeared around the corner, her sunken cheeks, her skin like parchment, and her long hooked nose illuminated unflatteringly by the lamp she was carrying.

"The library is now closed," she said, "Mind you return anything you have borrowed to the correct — what have you been doing to that book, you depraved boy?"

"It isn't the library's, it's mine!" said Harry hastily, snatching his copy of Advanced PotionMaking off the table as she lunged at it with a claw-like hand.

"Spoiled!" she hissed. "Desecrated, befouled!" "It's just a book that's been written on!" said Harry, tugging it out of her grip.

She looked as though she might have a seizure; Hermione, who had hastily packed her things, grabbed Harry by the arm and frogmarched him away.

"She'll ban you from the library if you're not careful. Why did you have to bring that stupid book?"

"It's not my fault she's barking mad, Hermione."

"You say that about anyone who goes against you!"

"Because it's true!"

Enjoying the fact that they could speak normally again, they made their way along the deserted lamp-lit corridors back to the common room.

"Baubles" said Harry to the Fat Lady, this being the new, festive password.

"Same to you," said the fat lady with a roguish grin, and she swung forward to admit them.

"Hi, Harry!" said Romilda Vane, the moment he had climbed through the portrait hole. "Fancy a gillywater?"  
>Hermione gave him a "what-did-I-tell-you?" look over her shoulder.<br>"No thanks," said Harry quickly. "I don't like it much."

"Well, take these anyway," said Romilda, thrusting a box into his hands. "Chocolate Cauldrons, they've got firewhiskey in them. My gran sent them to me, but I don't like them."

"Oh — right — thanks a lot." said Harry, who could not think what else to say. "Er — I ' m just going over here with…"

He hurried off behind Hermione, his voice tailing away feebly.

"Told you," said Hermione succinctly, " Sooner you ask someone, sooner they'll all leave you alone and you can —"

But her face suddenly turned blank; she had just spotted Ron and Lavender, who were intertwined in the same armchair. "Well, good night, Harry" said Hermione, though it was only seven o'clock in the evening, and she left for the girl s' dormitory without another word. Harry went to bed comforting himself that there was only one more day of lessons to struggle through, plus Slughorn's party, after which he and Ron would depart together for the Burrow. It now seemed impossible that Ron and Hermione would make up with each other before the holidays began, but perhaps, somehow, the break would give them time to calm down, think better of their behaviour…

But his hopes were not high, and they sank still lower after enduring a Transfiguration lesson with them both next day. They had just embarked upon the immensely difficult topic of human transfiguration; working in front of mirrors, they were supposed to be changing the colour of their own eyebrows.

Hermione laughed unkindly at Ron's disastrous first attempt, during which he somehow managed to give himself a spectacular handlebar moustache; Ron retaliated by doing a cruel but accurate impression of Hermione jumping up and down in her seat every time Professor McGonagall asked a question, which Lavender and Parvati found deeply amusing and which reduced Hermione to the verge of tears again. She raced out of the classroom on the bell, leaving half her things behind; Harry, deciding that her need was greater than Ron's just now, scooped up her remaining possessions and followed her.

Rose and Ina stepped up next to Ron as Lavender went up in front with Pavarti, Sam trailing behind them, and Rose promptly smacked him on upside the head as they walked down the corridor.

"Ow!" Ron said, rubbing his head. "What was that for?

"That wasn't nice, Ron!" Ina said acidly, her eyes narrowed at him.

"What was?" Ron asked innocently.

"You know what, you keep making Hermione cry. Why are you being so mean to her for?" Rose asked madly.

"Come on, _you_ know why." Ron snapped.

"Oh yeah, because she snogged Krum back at the Yule Ball?" Ina snapped. "Why should you care? That was _two years ago._"

"You could have asked her to go with her before Krum did, you know, you just were too nitwitted to think of earlier. "Rose said harshly.

"Thanks for your support." Ron snapped back.

"Yea' well, maybe then she would have snogged you instead of Krum, and you two wouldn't be in this stupid rift." Sam spoke up finally.

Ron's ears and cheeks went darker red than his hair at the thought, and they grinned despite themselves. Ron was way too obvious sometimes.

Later that day at dinner, everyone in the school seemed to find out who the famous Harry Potter was taking to Slughorn's Christmas party.

"Luna? You asked _Luna_?" Ron asked in disbelief. "You could've taken anyone! Anyone! And you chose Loony Lovegood?"

"Don't call her that, Ron!" snapped Ginny, pausing behind Harry on her way to join friends, Alice by her side.

"We're really glad you're taking her Harry, she's so excited." Alice said, and Ginny nodded in agreement, smiling at him.

They moved on down the table to sit with Dean and Matthew (who just happened to be sitting next to very smug-looking Cormac, who was talking excitedly). Harry tried to feel pleased that Ginny was glad he was taking Luna to the party but could not quite manage it. A long way along the table  
>Hermione was sitting alone, playing with her stew. Harry noticed Ron looking at her furtively.<p>

"You could say sorry," suggested Harry bluntly.

"What, and get attacked by another flock of canaries?" muttered Ron.

"What did you have to imitate her for?"

"She laughed at my moustache!"

"So did I, it was the stupidest thing I've ever seen."

But Ron did not seem to have heard; Lavender had just arrived with Parvati. Squeezing herself in between Harry and Ron, Lavender flung her arms around Ron's neck.

"Hi, Harry," said Parvati who, like Harry, looked faintly embarrassed and bored by the behaviour of their two friends.

"Hi," said Harry, "How're you? You're staying at Hogwarts, then? I heard your parents wanted you to leave."

"I managed to talk them out of it for the time being," said Parvati. "That Katie thing really freaked them out, but as there hasn't been anything since… Oh, hi, Hermione!"

Parvati positively beamed. Harry could tell that she was feeling guilty for having laughed at Hermione in Transfiguration. He looked around and saw that Hermione was beaming back, if possible even more brightly. Girls were very strange sometimes.

"Hi, Parvati!" said Hermione, ignoring Ron and Lavender completely. "Are you going to Slughorn's party tonight?"

"No invite," said Parvati gloomily. "I'd love to go, though, it sounds like it's going to be really good… You're going, aren't you?"

"Yes, I'm meeting Cormac at eight, and we're —"

There was a noise like a plunger being withdrawn from a blocked sink, and Ron surfaced. Hermione acted as though she had not seen or heard anything. "— we're going up to the party together."

"Cormac?" said Parvati. "Cormac McLaggen, you mean?"

"That's right," said Hermione sweetly. "The one who _almost_" - she put a great deal of emphasis on the word — "became Gryffindor Keeper."

"Are you going out with him, then?" asked Parvati, wide-eyed.

"Oh - yes - didn't you know?" said Hermione, with a most un-Hermione-ish giggle.

"No!" said Parvati, looking positively agog at this piece of gossip. "Wow, you like your Quidditch players, don't you? First Krum, then McLaggen."

"I like really _good_ Quidditch players," Hermione corrected her, still smiling. "Well, see you… Got to go and get ready for the party…"

She left. At once Lavender and Parvati put their heads together to discuss this new development, with everything they had ever heard about McLaggen, and all they had ever guessed about Hermione. Ron looked strangely blank and said nothing. Harry was left to ponder in silence the depths to which girls would sink to get revenge.

When he arrived in the entrance hall at eight o'clock that night, he found an unusually large number of girls lurking there, all of whom seemed to be staring at him resentfully as he approached Luna. She was wearing a set of spangled silver robes that were attracting a certain amount of giggles from the onlookers, but otherwise she looked quite nice. Harry was glad, in any case, that she had left off her radish earrings, her Butterbeer cork necklace, and her bi-coloured Spectrespecs.

"Hi," he said. "Shall we get going then?"

"Oh yes," she said happily. "Where is the party?"

"Slughorn's office," said Harry, leading her up the marble staircase away from all the staring and muttering. "Did you hear, there's supposed to be a vampire coming?"

"Rufus Scrimgeour?" asked Luna.

"I - what?" said Harry, disconcerted. "You mean the Minister of Magic?"

"Yes, he's a vampire," said Luna matter-of-factly. "Father wrote a very long article about it when Scrimgeour first took over from Cornelius Fudge, but he was forced not to publish by somebody from the Ministry. Obviously, they didn't want the truth to get out!"

Harry, who thought it most unlikely that Rufus Scrimgeour was a vampire, but who was used to Luna repeating her father's bizarre views as though they were fact, did not reply; they were already approaching Slughorn's office and the sounds of laughter, music, and loud conversation were growing louder with every step they took.

Whether it had been built that way, or because he had used magical trickery to make it so, Slughorn's office was much larger than the usual teacher's study. The ceiling and walls had been draped with emerald, crimson, and gold hangings, so that it looked as though they were all inside a vast tent. The room was crowded and stuffy and bathed in the red light cast by an ornate golden lamp dangling from the centre of the ceiling in which real fairies were fluttering, each a brilliant speck of light. Loud singing accompanied by what sounded like mandolins issued from a distant corner; a haze of pipe smoke hung over several elderly warlocks deep in conversation, and a number of house-elves were negotiating their way squeakily through the forest of knees, obscured by the heavy silver platters of food they were bearing, so that they looked like little roving tables.

"Harry, m'boy!" boomed Slughorn as Harry and Luna squeezed through the door, his arm wrapped around a very-red-in-the-face Fred, who was being giggled at by Sam, who was in robes of lilac to match her hair.

Slughorn was wearing a tasseled velvet hat to match his smoking jacket. "I was just taking about your little friend here. I say, thank goodness they look so similar, you'd never think he was Severus' son, they're nothing alike!"

"Yes we are, it's just not in obvious ways," Fred said weakly, frowning slightly.

Harry blinked at him. Even despite Fred's many differences from his father, he always suspected that, no matter what, Fred only really cared about what Severus thought about him. Of course, Harry didn't know why Fred would fret about it, everyone with half-brain knew Severus would die for his children.

"Come along, m'boy, i've got some people for you to meet." Slughorn said jubilantly, grabbing Harry's arm and directing him around. Harry seized Luna's hand and dragged her along with him.

"Harry, I'd like you to meet Eldred Worple, an old student of mine, author of _Blood Brothers: My Life Amongst the Vampires _— and, of course, his friend Sanguini."

Worple, who was a small, stout, bespectacled man, grabbed Harry's hand and shook it enthusiastically; the vampire Sanguini, who was tall and emaciated with dark shadows under his eyes, merely nodded. He looked rather bored. A gaggle of girls was standing close to him, looking curious and excited.

"Harry Potter, I am simply delighted!" said Worple, peering shortsightedly up into Harry's face. "I was saying to Professor Slughorn only the other day, 'Where is the biography of Harry Potter for which we have all been waiting?'"

"Er," said Harry, "were you?"

"Just as modest as Horace described!" said Worple. "But seriously"— his manner changed; it became suddenly businesslike — "I would be delighted to write it myself — people are craving to know more about you, dear boy, craving! If you were prepared to grant me a few interviews, say in four- or five-hour sessions, why, we could have the book finished within months. And all with very little effort on your part, I assure you — ask Sanguini here if it isn't quite — Sanguini, stay here!" added Worple, suddenly stern, for the vampire had been edging toward the nearby group of girls, a rather hungry look in his eye. "Here, have a pasty," said Worple, seizing one from a passing elf and stuffing it into Sanguini's hand before turning his attention back to Harry. "My dear boy, the gold you could make, you have no idea —"

"I'm definitely not interested," said Harry firmly, "and I've just seen a friend of mine, sorry."

He pulled Luna after him into the crowd; he had indeed just seen a long mane of brown hair disappear between what looked like two members of the Weird Sisters.

Sam grinned at Worple. "So, um, _i_ really enjoyed your book, sir. Though i wanna know more, is it true that there are fairies posing to be vampires all over the world?"

"Oh yes," Worple said, sounding much more upbeat all of sudden at Sam's bubbly interest. "They're called clans, however, and most only say in cold, sunless regions."

"Really? Why? Would they burn up in the sun like real vampires?" Sam asked excitedly.

"They sparkle in sunlight, actually, it gives them away." Worple explained.

"What? _Seriously_?" Fred asked, butting in. "That's not a vampire, that's just a prissy poser _calling_ themselves a vampire! Where's the nocturnal badasses who strike fear into everyone they cross paths with?"

"Trust me," Sanguini said in a low drone of a voice. "We do not associate with them, they are a mockery to our species."

"Plus," Worple added. "They, despite calling themselves brothers and sisters, usually start up romantic relationships within their clans."

"_Ew_," Fred said, looking disgusted. "It's like the undead, not-technically related version of the Lannisters..."

He hadn't notice that Slughorn had drifted away, but now he reappeared at their sides, his face very red, his velvet hat a little askew, and hiccuping slightly and smelling of mead.

"Frederick, m'boy!" He said pompously. "Don't mind if i take them from you do, Worple?"

"Not at all, not at all..." he said, making Sam frown slightly as Fred hastily followed after the round Potions Master as he grabbed onto his upper arm and dragged him along beyond his saying otherwise.

"But why have you not returned to Divination? For you, of all people, the subject is of the utmost importance!" said an airy voice, which sounded slightly slurred.

"Ah, Sybill, we all think our subject's most important!" said Slughorn loudly, appearing at Professor Trelawney's side, Harry, Hermione, and Luna on the other, "But I don't think I've ever known such a natural at Potions!" said Slughorn, regarding Harry with a fond, and bloodshot, eye. "Instinctive, you know — like his mother! I've only ever taught a few with this kind of ability, I can tell you that, Sybil — why even Severus —"

And to Harry and Fred's surprise, Slughorn threw out an arm and seemed to scoop Severus out of thin air toward them, Lily being dragged along with him, as their hands were linked together.

"Oh you two, stop sneaking about like teenagers and come and join us!" hiccuped Slughorn happily. "I was just talking about Harry's exceptional potion-making, Severus! Some credit must go to you, of course, you taught him for five years!"

Trapped, with Slughorn's arm around his shoulders, and by no way for Lily to yank him free, Severus looked down his hooked nose at Harry, looking mildly surprised. "Indeed?"

"Oh yes," Slughorn said jubilantly. "Why, you should have seen his work when i first got him. Perfect Draught of Living Death! I may be a bit brass here, but he might be putting your skills a run for its Galleons!"

Fred rolled his eyes as Trelawney suddenly spoke up, somehow just now noticing that they were there. "Lily! My dear!"

"Oh, evening to you too, Sybil," Lily said stiffly. Trelawney readjusted her shawls and taking a deep breath, as if to make herself look more impressive as to what she was about to say.

"My dear," she repeated. "I've been sorting through the cards, and the Inner Eye has shown me some peculiar forthcomings for you both..."

"Does any of those involve one of us switching genders?" Fred asked. They gave him odd looks. "What? _I'd_ never handle being a girl, i don't know how they do it, birthin' out kids and stuff, but it'd be cool to see..."

"You'd be the oddest girl ever." Harry said seriously.

"I know, right?" Fred said.

"It showed of great happiness at a quite unfortunate time," Trelawney went on dramatically, ignoring Harry and Fred completely. "Unforeseen lost, and a near brush with _death_."

Severus and Lily's eyes both widened in shock, while Fred said, completely unfazed, "Yeah well, you can tell Death to bugger off for a bit because these two still need to get me a little brother. Which reminds me, that whole happiness thing, did it say anything about that in the cards or whatever?"

"The Inner Eye does not get into finer details, my boy..." Trelawney said sourly, glaring at him apprehensively, surely feeling offended at Fred being able to brush of her amazing predictions so easily.

"You mean to tell me you can see into the damn future and you can't tell me if i get a little brother for _once_?" Fred said, frowning. "Give me some hope here, lady!"

"Here's some hope for you then," Trelawney snapped, her airiness long gone. "The Inner Eye sees only little daughters for a certain Slytherin boy with a fondness for the colour _green_."

"Well, you're a bit off on that one," Fred said smartly, pointing to his father, who just happened to be wearing robes of dark green. "My dad here isn't _little_ and he's already got two daughters and, despite my hair's length, i'm still a boy so, prediction _busted_."

Despite themselves, and Trelawney's annoyed face, they started laughing as Fred grinned, surely very proud of himself.

"Oh, and look at this, the not-so-little Quidditch star!"

Slughorn threw out his other arm and snatched Matthew over, his hair looking ruffled and pink in the face when Severus gave him a raised brow look. "Do say, is Alice with you?" Slughorn asked.

As if on queue, Alice squeezed her way between Matthew and Trelawney, brushing her hair out of her face and readjusting the hem of her dark pink robes. 'Hello, Professor."

"Hello, dear," Slughorn said with a wide, sloppy smile from behind his massive moustache. He looked at both Matthew then to Severus. "My, my, it might just be me, but i'm taking an educated guess and suspecting that these two ladies wear the pants in relationships?"

"That's pretty much a no-brainer, isn't it?" Fred said, and both Matthew and Severus gave each other a look that they knew he was correct.

"Ah, like daughter like mother!" Slughorn laughed. "O' course, the colourings a bit different..."

"_Weird_." Harry said in an odd tone, and Fred and Sam started giggling.

"Remind me what other subjects you're taking, Harry?" asked Slughorn a moment later, his arm still around a very uncomfortable looking Matthew.

"Defence Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology…"

"All the subjects required, in short, for an Auror," said Severus instantly.

"Yeah, well, that's what I'd like to do," said Harry simply.

"And a great one you'll make too!" boomed Slughorn.

"I don't think you should be an Auror, Harry," said Luna unexpectedly. Everybody looked at her. "The Aurors are part of the Rotfang Conspiracy, I thought everyone knew that. They're planning to bring down the Ministry of Magic from within using a combination of Dark Magic and gum disease."

"Oh god bless you Luna." Sam said as Harry inhaled half his mead up his nose as he started to laugh. Really, it had been worth bringing Luna just for this. Emerging from his goblet, coughing, sopping wet but still grinning, he saw something calculated to raise his spirits even higher: Draco Malfoy being dragged by the ear toward them by Argus Filch.

"Professor Slughorn," wheezed Filch, his jowls aquiver and the maniacal light of mischief-detection in his bulging eyes, "I discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor. He claims to have been invited to your party and to have been delayed in setting out. Did you issue him with an invitation?"

Draco pulled himself free of Filch's grip, looking furious. "All right, I wasn't invited!" he said angrily. "I was trying to gate crash, happy?"

"No, I'm not!" said Filch, a statement at complete odds with the glee on his face. "You're in trouble, you are! Didn't the headmaster say that nighttime prowling's out, unless you've got permission, didn't he, eh?"

"That's all right, Argus, that's all right," said Slughorn, waving a hand. "It's Christmas, and it's not a crime to want to come to a party. Just this once, we'll forget any punishment; you may stay, Draco.

Filch's expression of outraged disappointment was perfectly predictable, though, for some odd reason, Draco looked reasonably unhappy about it.

Filch had turned and shuffled away, muttering under his breath; Draco had composed his face into a smile and was thanking Slughorn for his generosity, both Severus and Lily scrutinising him with narrowed eyes. Fred just looked annoyed that Draco had somehow joined their little group.

"It's nothing, nothing," said Slughorn, waving away Draco's thanks. "I did know your grandfather, after all…"

"He always spoke very highly of you, sir," said Malfoy quickly. "Said _you_ were the best potion-maker he'd ever known…"

From behind Draco, Matthew made a face as if he was gagging, earning him a amused grin from Severus and a stiffened giggle from the others. Trelawney and Luna just looked to be in their own little worlds.

Harry stared at Malfoy. It was not the sucking-up that intrigued him; he had watched Draco do that to Severus for a long time to no avail. It was the fact that Draco did, after all, look a little ill. This was the first time he had seen Draco close up for ages; he now saw that Draco had dark shadows under his eyes and a distinctly greyish tinge to his skin. Severus looked at Lily and she gave a him a significant look.

"I'd like a word with you, Draco," said Severus suddenly, turning away from her.

"Now, Severus," said Slughorn, hiccuping again, "it's Christmas, don't be too hard —"

"I am his Head of House, and I shall decide how hard, or otherwise, to be," said Snape curtly. "Follow me, Draco."

Fred stiffened another inappropriate laugh as they left, Severus leading the way, Malfoy looking resentful. Harry stood there for a moment, irresolute, then said, "I'll be back in a bit, Luna — er — bathroom."

"All right," she said cheerfully, and he thought he heard her, as he hurried off into the crowd, resume the subject of the Rotfang Conspiracy with Professor Trelawney, who seemed sincerely interested. Fred just frowned.

"Did you know there's sparkly fake vampires in America?" Sam said, perking up after a moment.

"Seriously?" Matthew asked.

"Wait, vampires can't sparkle..." Alice said weakly.

"Well, she did say they were _fake_ ones, Al..." Fred said, earning him an annoyed look from her.

It was easy for Harry, once out of the party, to pull his Invisibility Cloak out of his pocket and throw it over himself, for the corridor was quite deserted. What was more difficult was finding Severus and Draco. Harry ran down the corridor, the noise of his feet masked by the music and loud talk still issuing from Slughorn's office behind him. Perhaps Severus had taken Draco to his office in the dungeons… or perhaps he was escorting him back to the Slytherin common room… Harry pressed his ear against door after door as he dashed down the corridor until, with a great jolt of excitement, he crouched down to the keyhole of the last classroom in the corridor and heard voices.

"...never worked, nor will any for your other ideas."

"I didn't have anything to do with it, all right?"

"We all know that is a right out lie, Malfoy, because it was both clumsy and foolish. You are suspected of having a hand in it."

"Who suspects me?" said Draco angrily. "For the last time, I didn't do it, okay? That Bell girl must've had an enemy no one knows about — don't look at me like that! I know what you're doing, I'm not stupid, but it won't work — I can stop you!"

There was a pause and then Severus said quietly, "Taking Occlumency lessons, are you? Very clever, but your mother has already told me and my wife what you are doing, i do not need to go into your mind to see it..."

"Why would she go to _you two_ of all people?" Draco snapped venomously.

"Because she's trying to _protect_ you, boy," Severus said dangerously. "She's trying to get you out of the mess that we all know you do not want to be in-"

"Who says i don't want it? I was chosen for this!"

"A well devised lie to keep justifying what you are doing," Severus said.

"It is not! I want to do this! I know i can!"

There was momentary pause and Draco said, "Why do you even _care_? It's not like you took an Unbreakable Vow or something, how do i know you're being serious? You never showed that you like me! You always go for what you damn kids say i've done!"

"Do _not_ bring my children into this," Severus spat, his voice laced with venom. "They were raised within a decent, accepting environment, not one that brainwashed you into thinking you were above everyone because of their _blood_."

"And why is that?" Draco snapped back. "Is because of your little mudblood wife-?"

Harry jumped out of the way just in time for the door to bang open, Draco flopping down onto the stone ground and his eyes wide in shock.

Severus stepped out and glared down at him. "_Don't you ever say that again_. Just be warned now, Malfoy, both me and my _wife_ promised to help your mother, do not take my advice with such little importance, we've already been in war, you've have no clue what's in store for you, especially with your attitude..."

Severus gave him one last seething look and departed back for the party, leaving Draco there. After a moment, Draco hastily pushed himself back up and, making sure no one saw what just happened, sped off, looking terrified.

Harry ran back to the party only a few minutes later, running right into Rose as he stepped over the threshold of Slughorn's study.

"Oh, hey Harry," Rose said, smiling at him slightly as Zachary sipped on his drink next to her. "What's up-?"

Harry looked excited, and cut her off mid-sentence. "You guys are _so_ going to be on your knees apologising for doubting me after i tell you what i just overheard."


	59. Sectumsempra

**AU: THANK YOU FOR WAITING SO LONG. I just had a lot of school and family business to take care of. Please forgive me!**

* * *

><p>Harry huffed as he pushed his trunk back onto the Hogwarts Express, its usual bright red colour now dulled by the grey sky and the snow that clung to it. He gave Fred, who was lazily standing next to him and rubbing his nose from the cold. Harry gave him a confused look. "Where's your stuff?"<p>

"Hmm?" Fred muttered, raising a brow at him. "Oh _that_, mum Floo-powdered most of our stuff home, we only need about three days and nights worth of clothing anyway."

"What for?" Ron asked, poking his head out of open door of the train, snowflakes hitting his red hair.

"'Cause we're spending a few days with the Greenleys, that's why." Fred said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Since when?" Harry asked, cocking his brow in questioning.

"Since they asked if we wanted to and my mum and dad said it was okay?" Fred said, looking confused. "I dunno, i think they've noticed that we all kinda need a nice break."

"Yeah, like you ever over-exerted yourself this year," Ron said smoothly. "Do you ever actually go to class?"

"Once in a blue moon," Fred said jokingly. "Of course, I reckon it's more for Alice's sake than ours,"

"What for?"

Fred shrugged again. "She's really been cramming hard for the O.W.L.s, and I suppose they know that Matt won't even be here next year so they'll let them spend as much time together as possible or else you know, she'd be all sad and what not,"

"And because those private Transfiguration lessons with him aren't enough?" Harry giggled.

"Definitely not," Fred said sarcastically.

"Plus," Feed added in afterthought. "You guys are coming for that party they're having for Christmas Eve, aren't you?"

Ron thought for a moment. "Oh yeah, right, should be wicked-"

"Wow, wait, you mean I get to go to their house too?" Harry asked, looking excited.

"Unless the Weasleys leave you at their house, then yeah, you're going." Fred said.

Harry looked at Ron. "Please let me go with you."

"Mate, we're so stealing one of the cousins, of course you're going." Ron said with a grin. "You're the distraction."

"Why?"

"Because they'd be amazed by how tiny you are, it'll be enough time for me to get one of 'em." Ron said simply.

Harry gave a smug look to Fred. "And you said being short wasn't never going to work to my advantage."

"Harry, you'll be the midget they'll be gawking over, i don't know how that's an advantage." Fred muttered.

Harry still looked pleased. "Shut it, i'm working with it."

* * *

><p>"...Please just try to not be embarrassing..." Matthew said weakly for what must have been the hundredth time, following behind his father as he walked out of the living room, scratching the top of his brown-haired head.<p>

"Me? _Emarassin_'? That's silly, i _ooze_ cool, Matty." Ethan said with a laugh.

"Is '_ooze_' really the best verb you could have used for that?" Martha said, stepping up next to her youngest son. She barely went past his shoulders and she reached upwards and started patting down his wavy hair. "Honestly honey, why won't you you let me brush this mop of yours down? You'd look much more presentable that way."

"But i like my mop," Matthew said, frowning slightly as he brushed his red fringe out of his eyes. "Remind me again, when's Michael gettin' back?"

"Christmas Eve, dear," Martha said, giving one last unsuccessful pat to his hair. "He's bringing Imogen with him so we can probably met her."

Ethan laughed. "'Innit she six months pregnant though? Bit late for proper meetin', isn't it?"

"Better late than after the little one is born," Martha said with a small, disapproving grimace. "At least they're not rushing into marriage or-"

"Plus, all those others are comin' too, it'll be a full house, and the girls need his bed for sleeping in, remember?" Ethan said, cutting her off.

"I still don't see why i can't let Alice sleep in my room..." Matthew said quietly. Martha gave him a stern look and he said, "It's a joke mum, what do you think we do?"

"Ya' are both teenagers, we know what ya' do," Ethan giggled with a wink of his eye. "Just put a sock on the doorknob just 'n case, alrigh'?"

"_Dad!_" Matthew said in a stressed tone, his cheeks blushing red as Ethan laughed again at his expense.

"O' really, ya' know i'm jokin'," Ethan said understandably. "If it makes ya' feel any better, ya' can do the exact same to yer kids once ya' have 'em."

"And you still have to name one after him." Martha added with a slight chuckle.

"That's righ'," Ethan said, nodding at his wife knowingly. "I'll call 'em Mini Me."

"I'll be lookin' forward to it then," Matthew said in a flattered voice, looking like he was fighting back a smile at his father's comment.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and any hint of a smile on Matthew's face dropped. "Oh bullocks."

"Oh really, you're just the worrier, you'll be fine." Martha said soothingly.

"It's not me i'm worried about..." Matthew muttered, his eyes following his father as he went and opened the door.

A flash of green whizzed past him and it was barely a second later that Matthew saw that Fred had past his father and was now next to Matthew, looking more spastic than usual and holding a wiggling, scarf-wearing Eccleston in his arms.

"_Heeeey_ Matty," Fred said in an animated voice, his pupils wider than what he was used to. "I'm hopped up on sugar right now so i'm a bit over- excited but i'll be a-okay, so don't you fret about me."

"You're going to pass out into about five minutes aren't you?" Matthew asked.

"Definitely." Fred said curtly, scratching his head with one free hand as if he was warding himself of invisible fleas. Eccleston looked up at him and licked his chin with a slight wiggle of his stubby tail.

"Ai, so yer' the famous Snapes i've heard so much 'bout," Ethan said, bowing slightly to the girls, who smiled kindly at him, and grinning at a windswept Severus. "Martha and I and Matty o' course happily accept yeh to enjoy our home as yer' own while ye' are here." He looked to Severus. "And yer are the big ol' scary professor Severus Snape?"

"Er, yes, i suppose that's me," Severus said, his voice shaking slightly as he was still a bit frozen by the snowy wind outside.

Rose and Alice held their gloved hands together as Eowyn and Alice's black cat, Joan, slinked around Lily's ankles when Ethan grinned more widely at him. "Ya' cold? Well, i know just what i can do to warm yeh' up."

"Oh, no, that's quite alright-" Severus started, but he was cut off as Ethan linked his arms around Severus' thin frame and gave him a tight bear-hug. By their view, Rose could have sworn she saw her father's feet leave the ground for a split second.

"Aw man, i wanna hug." Fred said, his bottom lip jetting outwards in a pout. "Matt, i wanna hug too."

"Shut it, Fred." Matthew groaned, his face blushing a pale shade of pink as the girls covered their mouths so they wouldn't start laughing.

Ethan let go of Severus a few seconds later and smiled at him. "Now did that warm yeh' up?"

A ruffled looking Severus stared around, his dark eyes widened in surprise and confusion. "Where did i just go?"

"Hugging heaven." Fred said dreamily, batting his eyes at Matthew's father.

Ethan turned and looked at Fred. "Yeh wanna hug too?"

"Hell to the yes i do," Fred said certainly. "I'm Fred by the way, but i'm sure Al has told you both all about me,"

"She has. So you really did go to juvenile detention when you were only six years old?" Martha asked, raising a brow to him.

Fred stared at Alice. "You told them about that? _Really_? Did you tell them my blood type too?"

"O positive, innit it?" Ethan asked.

Fred stared at him all in shock as they, even Severus, started laughing. "Oh come on, that's not even _slightly funny."_

"Yes it is." Alice giggled. "I never told them _that_."

Fred stared in an even more exaggerated way. "What kind of sick mind game is this?"

"One you deserve." Matthew muttered under his breath.

"Well that's just great and dandy for you guys, but i'ma about to crash, which reminds me-"

Fred put Eccleston on the ground, making Eowyn hiss at the bulldog, and Fred sprinted into the living room and jumped over the back of one sofa and flopped onto it with a soft '_BUMP_'.

Ethan and Severus followed after him (the others trailing after them) and looked over the back of the sofa and saw Fred had landed face-down on the sofa, himself resting his face on the side as he snuggled his face against the armrest. "Ah, this is comfy, this can last me for the next few days..."

"I thought yeh' were bunking with Matty though..." Ethan asked confusedly.

"And be locked up with him when he might get too _friendly_ with himself? I think _not_." Fred said seriously as Eccleston waddled over and licked his hooked nose. "I'm an innocent angel. I can't be around that."

Severus looked over at Matthew and gave him a raised brow look. "Sir, please believe me, i don't do any of _that_, i _swear_-" Matthew said, his cheeks going pink once again as Alice went up next to him and held his hand in her own.

"Yeah, not like Fred would be opposed to it anyway." Rose muttered, making them laugh again as Matthew's face blushed red and Fred nodded knowingly in agreement.

"Well, if that's the case then, let's get yer things to yeh rooms, then we can show yeh' aroun'," Ethan said, clapping his hands together. "An' after that, baby pictures!"

"Oh thank you mum for bringing Alice's baby books with you." Fred said dreamily as Alice and Matthew both blushed red in unison.

A few minutes later as they left, Martha talking excitedly with Lily, seeing as she was the only Gryffindor in a family full of Slytherins, and Matthew still blushing red as Alice bent upwards and pecked him on the cheek, Eowyn jumped onto Fred and glared at him with her mismatched eyes.

"I'm throwing you from the second story window, i hope you know that." Fred said drowsily as his sugar rushed was crashing hard against him.

Eowyn just hissed at him. Maybe it was just Fred slipping into a nap, but he could have sworn he saw a wicked grin on the ginger cat's face

* * *

><p>Severus remembers going to bed in the Greenley's guest room with Lily later that night, and not having any sort of clue of how to say goodnight to his younger daughter's boyfriend beforehand, merely patted Matthew awkwardly on the head as if he was a sort of puppy. Though now that he thought about it, Severus did find it a bit odd that Matthew had his thick bedsheets hanging over him and was very keen to keep them on around him, even going far enough to nearly kicking Fred in the shin when he tried yanking the sheet off, but he did not linger on it, nor seemed to remember when he woke up the next morning.<p>

Wherever Severus was now, however, it was much too bright for his liking, or was it? He got used to it after a few seconds. There was no wind in the clear world he was now in, and everything was dead silent.

That is, of course, before he heard all too-familiar laughter filter their way into his range of hearing.

Severus turned and saw James Potter sitting under a nicely shaded tree, grinning at him, running a hand through his unmanageable hair. "Long time no see, Snaperdoodle."

"Yes, how long has it been? sixteen years?" Severus said sarcastically, not missing at beat that he was face to face with someone was long since dead.

"More like two weeks," said another familiar voice, and Severus looked just in time to see Sirius walk up past him, looking just how he did before he was shipped off to Azkaban and was robbed of his good looks. "You had a dream with us after that Bell girl touched that cursed necklace, don't ya' remember?"

"So i'm not dead?" Severus asked, already knowing the answer.

"Mate, you only see us in your dreams when ya' need to talk to us about something important," Sirius said, taking a seat next to his best friend.

"Yeah, like when after i died," James said with a small smile in remembrance. "I still can hardly believe you did that, i never knew we were that close to each other..."

"Now how is that for a Potter? Don't think so lowly of yourself," Severus said, the end of his mouth twisting upwards. "I needed some reassurance you were okay, wherever you and Mary went off to after _He_ got to you..."

"That, and i remember waking up this morning and eating breakfast, but i suppose i dozed off," Severus added, standing in front of the pair of them. "But i don't actually have anything to talk to either of you about right now..."

"We know, this is _us_ acting on it, we want to talk to _you_," Sirius said, pointing to him.

Severus gave them a questioning look. "About what, if i may ask?"

"Oh, i don't know, maybe the fact that you're basically a few years away from having Prongs favourite Quidditch player's kid for a son-in-law," Sirius said, and James nodded feverishly in agreement.

"Oh, _that_," Severus said, taking a seat on the soft, grass-like ground across them. "What about it?"

"Duh, i don't know, maybe that's just bloody _amazing_, that's what," James said, sounding slightly offended that Severus wasn't nearly as excited as he was. "How many times in your life is that gonna happen?"

"Well, i don't know, how many daughters to _you_ have?" Severus asked.

"None, unfortunately," James said with a sad little smile. "But then again, Harry could have easily been a girl, so..."

Sirius giggled. "_Harriet_ Potter. That would have been _classic_."

"Oh i bet," James said. He smiled at Severus, and noticed the blank stare he was giving the pair of them. "Oh come _on_, don't even tell us you don't at least _like_ the kid-"

"I _do_ like him," Severus said, cutting him off.

"Yeah, and he's got his properties straight because he's a Chaser like yours truly." James grinned, cutting Severus off in return.

"Please, no offence to you, but he's a hundred times better than you ever were," Sirius said jokingly.

"I resent that." James muttered, and Sirius stuck his tongue out at him.

"_However_," Severus said, and snapping them out of their silly spat, "I don't really want to think about my daughter getting married for a few years until she's _at least_ graduated."

"Well, we can tell you this, it's _definitely_ gonna happen," Sirius said seriously.

Severus gave them a puzzled look. "And how do you know that? You two were never particularly good at Divination, or have you got some free time to learn it...?"

"That's the up-side to where we went off," Sirius said. "We get to see things we never could down in the living world."

"So where exactly did you _go_ then?" Severus asked. Anytime something like this would happen in his dreams, he'd try to ask James about it to no avail, and after Sirius died, it only increased his interest, especially in the fact that he could contact two friends who were, well, _dead_.

"No idea," Sirius said, and Severus huffed slightly as that was _always_ the answer. "But i will tell you this, wherever we went, they got a whole different branch of magic here that we've never seen."

"Like what?"

James shrugged his shoulders. "It's kind of an extension of what is limited back in the living world."

"Yeah, like we can see bits of the future," Sirius said. "Which is amazing, really, we can only see good bits, we never get spoilers as to who's coming to join us anytime soon."

"Well, it ruin the surprise i suppose," Severus said morbidly, and James frowned slightly,

"My personal favourite part of where we are is the endless ways of killing time." Sirius said with a grin.

Severus cocked a brow and him and James looked at him from the side of his eye as if he hadn't quite heard Sirius correctly.

"Bad word choice?" Sirius said weakly.

"Very." James said.

"Yeah well, we can control what goes on around us," Sirius continued. He waved around them. "This was a Pub before ya' got here, actually,"

Severus glanced around at the wood-like area. "What? Like false reality?"'

"Something like that," Sirius shrugged. "Though James loves to bring Mary along and see what they can do,"

"One time we were hiking around China, and were in Paris a few days later," James explained. "Just think of it, and it'll happen."

"You're making death sound way better than living, James." Severus said.

"Well, my parents seem to enjoy it." James mumbled.

"Your parents are here?" Severus asked. "Since when?"

"They died before Harry was born, and i only just know found out where they went," James said. "Which now that you remind me, they made themselves twenty-somethings again and were spending time in Venice, or at least, whatever Venice is _here_. Trying different situations to see how it would have gone and so forth."

"Like an imitation?" Severus asked. "A dream-state?"

"More or less, but when you've got nothing else to do, especially not legitimate living, why not?" James said. "Do whatever you want, what else do you have to lose? You're dead already."

Severus frowned and Sirius said, "Let's focused on something else besides the whole '_we're dead_' thing, okay?"

"Right," James said, nodding his head in agreement towards Sirius. He looked towards Severus again and said, "So tell us, how is it like being chatty with my favourite Quidditch player?"

"Oh really, since when do you like Greenley?" Severus asked doubtfully.

"Are you _kidding _me? Remember back in '79 where i nearly started crying because he retired?" James said.

"Really? I thought you were almost crying because Mary accepted your marriage proposal." Severus said, looking to be fighting back a smile.

Sirius turned to James. "You almost cried because of _that_? Prongs, you big baby-"

"Shut up! I mean yeah i was happy he had another kid, but he was on my best team and -" James started.

"Yes, and now that kid which was the reason for him retiring is now datin' Snaperdoodle's daughter," Sirius said, cutting him off this time.

James looked to Severus, his eyes wide. "Aha! You're right! Look at that, it's circle that ends back at you!"

"Thank you, i'll make sure to thank Alice and her taste in boys," Severus said sarcastically.

"Yes you should, you'll have good- looking grandkids with that one," Sirius said knowingly.

Severus stared at them. "Is that a prediction or are you just telling me what you two saw in your strange future readings?"

The pair of them just grinned at them like sneaky children, and Severus narrowed his eyes at them. "That's not even slightly funny."

"Oh yes it is," Sirius said with wicked grin on his handsome face. "Me and Padfoot here get a shared name, actually."

"Would that be Harry's doing?" Severus asked.

"Indeed." Sirius said pridefully. He looked to his wrist and saw that a watch was attached to it. "Ah, you should be waking up in a moment."

"And you know that how?" Severus asked, his brow raised to them.

"In three," Sirius said, ignoring Severus and counting down. James started to wave at him and Sirius said, "Two, On-"

Severus' eyes snapped open, and he looked and saw that he was sitting lowly on one of the armchairs in the living room, his arms hanging off the edge of each armrest.

"Had a nice nap?" said a voice, and Severus looked to his side and saw that Ethan was sitting on the sofa to the left of him, sipping from a mug of hot cocoa. He had another one in his other hand. "Thirsty?"

Severus nodded his head slightly and took the mug from him as Ethan handed it over. "Ya' dozed off, but don't yeh' worry 'bout it," Ethan said quietly. "We're havin' a relaxin' day anyway, maybe some last minute shoppin' tomorrow and such..."

"Why are you talking so quietly though?" Severus asked in the same volume, taking a small sip of the hot drink.

Ethan nodded to the sofa on the other side of the chair Severus sat on and he turned his attention to where he pointed. To his surprise, he saw that Matthew was sound asleep on the sofa, his feet hanging off the edge, considering how tall he was. Along with that, Alice was resting on top of him, her dark hair clashing with his own as she snoozed on him, her head resting in the crook of his neck as his own was facing hers, his nose brushing against her forehead. Severus couldn't help but notice, but they both had their arms wrapped around each other and looked rather peaceful.

"They dozed off just like ya'," Ethan explained softly, smiling at them. "Didn't have the heart to wake 'em though."

Just then, Fred came in from the kitchen, not speaking and coming up from behind the sofa Matthew and Alice were sleeping on. He raised his arms and revealed that he had a steel pot lid in each hand. Fred stretched his arms wide, an evil grin on his face.

He went to slam them together when Severus said, "_Fred_!" in a deadly whisper, stopping him before he even moved.

"What?" Fred whispered back, looking bewildered that he stopped him.

"_Don't_." Severus said seriously, his voice in a low tone, showing he was not joking in the slightest.

"Oh come _on_-" Fred said lamely.

Severus gave him a stern look and Fred huffed, bringing him arms down. "_Fine_." he said, sounding annoyed.

Fred turned on his heel and stalked away, pouting.

Ethan giggled. "He's funny."

"You should have seen him when he was little then," Severus said lowly, tapping the mug in his hand with one thin finger. "He was a ball of pure energy in a condensed pack- _FRED_!" he said in another rushed whisper and Fred attempted again to bang the pot lids, rushing back into the room.

"Damn you, you never let me have any fun!" Fred whispered back, frowning at him.

"You have other ways of '_fun_', Frederick." Severus said quietly.

"I'm gonna chuck Eowyn out of the window then." Fred said dully, looking red in the face.

Fred stalked away again, and Ethan gave him Severus a surprised look as Alice nuzzled her face again the skin of Matthew's neck. "Is he really?"

"I wouldn't doubt him, he hates that cat," Severus said, taking another sip of his drink. A moment later, there was a slight banging noise of footsteps on the stairs, then there was a loud _THUMP_! from outside and a cat meowing quite loudly.

"And there we go." Severus said, taking another sip in boredom as Alice shifted in her sleep, her eyebrows furrowed in what looked like annoyance as Eowyn kept meowing.

Fred stalked back downstairs after Eowyn's ginger fur disappeared into the bushes outside the house and went into the kitchen, were his mother and Martha were putting dishes away.

"What's that odd sound?" Martha asked, her brows furrowed as Fred entered the kitchen.

"I threw the cat out, she was annoying me," Fred said nonchalantly, sneaking an apple from the bowl on the countertop next to his mother.

"Oh really, if you don't like her, why were you so keen on getting her when you and Alice found her in the bushes when you were little?" Lily asked, raising a brow to him.

Fred shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't know she was evil then,"

Lily rolled her eyes as Fred grinned at her cheekily. "I won't do it again until she really pushes my buttons, okay?" Fred said innocently, batting his eyes at her.

"So you'll wait an hour and see where that goes?" Lily asked.

"You know it," Fred grinned. He bent slightly, seeing as he was talker than her, and pecked his mother on the cheek. "Love you."

"You're trying to make sure you have someone on your side when Alice wakes up and realises what you did to Eowyn, aren't you?" Lily asked, fighting back an amused smile.

"Of course," Fred said unabashedly, pecking again on the cheek. He sauntered out of the kitchen, chewing down on his apple as Martha sighed.

Lily turned and looked at her. "What's wrong?" she asked Martha with a concerned voice.

Martha gave her a wary look. "Oh, you'll think I'm being silly if I told you,"

"Try me," Lily said surely. Martha gave her a surprised look and said after a hesiatant moment, "I don't know, I've just been feeling a bit sad recently,"

"Marriage troubles?" Lily asked unsurely, as it seemed to her that Martha and Ethan were doing just fine.

"Oh no, nothing like that," Martha said certainly, shaking her head. "Its just, Matthew's in his last year already, and he's already following after what Ethan did, and I'm so proud of him, but I still can't help but feel sad that my little boy grew up so quickly like his brother did, it feels like yesterday that I held him for the first time..."

Lily gave her a sympathetic smile. "I know what you mean, actually."

"Really?" Martha asked, giving her a hopeful look.

"Of course I do," Lily said. She sighed. "I still remember when Rose was born, Severus almost cried he was so happy. Then we had twins! He nearly fainted from the two of them crying at the same time."

Martha chuckled. "Good to know you had a better control of the situation."

"Well, I had to give birth to them, I had more important things to take care of." Lily smiled at her.

Martha laughed lightly and sighed again, fiddling with the washcloth in her hands. "I just remember Ethan and I had the idea we'd have lots of kids, and with only Michael and Matthew it seems like somone's missing, you know? Plus, we had Michael when we were eighteen."

"I was barely four months along when he graduated, if you must know," Martha added as she noticed the questioning look on Lily's face.

"Anyway," Martha added in a whisper. "I've _always_ wanted to have a daughter."

Lily raised a brow to her, a small smile on her face. "Well, third's always the charm, isn't it?"

Martha gave her a wide-eyed look. "You're not saying what i think you're saying, are you?"

Lily shrugged. "We're both still fairly young, why not?"

"'_We_'?" Martha asked, cocking a brow at her.

"Oh," Lily said, looking offguard. "Well, Frederick always bugs us to get him a little brother, and as of late Sev and I seem pretty keen to take him up on his suggestion."

Martha bit back a giggle. "Are you trying for one then?"

"We're not _not_ trying, if that's what you mean," Lily said smoothily. "If it happens, it happens, we're not opposed to it if it does, though."

"You think we should try that theory over then?" Martha asked.

"Well, talk it over with Ethan first, just so you're both on board with it," Lily said.

"That won't be hard, Ethan _loves_ kids," Martha said surely.

Just then, Ethan walked into the kitchen carrying what looked like a damp, snow-freckled ginger lump in his arm, himself brushing snow off his shoulders with his free hand.

"You're welcome, ladies, i saved the cat," Ethan said certainly, pointing to a very angry looking Eowyn, who looked much skinnier than usual with her wet fur, which only happened surely from the snow melting on her.

Martha giggled slightly as Ethan rubbed Eowyn's head, who was making a . "Don't worry, little lady, i'll dry ya' off-"

Ethan went to leave when Martha, putting her washcloth said, "I'll help you, dear,"

Ethan gave her a surprised look, and grinned his wide smile at her, "Will ya'?"

"Sure," Martha said. Lily gave her a look and Martha added, "Plus, i need to talk to you about something..."

"Well let's get goin' then," Ethan said happily, and Martha flounced after him, glancing at Lily from over her shoulder for reassurance. Lily gave her hopeful smile, and Martha returned it. She started whispering to Ethan as soon as they turned into the hallway.

"What'd i miss?" Severus said, walking into the kitchen and up next to Lily, glancing at Ethan and Martha's departing forms then back at Lily.

"Oh, you know, _couple_ things," Lily said playfully.

Severus smiled at her, and leaned down to her level, his nose barely an inch from her own. "Really? Like what we're thinking about, i assume?"

"I may have encouraged the idea in this situation," Lily said, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, and Severus gave her a small smile.

She noticed the far-off look in his eyes and asked, "Sev? Did you have another one of those _dreams_ again?"

Severus looked at her in the eye, black on green. "You can tell?"

"Which one was it this time?" Lily asked. She sometimes had odd dreams like he did too, but they were only with Mary.

"Both of them," Severus said simply.

"Did they seem okay?" Lily asked.

Severus shrugged his shoulders. "They seem content, then again, they were best friends, it must be nice to be together once more,"

Lily sighed and smiled at his reassuring, and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Well, that's good to hear."

"But, i think i have an idea that could make both of us feel better," Lily said smoothly, loosening one arm and trailing her hand on the collar of Severus' shirt.

"When should we then? Before or after dinner?" Severus said cooly.

"Well, we could start right now, just lock the door and see what happens," Lily giggled, running her hand through his hair.

"I love the way you think." Severus said, kissing her again before Lily pulled them both out of the kitchen and towards the stairs to their room.

* * *

><p>Harry pushed through the bunched up groups of party goers as he slinked through, looking for Fred, Ron trailing after him.<p>

Finally, he bumped into a tall frame and Fred turned around and grinned. "Hiya Harry, when did you get here?"

"About three seconds ago," Harry said, Ron coming up next to him. "We all kinda scattered."

"Oh i can tell," Fred said as the Twins walked through his Matthew's many family members from behind him. "Do you see how many Greenleys cousins are here?"

They glanced around, there was definitely an awful lot more than forty or so there, all getting reacquainted with each other and swapping stories.

"You should see the actual family get togethers then, we all wear kilts," Matthew said, coming up next to him with Alice. A set of blue pigtails whizzed past her and Fred grinned as Sam hugged him.

"They invited you guys too?" Fred said happily, pecking Sam on the forehead as Sam looked up at him.

"Mum and Dad can never say no to a good party," Sam laughed. She pointed behind her and they could see that her mother and father were chatting up Matthew's father excitedly.

"There ain't no party like a Greenley party, eh?" said a new voice, and they turned just in time for two new male persons to join them. The pair of them stood next to Matthew, grinning widely.

"Who're the shorties, Matty?" the taller one of the two asked, his longish brown hair hanging around his hazel eyes.

"Oh, um, this is Harry," Matthew started, gesturing to each of them. "Ron, Sam, Fred, then his sister Alice."

The pair of them looked down and at Alice. "So yer' are the lass that stole our dear cousin's heart, eh?"

"Yes, I suppose that's me," Alice said smoothly. "I don't think there's any other Alices here, now are they?"

They grinned at her. "Oh, you got a snarky one, Matty." said the shorter of the two, his slightly spiked up hair a light bronze colour that complimented the same hazel eyes that he dawned as well. "We approve, she'll be getting her own tartan in no time."

Alice smiled slightly as Ron said, "Well, you know who we are, what about you?"

"Drummond," said the shorter of the two first.

"And Desmond," said the taller one with a friendly smile.

"Oh, so _you're_ the cousins Matty told us about that can force-fed us haggis." Harry said simply.

"The very same," Drummond said proudly.

"'Cept we're twins, actually," Desmond explained.

"I'm obviously the better lookin' one," Drummond said cheekily.

"Yeah, if being short and bossy is attractive," Desmond said smartly.

"Is anyone under six feet short to you then?" Harry asked.

"Thats right, short stuff," Drummond said. For once in his life, Harry was glad that they didn't seem to notice his scar, or if they did, they didn't point it out.

"Didn't you confuse Aunt Georgie for a twelve year old when she and Uncle Casimir got married a few years back?" Matthew asked.

"Casimir? _Really_?" Fred said, looking unimpressed.

"Oi, _we_ didn't name him, you can blame Grandpa Cosmo and Nana Hazel fer that one." Drummond said scratchily.

"Oh well, his dad's name is _Cosmo_, i shouldn't be surprised then." Fred said freely.

"Hey now, he could chuck you out the window if he wanted to," Desmond said hastily. "Trust us, he's a good tracker, he'll find ya' easily in this crowd..."

"He's not a Hufflepuff, if that's what you're wonderin'," Matthew added, noticing the goofy grin on Fred's face.

"We're a _mostly_ Gryffindor bred brew," Desmond said.

"We got a few brilliant ones in Ravenclaw," Drummond muttered.

"And even if mum wants to deny it or not, even a few Slytherins," Matthew added surely, making Harry give Ron a surprised look.

"But never - _ever_ - Hufflepuffs," Drummond said seriously. He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Actually, now that i think 'bout it, that's a bit weird, innit?"

"Not every House can be blessed then," Sam said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"True," Drummond said, nodding to her. "Though, considerin' how many our family's got, how come we don't have any Metamorphmaguses like ya'?"

"Why do you ask? You wanna grow a few inches?" Desmond giggled, ruffling his twin's hair.

"I'm vertically channeled, damn you! Just ask Alice here or Aunt Georgie!" Drummond snapped, his face scrunched up as he tried swiping his twin's arm away from his head.

"Hmm? Who's talkin' about little ol' me?"

Harry felt someone stand next to him and turned just in time to see a rather short woman with bouncy, curly blond hair step up next to him. Her heart-shaped face was cracked in a bubbly smile.

"Yea' i was, Auntie Georgie, Dessy is callin' me short," Drummond pouted, smacking Desmond's arm away.

"You called me a moose on the way over here!" Desmond snapped. "So that means you started it!"

"Did not!"

"Did so!"

"Matt, i love you family," Fred said as Matthew started rolling his eyes at his bickering cousins.

Georgie giggled. "Oh you two, put a lid on it and go find your father."

"Aw, do we have to?" Desmond moaned.

"_Yes_." Georgie said forcefully, which was surprising considering how small she was compared to them.

The pair of them glanced at each other and shrugged their shoulders. "We'll see ya' lot in a bit then, nice meetin' ya'. Don't break Matty, Alice dear, we only just now found out that he's giving his dad a run fer his Quidditch status." Drummond said with a wink of his eye. He and Desmond bowed slightly to Alice and Sam and went back into the crowd.

"Oh, so _you're_ Alice?" Georgie asked excitedly. She went up next to her and Fred nearly slapped Harry in the face in shock. Alice was actually _taller_ than her.

Then again, she sprouted up to 178 in the last year, which by no means was short, especially for a woman, but Georgie was hovering just barely around Alice's shoulders.

"Oh my god, how tall are you?" Fred asked, his eyes wide.

Georgie gave him a bemused look. "I'm 147."

"Oh my god, it's finally happened," Fred said breathlessly, fanning himself off his hand. "There is actually someone smaller than Alice, it's a miracle."

"Hey!" Alice snapped as Ron and Harry started giggling. "I'm over short compared to you!"

"Whatever you say, Frodo," Fred said evilly. "Tell us, have you still got the One Ring? Or did you and your fellow hobbit friends throw it into Mordor yet?"

Alice made a sort of hissing noise at him and Georgie said, "Oh don't mind him, sweetie, we all know Matty can easily throw him out the window if you asked."

Fred abruptly stopped his Lord of the Rings referencing as they all burst into laughter. "Not cool!" Fred said acidly as Harry wiped his eye from laughing so hard.

"Isn't that right, Matty?" Georgie said in a giggly tone, ignoring Fred and patting him on the arm feverishly.

Matthew smiled down at her and said, "Oh yeah, definitely"

"Oh thanks _a lot_, ginger snap," Fred snapped, frowning at Matthew as his stuck his tongue out at him playfully.

"Mummyyyy," said a high voice, and Georgie turned around and saw a small blond boy of about five tugging on her shirt, holding a _much_ taller man's hand with his other one.

"Hiya Charlie honey, what's wrong?" Georgie asked softly, not having to bend down very much to her small son.

"He's tired but he won't sit down to rest or anything," the man said weakly, brushing his brown fringe back.

"Aw, why is that honey?" Georgie pouted. Charlie just shrugged his shoulders lazily, yawing and rubbing his eye.

"I can take 'em, Uncle Casimir," Matthew said, addressing Georgie's husband.

He looked up and the end of his mouth twitched upwards. "Will ya', Matty?"

"Oh yeah, apparently i'm a good pillow," Matthew said. Casimir looked to his wife and he shrugged his shoulders. He bent down and lifted Charlie up and handed him over to Matthew, who immediately rested his head on Matthew's shoulder and closed his eyes. Alice smiled at Matthew as he rocked his sleeping cousin.

Fred smacked Harry on the shoulder, making him flinch as Fred shook his head. "What was that for?" Harry asked through clenched teeth.

"Oh, sorry about that, i'm pretty sure i just turned into a woman for a split second there and i needed to feel manly again." Fred said quickly, staring at Matthew.

"You're welcome," Matthew said cooly as Georgie started chatting with Alice, himself rocking his cousin to sleep as Casimir got dragged off by one of his brothers.

A second later, three new boys appeared next to Ron, all grinning wickedly at them.

"Who have we got here?" said the one sporting long-fringed blond hair.

"My friends," Matthew said, making sure Charlie wasn't drooling on his shoulder.

The three new boys stared at each of them. They caught sight of Harry and the blond one said, "Bloody hell, do me' eyes deceive me?"

"Yes, it's me," Fred said dramatically. "Please, no pictures,"

"Very funny," said the blond one. He grinned at Harry. "Harry Potter, righ'?"

"Er, yeah..." Harry said weakly.

"Blythe Greenley," said the blond one cheekily. "And these are my brothers, Jarrod and Cliff,"

Jarrod dawned sandy brown hair, while Cliff had wavy, darker brown hair. Each of them had the same grey eyes and evil grins on their faces.

"Are you triplets?" Sam asked, noticing that they all looked to be the same exact age.

"Nope," said Cliff readily.

"We were all born on the same week though," Jarrod said a matter-of-factly.

Ron gave Fred a puzzled look, and Harry shrugged his shoulders at Sam as Matthew rolled his eyes.

"Our dad was, and still, a bit of a womaniser," Blythe explained simply, catching on to their questioning looks.

"'A bit' is an understatement, actually," Cliff said.

"And let's just say," Jarrod added. "That our different mums weren't too happy to find out that they were all expecting us at the same time,"

Georgie shook his head disapprovingly. "Ramsey is such the partier, isn't he?"

"Oh yea'," Blythe said happily, nodding to his aunt. "O' course, they all left us with our shared dad after they popped us out, but we like calling ourselves triplets anyway since, you know, why not? We're close enough in age anyway,"

"I like these three," Fred whispered to Harry from the corner of his mouth.

"Likewise," Cliff said, him and his brothers nodding to Fred approvingly. "Now, we've heard some rumours,"

"About what?" Alice asked.

"Depends," Jarrod said. "Do you know where this 'Alice' is?"

"You're talking to her." Alice said simply.

The three of them grinned. "_Well_," Blythe said confidently. "_We_ heard from a few back by the fireplace that a certain _loverboy's_ girlfriend can produce a pretty damn good Patronus charm, can we see it?"

"Oh, i don't think that would be a good idea," Harry started.

"Hush you," Jarrod said, cutting him off. "There's enough magic happening here anyway, no one will be able to detect it, i should know, i just turned some ginger cat that was walking around into a lamp and back because it was annoyin' me,"

"I lied, i _love_ them," Fred added, making Sam giggle as Harry frowned slightly.

Alice shrugged her shoulders, putting her hand into her jacket pocket and pulling her wand out. "Do you really wanna see it?"

"Hell yea'," Cliff said excitedly. "We need to see if their rumours are true or not,"

"Right then," Alice said, gripping her wand correctly then. She glanced at Matthew, who had Charlie snoozing peaceful on his shoulder, and Alice grinned. She took a deep breath and waved her wand, saying clearly, _"Expecto Patronum!"_

A stream of silvery and blue light came out from the tip of her wand, and oddly enough, a slinky cat with curved tipped ears pounced out, flexing its slender legs.

The three boys awed at it, and Matthew grinned at her pridefully as Fred stared wide eyed at it.

"_Hey_," Fred said suspiciously. "Isn't your patronus a _dove_?"

"Hmm?" Alice said as her patronus started looking around at them curiously. "Oh, it changed over this past year."

"Since _when_?" Fred asked, not quite believing her.

"Well, dad says they can change when you have a major emotional revival, and you what? I feel pretty damn good about myself as of late," Alice said exuberantly. She flickered her wand and the silvery cat disappeared, and the three boys sighed in awe.

"Know what i mean?" Alice said, winking her eye at him. When she did that, however, her eye got a sort of amber colour to it instead of the usual white of the eye he was used to. Her eye looked rather angular all of a sudden, actually.

She blinked again and it turned back to its normal colour, and she turned away from him as Blythe and Cliff started asking her questions.

"Holy _shiiit_," Fred said in a shocked whisper. "Harry, did you see that?"

"What? That her eye changed _colours_?" Harry whispered back, just as surprised sounding.

"Oh no it did not," Sam said seriously.

"Yes it did! We saw it!" Fred said, his eyes wide at her.

"No way, you guys are just seeing things," Ron said.

"We are not!" Fred snapped at him. He turned to Matthew. "Mate, please tell me you saw that!"

"Saw what?" Matthew said, rubbing Charlie's back and readjusting him in his arms.

"Oh screw you all!" Fred said dramatically. "You're all against me!"

"Only if you're in that attitude, mister," Georgie said, looking at him sternly.

Fred huffed, brushing his black fringe out of his eyes. "Stupid attractive bas-"

"Ahem!" Georgie said, nodding her head towards her son in Matthew's arms.

"-_sset hounds_." Fred said hastily. He frowned. "Now i can't even swear, someone better get me a drink before i lose it."

"You're fifteen, mate." Ron said.

"Like it matters, all they drink is whiskey and Irn-Bru anyway." Fred muttered, and Harry couldn't help but notice that Cliff nodded in slight agreement from besides his short Aunt. "Plus, are you wearing a necklace?"

Fred pointed his hand to the hint of a golden chain around Ron's neck and his ears blushed red. "Who wants to know?" Ron muttered at him.

"Did_ Lav-Lav_ give it to you?" Fred asked, putting special emphasis on Lavender's little made-up pet name. "What does it says? Honeybunny? Lovebug?"

Harry cough suddenly and it sounded oddly like 'Sweetheart', making Ron glare at him as Fred started laughing.

"_Sweetheart_?" Fred asked, trying horribly to stop laughing. "Why would you ever wear _that_?"

"So i don't feel bad when i throw it away, _that's_ why!" Ron snapped at him. He pulled at the chain.

"You're going to throw it away? What kind of awful boyfriend are you?" Fred asked.

"As if you'd wear some dumb necklace if Sam got you one," Ron said annoyingly.

"Mate, if she asked me to tattoo her name on my arse i would," Fred said a matter-of-factly.

Harry's eyes glanced towards. "You got a tattoo on your bum?"

Harry went for his jeans and Fred smacked his hand away. "I don't have a tattoo on my arse,"

"So you're just giving me false hopes, thanks a lot," Harry frowned.

"Well, I don't even know why Harry's making fun of either of us for," Ron said. "_He_ got a box of maggots from Kreacher."

"Yea', but is it a tacky necklace? I think not." Fred giggled.

Ron started looking mad at Harry as Jarrod put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small tinsel of mistletoe. "O' hey, who wants to go kissin' everyone?"

Before he knew it, Harry's hand went and snatched it out of his hand. "I'll be right back," he said, surely to leave before Ron exploded on him.

"You arse, i thought we shared something." Fred frowned as Harry slipped out of view.

"Mate, seriously, i love your family," Ron said to change the subject as Harry started waving the mistletoe about and some of Matthew's aunts started grabbing them over, giggling loudly. Ron's eyes wavering over the crowd and he spotted one of them taking what looked like a slice of cake from another relative.

"There's food, i must have it. I'll be right back." Ron said, eyeing them before taking off into the crowd.

"Oi, Matty, get over here! Bring yer friends too!" said Matthew's father over from near the fireplace, waving them over a moment later. as Sam's parents went back into the crowd

Matthew looked over to his three cousins. "Do ya' mind takin' Charlie?"

"Never, hand 'em over," Blythe said, grabbing a still-sleeping Charlie from Matthew and holding him.

"And let me tell ya', them goblins at Gringotts never seem to get any more cheerful no matter what, they're always frownin'," said Ethan seriously near the fireplace, his arm around Martha as he talked to Severus, who has Lily by his side. Another couple was next to them as well. Matthew and the others walked over and he stop, grinning at his son. "Aye, 'bout time ya' joined us."

"Oh, sorry, we were just talkin' to Aunt Georgie," Matthew explained as Alice and Fred went to either side of him.

"Eh, she always liked yeh' the best, doesn't she?" Ethan giggled. He looked to the young woman who was next to Lily. "Anyway, have yeh' met Imogen yet? She's been dyin' to met ya'."

They looked to the couple next to them and saw Matthew's older brother, Michael, with his arm around a pretty woman with dark auburn hair and blue eyes. She was also about six months pregnant.

"You're Matt, right?" Imogen said, her voice with an airy tinge to it, almost as if she was always obliviously happy.

"Er, yeah, that's me," Matthew said, and Imogen smiled at him kindly.

"You know she's pregnant, right?" Michael said sarcastically, waving his free hand at her swollen stomach, surely to belittle Matthew in front of Alice and her parents. "You what babies are, right? Little versions of us?"

"I know what babies are, Mikey, seeing as you're actin' like one," Matthew said irritably, a muscle moving in his jaw in annoyance as Michael grinned at him evilly.

"You know how babies are made too, huh?" Michael asked, surely ignoring Matthew's comment and making Imogen roll her eyes as he persisted.

"Yes, i know how babies are made too," Matthew said, looking more annoyed by the second.

"Ah, i bet you too," Fred said cheekily, thumping him on the back with his hand. "Good on ya', mate, we're proud of you,"

Alice bit back as a laugh as Fred said, looking at his father, "Right, dad?"

He held up his hand to him. "Give me five."

Severus smiled at him slightly and slap Fred's hand with his own and Fred grinned at Sam, who was besides him, when he brought his hand back to him. "I told you i can loosen him up, never doubt the Fred,"

"Sure thing, Frederick," Sam said, raising a brow to him as Fred frowned at the mention of his full name.

Just then, an older couple, the man as tall as Ethan with thin, red and white speckled hair and a beard to match, and the skinny woman with a sharp nose and greying brown hair, walked up next to them, the man's arm around the woman's waist as he pecked her on the cheek.

For whatever reason, the woman looked rather bewitching and yet, oddly nocturnal. Maybe she was a vampire, or needed some colour on her.

"Aye," the man said gruffly, squinting his eyes at them. "So this is where yeh' been hiding Matty form me, eh?"

"Nice to see you too, Grandpa," Matthew said, and the old man grinned at him pridefully.

"My father, Felix, and mum, Marceline everyone," Ethan said with a wave of his hand to the old couple, addressing the confused looks from each of them non-Greenley members of their group.

"Ah, weren't yeh' below me shoulders the last time i saw ya'? Yeh grew overnigh' it seems!" Felix said, waving his hand at Matthew, who, along with Fred, towered over them.

Fred gave Matthew a questioning look, looking him up and down. "Why can't i imagine you short?"

"He was had growth spurt before he was twelve and just know started slowing down, what do you think?" Michael said, addressing Fred with an unimpressed look on his face.

"An' who might this little lady be, eh?" Felix said, looking at Alice with his grey eyes.

"I'm Alice," Alice said before Matthew could answer for her. "I'm dating your grandson,"

"Oh, i love your name, dear," Marceline simpered, her voice a frilly French tone. "It's like that muggle novel. You know the one, the one with the girl falling down the rabbit hole after that silly rabbit."

"Well, this Alice can't fit down any rabbit holes, i'll tell you that much," Fred said smartly, making his twin glare at him from around Matthew. "Trust me, i tried way too many times. I'm guessing either the rabbit hole was too small or her bum is too big."

"Let me guess, yer' are the smart arse of the family, aren't yeh?" Felix said, cocking a brow at Fred as Severus and Lily rolled their eyes and Michael giggled.

"I prefer 'evil mastermind', but 'smart arse' can work too, i guess." Fred said with a wicked grin as Sam bit back a laugh.

"An' ya' are Al's brother, i bet?" Felix asked Fred.

"The one and only," Fred said happily.

"Yeah, unfortunately." Alice mumbled.

Fred glared at her from the corner of his eyes as Felix said, "Eh, well, i guess Matty hasn't told yeh 'bout what we do to types like yeh' then."

"Hmm? Wait, what 'types? Like _me_?" Fred asked confusedly, pointing to himself.

"Must have skimmed that part, Grandpa," Matthew shrugged, going along with what Felix was saying. Felix winked at him and Michael grinned slightly as Matthew tried to not burst into laughter as their grandfather went on.

"Definitely types like ya'," Felix explained. "Because really, where would we be withou' these here women to set us straight?"

"Um..." Fred said weakly, looking uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"What i'm sayin' is that we Greenleys, even bein' such a male dominated line, wouldn't be who we are witho' our _truly_ better half to set us on the righ' track." Felix said. "Whether they be yer' _wife_," he tightened his hold on Marceline side. "or friend, daughter-in-law, or yer _sister,_" he glanced at Alice, who was looking at him in awe. "They are almos' certainly put us in our place,"

"Er, meaning?" Fred asked unsurely.

"That's there means ya' better stop actin' like an arse to ya' sister or he'll force-fed ya' his famous spiced haggis," Ethan said quickly, pecking Martha on the forehead lovingly as she giggled.

Severus looked at Lily, frowning slightly. "You know i appreciate you, right?"

"More and more everyday, Sev." Lily smiled, kissing him on the cheek.

"Oh come on," Fred said defensively. "It's like my job to be an arse, that's my thing!"

"Damn right it _is_," said a voice, and Harry suddenly appeared again next to Fred, squeezing his way between him and Sam and looking oddly blurred in the eyes. Harry glanced around, looking puzzled.

Harry pointed a finger at Imogen. "Are you fat or somethin'?"

"She's _pregnant_," Michael snapped venomously, glaring at Harry with narrowed eyes.

Harry's bottom lip jetted out in a pout. "Are you havin' a Christmas ham or somethin'?"

Fred bit his bottom as to stop himself from laughing as Michael gave out a small growling noise from his throat in irritably. Imogen laughed playfully. "Oh hush now, Mikey, he's just making a joke!"

"I don't think callin' our kid a Christmas ham is funny!" Michael said in an annoyed half-whisper.

"Well i hope our son has a better sense of humour then you then." Imogen said smartly, poking him in the nose with her long finger.

"An' who might this here be?" Felix asked, raising a brow to Harry as he wiped his face, which had kiss marks on it.

"Er, this is Harry Potter, guys," Matthew started weakly a brief moment later as Harry yawned and they gave him surprised looks. "He's not usually like this, really..."

"I resent that," Harry said, pointing at Matthew and slumping against Fred's shoulder.

"As in 'The Chosen One' Harry?" Martha asked, her blue and green-tinged eyes wide in surprise, Ethan's arm around her middle. "I say, it's nice to finally meet you."

Harry turned his attention to her, and gave her a questioning look. "And who're you?"

"That's Matty's mummy," Sam giggled, nudging Harry in the arm playfully.

Harry looked her over in a doubtful way then looked back at Matthew. "I'm gonna be honest here. Matt, yer' mum is very attractive. Okay, that's out in the open now, cool."

Matthew's face blushed red as Ethan giggled. "Eh, look's like i got me some competition, don't i?"

Harry looked over to Ethan. "_Oooh_ wait a minute, you two made this beautiful arse didn't you?"

He pointed his finger at Matthew, who frowned. "Thank you so much for _that_, the gene pool got way better after this ginge was born, okay? Like, why do you make him wear clothes? _Dumb_ idea."

"Funny yeh' should say that," Ethan said as Matthew's brows furrowed in confusion at Harry. "Matty was complete streaker as a kid, i'm still amazed' we got him into anythin',"

Matthew blushed red as both Severus and Lily looked to be biting back giggles. "What did i do to deserve this?" Matthew said weakly as Harry started smiling slightly.

"I'm yer' dad, it's my job to embarass ya' in front of yer' girlfriend and everythin'," Ethan said seriously with his wide grin. "Which really, it makes us lucky we haven't got home one day and yer' just walkin' around sans _pants_."

"Because he only does that our house when only Alice is there, duh." Fred said seriously, making Matthew's face turn red as Alice shook her as her father's raised brow looks.

"Yea' well, who cares about that? Yer' are forgettin' the best one out of us," Michael muttered, surely to distract them for Matthew's sake.

"Hmm? Like who?" Fred asked with a slight giggle as him and Sam started fanning a blushing Harry.

"Like me, you ponce!" Michael snapped at him. He winked at Matthew as he gave him a grateful smile.

"I'm gonna be completely honest here, _you_ terrify me," Harry said groggily, regaining his wits about him and wagging his finger at Michael. "You look like you'll breath fire on me or somethin', and i'm _extremely_ intimidated by that,"

"Well, they are blood of the dragon or whatever you said," Sam pointed out. "Fire and blood and all that,"

Fred nodded at her. "That's right. Seriously though, i was just thinking he looked like Viserys,"

"Is that a train?" Harry asked weakly.

"No he's a character from that book i read, remember? He got molten gold poured on his head...?" Fred said unsurely. He noticed Harry didn't seem to be following. "You know what? Never-mind."

"I look like someone who gets killed by melted gold? Thanks a lot." Michael muttered, and Matthew looked like he was trying not to laugh at his older brother.

"But _you_," Harry said, pointing at Ethan, who just grinned widely in amusement at Harry. "You've got no competition, 'kay? You're like, a handsome shark or something, it's _beautiful_."

Ethan nodded in approval and smiled at Martha. "I told ya' he was funny."

"Wait," Harry added again, this time pointing dramatically at Lily. "You're ginger! And Sam is technically a ginger too, and then there's Matty, full out ginger, so...?"

"Ey, her family nearly made him a brunette, if ya' wanna know," Ethan said, pointing his thumb at Martha. "Nearly all them on the Haywood's side got brown hair, but my family's red gene is stubborn."

Michael, this time, tried not to giggle, and failed miserably, as Fred said, looking surprised, "Wow, _wait_, your name is Martha _Haywood_?"

"Well, before i married this bloke it was," Martha said smartly, and Ethan looked insulted and frowned dramatically at her, making her bite back a giggle.

Fred cocked his head to side to look at her. "So you wanted to move up in the alphabet?"

"His mum is a Dahl," Martha replied before he could finish his question, nudging towards Ethan.

Fred gawked at Marceline. "Are you - ?"

"That's for you to find out on your own." she retorted with a wink.

Harry hiccuped and wiped his hand on his face again, smearing a part of lipstick on his face, and frowned at his red smudged hand before wiping it on Fred's arm.

Severus raised a brow to him. "Potter, where have you been?"

"Huh?" Harry asked confusedly. "Oh, i was gettin' use out of this here thing,"

Harry put his hand into his pocket and extracted the mistletoe from Jarrod.

"This here lot is very friendly, i tell ya'," Harry said cheekily, waving the mistletoe about and handing it to Sam. "Especially that stocky one who was hittin' on me, he said he liked my glasses,"

"Ramsey always was the flirty one, wasn't he?" Marceline said, shaking her head slightly.

"Yeah! And there were girl cousins apparently!" Harry said a matter-of-factly. "'Cept they weren't Greenleys...?"

"Ah, those be our friends' daughters," Felix explained, pointing to his wife. "Not a drop of Greenley blood in em'. Nice to see their mums let them come down!"

"Well, the little seven and five year old liked me," Harry replied. "An' i got the tall blond one's number! A least before her brother kissed me..."

"Oh Peter and Zara, i'm not surprised," Matthew said, shaking his head slightly.

"Yes well, you're covered in lipstick," Sam said, poking Harry on his smudged cheek.

"They had lipstick with 'em, didn't they?" Matthew asked.

"Somethin' like that, yeah," Harry said, waving him off.

Matthew looked at Michael, who was shaking his head. "An' you thought they wouldn't do that this year!"

"O' come on, it's a dumb tradition anyway," Michael said seriously. "O' yea', one of us holds out a mistletoe and whoever grabs it gets kissed by the willing ones here, it's stupid. It's just an excuse fer them to wear lipstick and goof off. At least Henry and Will didn't come, they'd be all over yer girlfriend like they tried to be last year."

"You shut the hell up, it is a _perfect_ tradition," Harry said dramatically as Alice blushed pink, pointing his finger threateningly at Michael. "Do not ruin me' fun here, stick boy,"

Michael pouted. "Why am i stick boy?"

"Well, i don't know if you know this, but you're kinda skinny," Matthew said slowly, like he was explaining was a baby was to a five year old. Michael glared at him and Matthew stuck his tongue out at him jokingly.

Fred sniffed and scrunch up his nose at Harry. "Mate, seriously, no offence, but your breath smells awful, what did you drink?"

"I dunno, but it made my tummy feel all warm and funny," Harry said, rubbing his hands on his stomach.

Something snapped in Fred's mind. "Oh my god, are you drunk?"

"Who wants ta' know?" Harry said, narrowing his eyes at him and jabbing his finger onto Fred's chest repeatedly. "Are you the Minister of Magic, eh? Because he was all up my business yesterday, all dropping down at the Burrow right? And what for? They want to be his little puppet! Tell everyone we're okay! Well you know what i say? I am a _human_, damn-it, i have needs and feelings and i'm extremely in need of a hug. And guess what? I am getting no hugs right now!"

"I'll give you a hug later, but you are _so_ drunk," Fred said, waving his finger away.

"An' you're sexy, but i don't either of us doin' anythin' about it," Harry said, waving his hands at Fred, which nearly made Sam double over from laughing.

"Ah, the truth comes out, i should have known," Severus said seriously, and they started giggling.

Rose rolled her eyes with a slight smile on her face as Fred said, "Seriously, where the hell did you get alcohol from?"

"My guess is with Aldous, he's always doin' that kinda of thing," Ethan said.

Harry shrugged his shoulders and put his hand into his pocket once again, then extracted a silver hip-flask from it and opened it. "Dunno, but the tall one with a bruise on his face gave this to me so..."

Ethan snapped his fingers and looked at Martha. "Told yeh', it's _always_ Aldous."

Felix gave Harry a shocked look as he tipped his head back and tried to get another swig out of the now empty flask. "Oi, that's my flask!"

"Hmm?" Harry said, the flask in his hand. "Really?"

"Yea' really, does it got the family crest on it?" Felix asked.

Harry shrugged and looked at it, and upon seeing nothing on one side flipped it over and saw, sure enough, a green tinged crest on the other side. "Er, is your crest a dragon with flames comin' out of his mouth?"

"That's the one'," Felix said.

"Why do you keep showing the guests that fleur de lis one again?" Martha asked Ethan in a low tone as Harry handed the flask back over to its rightful owner.

Ethan shrugged his shoulders. "So they won't get jealous,"

"Who'd get jealous of a dragon?" Martha asked.

"Oh hold the _hell_ up," Fred said, his voice oddly high. "You mean to tell me your goddamn family animal is a _dragon_?"

"_No_, it's a lizard who breaths fire and fly," Alice said sarcastically.

Fred ignored her and said, "Are you kidding me! A _dragon_? Oh my god, you guys are literally the blood of the dragon, this is _so_ weird,"

He looked at each of them. "Okay, be honest here, what else do you have to mock me with? You already got my favourite creature down. What's left? Facial hair or something?"

"Actually, now that you mention it, i've been thinkin' about growin' a beard," Matthew said a matter-of-factly.

"O' really? Ya' should, yeh'd look mighty handsome with one," Ethan said, who had started scratching his own beard, which must have been only to annoy Fred more.

"Ya' think so?" Matthew asked, scratching his own chin and imitating what his father was doing.

"What do yeh' reckon, a full one or what?" Ethan asked, now stroking his beard and making Harry and Sam bite back giggles as Fred looked more annoyed by the second.

Matthew shrugged his shoulders, stoking his chin in fake concentration. "Dunno, probably just a light one, i don't want too much to maintain. What do you think, Alice?"

Alice grinned up at him, his arm around her shoulders. "Oh, you'd look even more handsome than before with one, no doubt about that,"

"Yes, let's mock that my genes don't allow me to have a beard, very funny," Fred said bitterly, crossing his arm over his chest.

Lily looked at Severus. "Oh come on, i've seen some scruff on you before,"

"Yes well, i think my mother's Prince genes put an end to any facial hair in our line," Severus said.

Harry looked momentarily puzzled, as if he was thinking, but any thought he had was cut off as Alice said, looking at Fred, "Wait, didn't you always want to be ginger too?"

Harry snorted at Fred. "Hee hee, you'd look funny with ginger hair."

"No i would not, i rocked green hair when i was ten, you can bet your hobbit bum i could rock ginger hair too," Fred said seriously, one of his hands going through the tip of his hair absentmindedly.

"As for you two," Fred said, pointing to his parents with his free hand. "You can possibly keep the line going if you got me a baby brother finally!"

"Honestly, what would you do if we had another child?" Severus asked.

"Simple," Fred said easily, flicking his fingers to count his reasons. "Scream, hyperventilate, cry, then pass out, then keep repeating that process until it soaks in finally, or i die, whatever comes first."

"Oooh, can i draw on your face if that happens?" Harry asked excitedly.

"I'd be insulted if you didn't," Fred said seriously, giving him an approving nod of the head. "Though i'd prefer a moustache drawn on me, i'd look regal afterwards for my funeral,"

"And a monocle too, i expect?" Sam asked.

Fred grinned at her. "But of course, i can wear my top hat afterwards."

Imogen put her hand on her swollen stomach and nudged Michael in the arm. "Fell it, Mikey, he's kicking!"

Michael put his hand where she said to do so and smiled lovingly at her. "Oh woah, he's got one doozy of a kick, doesn't he?"

Martha sighed slightly at them and Ethan noticed. He smiled at her slightly and pecked her on the cheek, then looked at his father. "Oi, dad,"

"Hmm?" Felix said, looking around Marceline. "What is, m'boy?"

"Er, well," Ethan started slowly. "Me and Martha here were just thinking, o' maybe expandin' the family a bit, and i was just wonderin' how ya' thought of it-"

Felix and Marceline both gave him smiles as a reddish-brown haired man walked between Alice and Michael, grinning at the group. "I think it's wonderful idea,"

Fred, Sam, and Harry gave him confused looks as Matthew said with a smile, "'Bout time ya' got here, Uncle Luke,"

"That's Uncle Lucas to you, pumpkin head," Lucas grinned back him, and he put his hand on Matthew's head and ruffled is hair so it fell over his eyes. "Been enjoyin' that Nimbus i got ya' last year?"

"I haven't lost yet with it, thanks," Matthew said, brushing his hair back with his hand.

"Anytime fer my little nephew," Lucas said cheekily. "You too, father-to-be," Lucas added, ruffling Michael's hair too and making Imogen laugh as Michael huffed his hair our of his line of vision.

"Nice seeing you too, big brother," Martha said, holding back a smile for him.

Lucas turned and winked at her, and said, "You're positively glowing, Marty. Probably even more so in a few weeks with your plans,"

Martha blushed pink and Lily smiled at her slightly as Lucas looked down at Alice. "Eh, you look well, Alice, been having a nice holiday?"

"It's always a good holiday with the Greenleys," Alice said happily, and Matthew bent down and kissed her on the crown of her hair.

"Good to know," Lucas said with a slight bow to her. "Plus, Matty here sent me some of them short stories ya' made. Loved each of 'em, especially the one with the dancing mushrooms."

"What? _Really_?" Alice asked, her eyes wide in surprise as she looked to him then Matthew.

"Oh yea'," Lucas said surely. "Ya' got a real talent, Matty wasn't exaggerating when he wrote to me, absolutely gushing 'bout ya' and everythin',"

Matthew blushed pink as Alice gave him a shocked look. "Honestly," Lucas chuckled. "When should we expect the engagement?"

"Hopefully soon, i want to be fitted for my kilt," Harry said smartly, and he and Fred started giggling like idiots.

"Matt, you big loon, why didn't you tell me you sent them to him?" Alice asked.

"Well, i just got a bit ahead of myself, i guess, i wanted to share how good you were and i know he'd love to read them," Matthew said, his cheeks nearly as red as his hair.

Alice hugged him, taking him for surprise. "You're just the sweetest, you know that?"

Matthew smiled at her as Fred said with a pout, "There better be a story about how bloody cool the narrator's brother or i'm not buying the book,"

"No, there should be a story about the brilliant boy wizard who defeated the bad snake bloke at the end and gets to have lots of ginger kids afterwards," Harry said dizzily as he looked in the corner of his eye and saw Ginny walking near them.

Fred gave him a confused look. "Wait, _ginger_? Where's the ginger coming from?"

He was cut off as Lucas said, looking at Lily and Severus. "Ah, and you must be Alice's parents?"

Lucas extended a hand to them and Lily shook his hand. "How'd you guess?"

"Eh, just a lucky guess i suppose," Lucas shrugged. "That, and Al here is just as pretty as her mum,"

Severus gave him a stern look as Lucas added hastily, "But o' course, i'd never get between the lovely couple here!"

"Thank you for your consideration," Severus said cooly, and Lucas smiled at him weakly.

He looked away after a second and pointed at Fred's shirt. "Oi, is that a T.A.R.D.I.S. on yer' shirt?"

Fred looked down and sure enough, a minimal image of a blue police box was on his shirt. "Yeah, why?"

"Well," Lucas said with knowing look on his face. "I'm all into muggle stuff, so i've seen it around. Though, i'm not that big of a fan of that there TV film they had a while back, Fourth is always gonna be the best in me' opinion,"

Lucas looked over his shoulder and said, 'O' wait, would ya' look at that? Benji is here! I need to talk to him, see ya' in a bit,"

He departed and Fred, his eyes wide in shock, said, "Oi! No one leaves me when we were having a Doctor Who conversation!"

Fred went to leave after him when he stop abruptly. "_Wait_," he said with a thoughtful look on his face. He turned and went to Sam and picked her up, making her laugh at his sudden movement and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Okay, now i can go," Fred said as Sam kissed him on the temple. "Onwards!"

Fred carried Sam into the crowd after them and as soon as they were out of view, Rose snuck over, dragging Ron by the wrist over with her.

"Oh good, i thought you were lost," Harry said as Rose huffed her fringe out of her face. "What's up with Ron?"

Ron looked to be zoning out, wiping his mouth with the backside of his hand, as Rose said, "I just pulled him away from eating another three pounds of haggis."

"That stuff is delicious, good job, guys," Ron said, giving a thumbs up to Ethan as he patted his stomach approvingly. He hiccupped and put his free hand over his mouth as he looked sick all of sudden.

"I'm not cleaning that up if he vomits," Severus said seriously to Lily as Ron burped as composed himself once again, making Rose and Harry give him wary looks as Ethan and Matthew moved away from them for precaution.

* * *

><p>Dumbledore sat at his carved oak desk a few days later, writing upon a piece of parchment with an elegant feathered quill as there was a knock on the door to his office.<p>

"Come in," he said, not looking up from the parchment.

The door opened and Fred stepped into the lavish room, wiping soot off his face.

Dumbledore glanced upwards, and smiled slightly behind his white beard at him. "You just got back via the Floo Network, didn't you?"

"Unfortunately," Fred mumbled, taking the sleeve of his robe and wiping it against his face. "Never got the hang of it, though."

"I suppose only a few are adept to it," Dumbledore said surely. A second later, he put his quill down and looked down at what he wrote and, once satisfied, took his wand and tapped it, and it sealed itself with a golden ribbon. "Did your father tell you to come up here for this?"

Fred shrugged, walking up towards him and taking the scroll from Dumbledore's out-stretched hand, "I've seen these around, they're for Harry, right?"

"Precisely," Dumbledore said, leaning back in his chair.

Fred looked at the scroll in his hands, then back at Dumbledore, who has his mismatched hands together. "What do you guys talk about anyway? The secrets to defeating Moldy Voldy or what?"

"More or less," Dumbledore said simply. He picked up a tiny bowl on his desk and held it out to Fred. "Would you care for a jelly baby?"

Fred gave him a shocked look. "Wh-what?" he gapped at him.

Dumbledore chuckled at him. "My father has told me all about you and your hobbies,"

"Doctor Who is a lifestyle," Fred corrected.

"Yes, of course," Dumbledore said humbly. "You seem obviously fond of that muggle program, and i just had to see what the fush was about, and i say, it's quite enjoyable."

Fred looked about to faint, his eyes wide and smiling like an idiot. "But that's a matter for a different time, you will deliver that message to Harry for me, won't you?"

"O-Oh yes! Of course, sir! I wouldn't dream of doing anything besides it," Fred said excitedly. He composed himself slightly and have him a bow of the head, and turned quickly to leave.

As he reached the door, however, Dumbledore said, "Also, Frederick, if you wouldn't mind, could you go ask your father to see me as soon as possible as well? We need to discuss something."

"Oh, um, yeah, sure," Fred stammered out. He went to reach for the door handle and said, looking over his shoulder at he the Headmaster, "The illusion is always what?"

"The one of normality." Dumbledore said certainly.

Fred grinned even more. "Oh my god that's so cool," he said breathlessly as he threw the door open and bounded out to the staircase back down.

He made his way back down onto solid ground as he stepped out of the staircase and the stone gargoyle closed behind him. Fred turned to go make his way to the Gryffindor tower as a bright blond mass of curls came up besides him.

"Had a nice Christmas, Acid-Green?" Evan asked with a grin on his freckled face, his Hufflepuff scarf wrapped around neck as he put his arm around Fred's shoulders.

"Oh yeah, got to spend a few days with Matt's family and then spent my New Year's trying to sneak out of my house so i could go to Sam's and surprise her," Fred said, the scroll in his hands.

"Eowyn caught yeh, didn't she?" Evan said.

"She has got it out for me, i swear," Fred said angrily, Evan shaking his head in understanding. "I mean, what did i ever do to _her_? I feed her and give her a place to sleep and what does she do? Decides her litter box in my bed, what the hell is that about?"

"Maybe she likes you_ so much_ that she has to mean to yeh' to keep suspicions down." Evan explained. "Take me, fer example. I went to some meditation party Ina's family, and i had no idea what they were saying, but i just went with it! Plus, i got these-"

Evan putted his hand into his robes and extracted two gold and white flower garlands, which where around his neck. "Don't they look nice? I got special ones," Evan said happily.

"Don't they get those when they get married?" Fred asked, pointing at them.

Evan looked down at them, pouting slightly. "Well feck, does that mean i'm married now?"

Fred shrugged his shoulder. "I dunno, maybe?"

Evan thought it over a moment and smiled. "Well, if i am, none of the over-zealous religion folks can get mad at us for the whole premarital shagging and stuff."

"Yea', but i'm not particularly religious and i sill think Loki is, i dunno, my saviour, ya' know?"

"I think ya' are Loki, to be quite honest," Evan said, giving him a sidelong look.

"I am so Loki!" Fred said eagerly.

"But, let's focus on information we did not know already. If you somehow how got accidentally married, that means we didn't throw you a stag party, and that's unacceptable," Fred said seriously.

They turned the corner of the corridor and by chance saw Branin waiting against the stone wall, looking around for someone, but he didn't seem to notice they were there as well.

"Oi," Evan whispered to Fred as they went back slightly, looking corner the corner at him as they went to hide, "Is yer' sister around?"

"Nah, she was with Rose last time i saw her, and they were going into the common room then," Fred said.

"Then who is he waitin' fer then?" Evan asked.

As he said, there was rapid footsteps and an all-too-familiar girl's voice say excitedly, "Branin!"

Charisse dropped her bags at her feet and ran to him, and Branin smiled as she came close enough to and slammed into the stone wall as she wrapped her arms around him, himself doing the same.

"Did you have a good holiday?" Branin asked, swaying with her as they hugged. "I see you got a haircut, at least,"

He loosened one of his arms and ruffled up her now barely below-the-ear hair, making is fall in her eyes. "Now i'll look more like a girl then you do,"

"Oh yeah, because you're just _that_ pretty," Charisse said sarcastically, whacking him slightly on the chest.

"I'm the prettiest, thank you," Branin said smartly as they started giggling.

"Eww," Evan said, his face scrunched up as Fred stuck out his tongue in disgust.

"C'mon, you can tell me all about it, let's take your stuff back to your dorms," Branin suggested, and Charisse released him and they went and picked her luggage, and left a minute later talking excitedly.

"That's it, i've seen it all, the apocalypse is upon us," Fred said dreadfully.

"Well, i guess it's better than like, Branin and Sam or something," Evan said.

Evan looked besides him and Fred gave him a look as if he was about to rip his head off. "Oh c'mon, it was a joke, really!"

"I will kick you in the head if you joke about that again, it's not funny," Fred said dangerously. "I would castrate him if he even thought of touching her,"

"I think you might castrate me just for saying it." Evan said weakly.

"I just might take you up on that offer," Fred said, huffing slightly as he yanked him along with the flower garlands as they started back for the Gryffindor Tower. "Also, i think these are just for decoration."

"Aw shoot, seriously?" Evan asked, frowning at the garlands. "I got all excited to bein' married to Ina fer nothin'!"

"Well that will make it all the more special when you two _actually_ get married then," Fred said, not looking back at him.

Evan had a hopeful look on his face. "O', better deal! Thank you!"

* * *

><p>The new term started next morning with a pleasant surprise for the sixth years: a large sign had been pinned to the common room notice boards overnight.<p>

"Ah, Apparition lessons," Matthew said dourly as the sixth years wrote their names down on the application list. "Never was a big fan of that,"

"What? Is it bad?" Ron asked as Lavender sauntered away after she had crept up behind Ron, slipped her hands over his eyes, and trilled, _"Guess who, Won-Won?" _

_"_Well, let's just say, if ya' can do it, use it only when it's in desperate need, it's kinda uncomfortable," Matthew explained.

"O', you're just bein' soft on them," Rhys said, walking up next to them and grinning. "It feels awful, like you're bein' sucked through a long, _tiny_ rubber tube,"

Ron looked terrified all of sudden as Harry said, standing next to Ron, said, "I've apparited with Dumbledore once, though,"

"Yea', an' did ya' like it?" Rhys asked.

"Well, no, not really at all," Harry said after a moment, looking unsure.

Rhys waved his hand at him as if that ended the discussion as Ron said, "I'd better pass my test first time," he said, looking anxious. "Fred and George did."

"Did you guys pass the first times?" Ron asked, looking at Matthew and Rhys.

"Matty did, the little show-off," Rhys said cheekily as he ruffled Matthew's hair. "I ended up 20 feet away from my target and landed on some old lady on her way to the Three Broomsticks. But i got it eventually."

"At least you weren't as bad as Cormac's," Matthew said, pushing his hair back. "Remember? He ended up in _Iceland_,"

"Ah, that'll be a great story to blackmail him with someday, won't it?" Rhys said dreamily as Matthew bit back a laugh, and Ron perked up at the mention of Cormac's awful attempt.

"When can we take the actual test?" Harry asked.

"Soon as we're seventeen." Ron said, his voice turned scared once again. "That's only March for me!"

"Yea', but yeh wouldn't be able to Apparate in here, not in the castle…" Matthew said, waving around at the maroon and gold common room.

"That's not the point, is it?" Ron said. "Everyone would know I could Apparate if I _wanted _to."

"Well, we'll stick to brooms or cars or whatever for now, thanks," Rhys said. "We'd rather not have the prospect of leaving our _limbs_ behind."

"Wait, limbs? Left _behind_?" Harry asked, his eyes wide.

"O' yea'," Matthew said seriously, his eyes wide for effect. "If yeh don't do it right, ya' can leave an arm or leg behind, and it's hard to get 'em back _on_."

"Remember Julia last year when we were training?" Rhys asked with a suppressed grin. "She tried it and her legs were stuck to the ground while the rest of her went off without 'em."

Ron and Harry started at them in horror as Matthew said surely, "But we're sure you lot will do just _fine_,"

"Yea', _hopefully_." Rhys said in a low voice, and when Harry and Ron gave each other frantic looks, Matthew and Rhys burst into laughter at their job well done.

Ron was not the only one to be excited at the prospect of Apparition. All that day there was much talk about the forthcoming, lessons; a great deal of store was set by being able to vanish and reappear at will.

"I dunno," Sam said during their first Charms class of the new semester. "I mean, my parents can do it, and Gabrielle and Louis can, i don't see what i can't do it too,"

"Well, you're small, you got less to transport from place to place," Ina said certainly, waving her wrist and making a fountain of water pour out the tip of her wand.

"Yeah, but what if i end up somewhere i wasn't supposed to go?" Sam said, waving her own wand weakly so there would be no affect. "What if i end up in Ireland or something?"

"Take the ferry back to Scotland then," Rose said, focusing on her wand work to no avail.

Lost in visions of this happy prospect, Seamus, who was near by their table, flicked his wand a little too enthusiastically, so that instead of producing the fountain of water that Ina had conjured, he let out a hose-like jet that ricocheted off the ceiling and knocked Professor Flitwick flat on his face.

"Wait, hasn't Harry apparited before?" Sam asked, looking at Rose.

"He mentioned something about it, yeah," Rose said, glancing back her. "Why?"

"Hello? We could ask him about it!" Sam said as if she was explaining that two plus two equals four.

It seemed Ron let that bit of information slip as well, as the rest of the day, Harry was besieged with requests from the other sixth years to describe the sensation of Apparition. All of them seemed awed, rather than put off, when he told them how uncomfortable it was, and he was still answering detailed questions at ten to eight that evening, when he was forced to lie and say that he needed to return a book to the library, so as to escape in time for his lesson with Dumbledore.

The next day, Harry had confided in both Ron and Hermione the task that Dumbledore had set him the night before, though separately, for Hermione still refused to remain in Ron's presence longer than it took to give him a contemptuous look.

"What's a horcrux?" Fred asked him at breakfast after Harry failed to convince Hermione to sit with him afterwards.

"You act like i know," Harry huffed, himself frowning. "Dumbledore builds up on it, right? Then we get nowhere because we don't know what it _is_. Well, apparently Slughorn knows, but how can i get him to tell me what it is...?"

"Maybe it's a _really_ loose woman," Fred suggested.

Harry gave him an unimpressed look and Fred said, "Okay, that was weak, i admit that, but at least i'm trying,"

"An' we are _so_ proud of you," said a voice, and Fred looked up and saw Matthew grinning at them. "Ya' better get goin', classes start in five minutes."

"Yes, because i obviously give a damn about classes," Fred said. "And what do you plan to if we don't go?"

Matthew shrugged his shoulders. "I could carry you both to class if ya' want, i got Defence next an' all we're doin' is studyin'."

"_Boring_," Fred said, sticking his tongue out at him. He looked at Harry. "What's your next class?"

"Potions," Harry said immediately.

"Okay, you go get that information from Sluggy, and Matt here can go be off being his Scottish self,"

"An' you?" Matthew asked.

Fred smiled to himself. "I got a free period, so maybe i might go goof off with Evan and Sam and probably blow up some toilets., or just hang out in the common room until Charms"

"So an average Tuesday fer you then?" Matthew asked.

"Duh." Fred said simply, and pushed himself up from his seat.

About an half hour later, and Sam being stuck in the library for studying reasons, Fred relaxed in the common room, his feet propped up against the ebony coffee table between the two sofas near the fire, whistling to himself.

He felt like dozing off when he heard a meow next to him. Fred opened one eye and looked to his side, and saw a pitch black cat staring up at him. It looked odd, it was slender with silky fur with curls at the tips of its legs, face, and long ears. it also had dark amber eyes, and looked rather annoyed with him, for some reason.

Fred looked around. None of the other Slytherins seemed to be looking for a cat. He looked back at the cat, who meowed at him again.

"Sup' cat," Fred said, feeling odd talking to an animal like that, but for some odd reason he had the feeling it was smarter than it looked. "What do you want?"

The cat meowed, and flicked its paw at him, and he saw a silver chain around its arm, a tiny pink pendant hanging off it.

"Wow, what'd you do? Steal from some rich bloke or what?" Fred asked jokingly, and the cat hissed at him. "Okay, okay, i was just joking! Jeez,"

The cat stood up, and flicked his tail at him and jumped off the sofa and onto the table Fred's feet were on, then jumped on the couch, then off it too and onto the ground.

Fred sat there a moment in silence then sat up slightly to see where the cat went, and we he looked, saw that it had disappeared.

Fred looked around confusedly. Maybe he was just seeing things...

* * *

><p>Rhys chewed on the end of his quill in boredom later while they were in their Defence against the Dark Arts class, everyone talking not so quietly, gossiping or playing on spare pieces of parchment and a few actually studying as Severus sat at his desk, grading their essays.<p>

"This is boring," Rhys mumbled through the quill tip in his mouth. He smacked Matthew, who was sitting next to him reading a book about  
>Transfiguration, in the arm. "C'mon, let's skive off this class and go do somethin' <em>fun<em>,"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Dempsey," Severus said, not looking up from his papers.

Matthew bit back a grin as Rhys looked around in shock. "How did he hear so well?" Rhys asked, looking wary all of a sudden.

Matthew shrugged, glancing up for his book. "Maybe you callin' him a bat all these years is proving true,"

"So can my wishes to marry a supermodel come true too or what? I say it enough," Rhys asked him. "Maybe have me' future son marry yer' future daughter too while we're at it."

"Why are you so sure I'd have a daughter?" Matthew whispered at him.

"I don't, but ya' have to admit that wit' Alice the chances are way up," Rhys said as if it was proven science.

"I can still hear you, Dempsey," Severus said again.

Rhys got an expression on his face like he was about to scream from frustration. "He has sonar or somethin', what the hell...?" he muttered to himself.

The door to the classroom opened, and Vincent stepped into the room, looking impeccably angry for some reason.

"Nice of you to join us, Sullivan," Severus said, finally looking up from the papers in front of him. "Mind taking a seat? There's only another twenty minutes left anyway."

Vincent said nothing and plopped down in the unfortunately vacant spot next to Matthew.

Both him and Rhys gave him odd looks. "What's up, Vincey?" Rhys asked, cocking his dark brow at a very sullen-looking Vincent.

He remained silent and put his bag on the table, and pulled out an old, leather-bound book and flipped it open.

"Yea' well, I'm good too," Rhys said with an annoyed edge to his voice as Vincent paid no attention him. "I got somethin' called a 'gameboy' for Christmas, It makes funny noises and everythin' when you click the buttons-"

"Greenley," Vincent said in his cold voice, looking down a page entitled with a large 'S'. "How much do you about Haskell?"

"Er," Matthew said weakly, giving him a confused look. "Not much...why?"

"What's his actual last name?" Vincent asked.

"Um, his name is Salvatore, actually..." Matthew said confusedly. Why would he ask? Vincent never sat next to Gryffindors, he _hated _them, much less talk to one like Matthew.

"Is it really?" Vincent said, trailing his finger down a list on the page he was looking at.

"Yea', why do yeh' wanna know for?" Matthew asked.

Rhys looked over Matthew's shoulder and at the open book. He read it slightly and his eyes bulged.

"Hold on," Rhys said, sitting back down. "Am i readin' that right or what?"

Vincent glanced at him from the corner of his dark eyes. "What part is confusing you, Dempsey?"

"Well," Rhys started slowly. "Unless i'm readin' that wrong, it says that, what is it? Haskell's - um, _Salvatore's_- dad got a sister, and she married a bloke with the last name Sullivan and-"

"Had my sister and i?" Vincent said lowly. Rhys nodded and Vincent said, "Good to know you caught on, Dempsey, i didn't know you had a brain up in that porcupine you call hair."

Rhys looked insulted as Matthew said, his eyes wide in surprise, "So, what? Yer' are his cousin or somethin'?"

"Unfortunately so," Vincent said cooly, flipping the book shut. "And Charisse," he said her name with a rather angry tone, and looked more annoyed by the mention of her. "Seems like she likes to keep it 'in the family', so to speak."

"Meaning?" Rhys asked.

"You'd have to be an idiot not to notice her and that _mutt_ have been more than chummy in the past few months," Vincent said bitterly.

Matthew gave Rhys a surprised look as Vincent sneered. "But i'm going to get to the bottom of it whether she likes it or not,"

"Do ya' really think that's a good idea?" Matthew asked. "I mean, she's yer girlfriend, she has the right to friends besides you too-"

"Yes, and my older sister had the right to a faithful partner," Vincent snapped at him. "But then she comes home last summer from her little Curse-Breaking job and she's with child and no partner to help with it!"

Vincent started mumbling more to himself than anything. "She doesn't tell anything ... The dad is probably an arsehole, and now her child will have no father, great, just great thinking there Rosalie..."

Rhys nudged Matthew in the shoulder. "Eh, isn't yer' brother a Curse-Breaker too?"

"Yea', why?" Matthew responded.

"Dunno, i was just wonderin'," Rhys said weakly.

Actually, now that Matthew thought about, Michael always did brag about having multiple partners at times, and he did have the habit of running away from major responsibilities, but Vincent's _sister_? That's ridiculous, isn't it?

The bell rang a little bit over fifteen minutes later, and Vincent shot out of seat and bounded for the door and into the corridor beyond.

"Oi, where are yeh' going?" Matthew asked as Vincent stalked down the corridor, which was filling up with other students.

"He's goin' to go defend his lady," Rhys said, trailing after them.

"More like he's causin' himself more trouble," Matthew said to Rhys.

Vincent went to the History of Magic corridor and found. sure enough, Charisse and Branin talking against the stone wall after she got out of her class.

They couldn't hear what they were saying, but after one thing Branin said to her, Charisse grabbed his hand and pushed herself up on her toes and pecked him on the cheek, making him blush bright pink.

Vincent's face went red and he stomped over to them, pushing rudely past the crowding students and yanked her away from him.

"Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Branin snapped at him as Vincent gripped Charisse's wrist.

"Shut it, _mutt_," Vincent hissed at him. He looked down at Charisse, who looked petrified. "I thought i told you to keep away from him!"

"_Me_? She should keep away you!" Branin said to him with narrowed eyes.

"Like you know what she wants!" Vincent muttered to him, glaring at him.

"Don't you mean what _you_ want, or are you that thick-headed that you can't see that?" Branin asked him venomously.

The students around them stayed were they were and watching either with eager or scared expressions.

"C'mon, we should go," Matthew started as Rhys watched in wonder.

Rhys shooed his hand away. "Stop it, Matty, i never get to see shet like this happen everyday..."

Branin's eyes got an odd golden colour to it as Charisse said, glaring at Vincent. "He's just a friend!"

"Oh that's funny," Vincent sneered at her. "All i see is you batting your eyelashes at him and _smiling_-!"

"Just because you're a boring arse doesn't mean to have to be violent to her." Branin snapped at him, his teeth bared.

Vincent snorted. "Like _you_ about being non-violent. Everyone knows what you are, _mutt_."

Branin went to lash out at him as Charisse spoke up. "Don't talk him that!"

Vincent gave her an appalled look. "What?"

"Don't - call - him - _that_ -!" Charisse said, yanking her hand free of his grasp, and the crowd around them started staring at Vincent's red face.

"But, you're _my_ girlfriend! You aren't picking _him_ over _me_, are you?" Vincent yelled, his fists clenched.

"I'd rather be _his_ friend then be stuck with _you_!" Charisse snapped at him, and the crowd went '_Oooh' _at Vincent's shocked face.

"But, what about your father? He'd be furious!" Vincent said, as if that would help his cause.

"I don't care what he thinks! Consider us done, Sullivan!" Charisse screeched at him. She grabbed Branin's robe sleeve and yanked him along, and neither of them looked back as Vincent and the crowd stared at them in awe.

"That - was - _awesome_." Rhys said excitedly a second later. "I need to watch break-ups more often."

Vincent turned on his heel and everyone backed away from his fuming person. He started walking away and Rhys said, "At least you can get a new lady now, eh?"

Vincent passed him and whacked him in the stomach with his fist, and stalked away as Rhys doubled over in pain on the ground.

Matthew bent downwards and tsk-ed at him. "You brought that upon yerself, i hope ya' know that."

"I regretfph _nothing_." Rhys said, his voice muffled by the floor as he groaned in pain.

* * *

><p>"So," Fred said the following week. "Chair and Vincey break it off, Harry somehow got Slughorn pissed off at him for askin' about Horcruxes, and Hermione and Ron <em>still<em> aren't talking to each other?"

Harry thought it over, and glanced at the teachers table. Slughorn seemed to be determined not to look in his general direction. "Yeah, that seems about right."

The snow melted around the school as February arrived, to be replaced by cold, dreary wetness. Purplish-grey clouds hung low over the castle and a constant fall of chilly rain made the lawns slippery and muddy. The upshot of this was that the sixth-years' first Apparition lesson, which was scheduled for a Saturday morning so that no normal lessons would be missed, took place in the Great Hall instead of in the grounds.

When the sixth years arrived, they found that the tables had disappeared. Rain lashed against the high windows and the enchanted ceiling swirled darkly above them as they assembled in front of Professors McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick and Sprout — the Heads of House — and a small wizard whom Harry took to be the Apparition Instructor from the Ministry. He was oddly colourless, with transparent eyelashes, wispy hair and an insubstantial air, as though a single gust of wind might blow him away.

"Good morning," said the Ministry wizard, when all the students had arrived and the Heads of House had called for quiet. "My name is Wilkie Twycross and I shall be your Ministry Apparition Instructor for the next twelve weeks. I hope to be able to prepare you for your Apparition test in this time —"

"Malfoy, be quiet and pay attention!" barked Severus.

Everybody looked round. Draco had flushed a dull pink; he looked furious as he stepped away from Crabbe, with whom he appeared to have been having a whispered argument.

"— by which time, many of you may be ready to take your test," Twycross continued, as though there had been no interruption. Headmaster has lifted this enchantment, purely within the Great Hall, for one hour, so as to enable you to practice. May I emphasise that you will not be able to Apparate outside the walls of this Hall, and that you would be unwise to try."

Sam raised her hand, herself going up on her toes so she could be seen.

"Ah, yes dear?" Twycross said.

"What would happen if we tried to apparate in the castle?" Sam asked.

"Many failed attempts and broken spirits," Twycross said. "Now, if there are no more questions, i would like each of you to place yourselves now so that you have a clear five feet of space in front of you."

There was a great scrambiing and jostling as people separated, banged into each other, and ordered others out of their space. The Heads of House moved among the students, marshalling them into position and breaking up arguments.

"Harry, where are you going?" demanded Hermione.

But Harry did not answer; he was moving quickly through the crowd, past the place where Professor Flitwick was making squeaky attempts to position a few Ravenclaws, all of whom wanted to be near the front, past Professor Sprout, who was chivvying the Hufflepuffs into line, until, by dodging around Ernie Macmillan, he managed to position himself right at the back of the crowd, directly behind Malfoy, who was taking advantage of the general upheaval to continue his argument with Crabbe, standing five feet away and looking mutinous.

"I don't know how much longer, all right?" Draco shot at him, oblivious to Harry standing right behind him. "It's taking longer than I thought it would."

Crabbe opened his mouth, but Draco appeared to second-guess what he was going to say. "Look, it's none of your business what I'm doing, Crabbe, you and Goyle just do as you're told and keep a lookout!"

"I tell my friends what I'm up to, if I want them to keep a lookout for me," Harry said, just loud enough for Draco to hear him.

Draco spun round on the spot, his hand flying to his wand, but at that precise moment the four

Heads of House shouted, "_Quiet_!" and silence fell again. Draco turned slowly to face the front.

"Thank you," said Twycross. "Now then…"

He waved his wand. Old-fashioned wooden hoops instantly appeared on the floor in from of every student.

"The important things to remember when Apparating are the three D's!" said Twycross. "Destination, Determination, Deliberation!

"Step one: fix your mind firmly upon the desired destination," said Twycross. "In this case, the interior of your hoop. Kindly concentrate upon that destination now."

They hastily did as they were told.

"Step two," said Twycross, "focus your determination to occupy the visualised space! Let your yearning to enter it flood from your mind to every particle of your body! "

Each of them seemed to glance around. Ernie Macmillan was contemplating his hoop so hard that his face had turned pink; it looked as though he was straining to lay a Quaffle-sized egg, and a few students near him hastily bit back laughs directed at him and returned ther attention to their own hopes.

"Step three," called Twycross, "only when I give the command… turn on the spot, feeling your way into nothingness, moving with deliberation. On my command, now… one —"

They glanced around again; lots of people were looking positively alarmed at being asked to Apparate so quickly.

"— two — "

"— _THREE_!"

The whole Hall was suddenly full of staggering people; Neville was flat on his back; Ernie Macmillan, on the other hand, had done a kind of pirouetting leap into his hoop and looked momentarily thrilled, until he caught sight of Evan roaring with laughter at him and going, "Good job, Ernie!"

"Never mind, never mind," said Twycross dryly, who did not seem to have expected anything better. "Adjust your hoops, please, and back to your original positions…"

The second atlempt was no better than the first. The third was just as bad. Not until the fourth did anything exciting happen. There was a horrible screech of pain and everybody looked around, terrified, to see Susan Bones of Hufflepuff wobbling in her hoop with her left leg still standing five feet away where she had started.

The Heads of House converged on her; there was a great bang and a puff of purple smoke, which cleared to reveal Susan sobbing, reunited with her leg but looking horrified.

"Splinching, or the separation of random body parts," said Wilkie Twycross dispassionately, "occurs when the mind is insufficiently determined. You must concentrate continually upon your destination, and move, without haste, but with deliberation… thus."

He vanished in a swirl of robes, reappearing at the back of the Hall. "Remember the three D's," he said, "and try again… one — two — _three._"

But an hour later, Susan's Splinching was still the most interesting thing that had happened. Twycross did not seem discouraged. Fastening his cloak at his neck, he merely said, "Until next Saturday, everybody, and do not forget: Destination. Determination. Deliberation."

With that, he waved his wand, Vanishing the hoops, and walked out of the Hall accompanied by Professor McGonagall. Talk broke out at once as people began moving towards the Entrance Hall.

"How'd you do?" Rose asked Zachary as they conjugated outside. "I didn't feel anything."

"I felt some tinkling in my toes, but i think that's just my shoes being too tight," Zachary said weakly.

"It was definitely your shoes being too tight," said a voice, and Zachary flinched at Chase put his arms around him and Rose's shoulders, grinning his stupid smile at them.

"Hey Chase," Rose giggled at him,

Chase smiled at her. "Apparation, huh? Anything interesting happen?"

"Susan Bones splinched her leg, but nothing else happened after that," Rose explained.

"Eh, maybe next time," Chase shrugged. He shook Zachary's shoulders. "Right, Zachy-boy?"

"Uh, yeah, _sure_," Zachary said, trying not to punch him in his dumb meerkat face. Why did he always seem to know where they were? Zachary was being as tolerable as he could with Chase, but it seemed more and more that Chase was just trying to separate them, leaving Zachary all by his lonesome self _again_.

Then again, Chase _was_ Rose's friend, and he didn't want her to be mad at him just because he was jealous, now does he?

However, Rose got sidetracked by Sam and Ina, leaving Chase and Zachary alone together in the corridor.

Chase smirked at him as they walked. "You know, you sure got one hell of a girl with Rose."

"Yes, i know," Zachary said, trying to keep his voice calm.

"Yeah, i'd kill for a _girl_ like her, huh?" Chase asked, giving him a sidelong look.

Zachary's hand clenched up into fists. Was he trying to make him mad to see if he got a reaction from him?

"Too bad she's with you, huh? You're a lucky guy, eh?" Chase said cheekily.

Zachary glared at him, but before he could say anything (or blow up on him) Chase went and smiled at him, smacking him on the back. "I'll see ya' later, pretty boy."

Chase sped off, leaving Zachary there, and feeling angrier than before.

Maybe he'd punch him at the last day of school.

February moved towards March with no change in the weather except that it became windy as well as wet. To general indignation, a sign went up on all common-room noticeboards that the next trip into Hogsmeade had been cancelled. Ron was furious.

"It was on my birthday!" he said, "I was looking forward to that!"

"Not a big surprise, though, is it?" said Harry. "Not after what happened to Katie."

She had still not returned from St. Mungo's. What was more, further disappearances had been reported in the Daily Prophet, including several relatives of students at Hogwarts.

Three lessons on, Apparition was proving as difficult as ever, though a few more people had managed to Splinch themselves. Frustration was running high and there was a certain amount of ill-feeling towards Wilkie Twycross and his three D's, which had inspired a number of nicknames for him, the politest of which were Dog-breath and Dung-head.

Later, on Ron's birthday no less, he somehow found himself in the hospital wing - _again_.

"He got _poisoned_?" Matthew asked Harry outside the hospital wing as Ron's family crowded around him inside. "Who'd poison Ron?"

"I don't reckon it was for him, if you ask me," Harry explained, his arms crossed over his chest. "Ron was just at the wrong place at the wrong time,"

"Explain this to me then," Alice asked, leaning against the corridor wall and looking thoughtful. "Ron gets put under bad love potion, then Slughorn snaps him out of it, then Slughorn gives him what, mead? And it just _happens_ to be laced with poison?"

"Well, apparently it was a Christmas gift for Dumbledore, but Slughorn never _gave_ it to him," Harry said.

"So, what? Slughorn was tryin' to _kill_ Dumbledore then?" Matthew asked, looking doubtful.

"No, him and Dumbledore are old pals, why would he try and kill him?" Harry asked. "Someone else must have done it."

"Yeah, but who'd want to kill Dumbledore?" Alice asked. "That's ridiculous. Everyone likes Dumbledore."

"Most o' us do, but remember all that dung they wrote 'bout him in the Daily Prophet?" Matthew pointed out. "They're trying to make Dumbledore out to be senile or somethin'!"

"Yes, but poison?" Harry asked. "First Katie touches that package that was for Dumbledore, and it's a cursed necklace, then Ron accidentally drinks poison, which was _also_ for Dumbledore,"

"Maybe someone is doing a _really_ bad job of trying to kill him," Alice suggested, and they were silent.

"Wait, so Ron got poisoned, how'd ya' save him after that?" Matthew asked a few moments later.

Harry looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, i was in Potions class a few days ago, and the Prince wrote that bezoars cure pretty much any poison, and Slughorn just happened to have some in his office and -"

Harry waved his hands in a confused fashion. "Mind you, Mr and Mrs Weasley were all over me, thanking me and stuff. I was just remembering what the Prince write fifty or something years ago. Slughorn just stood there in shock, i was reacting to it."

Alice shrugged her shoulders. "Well, Hermione must be _pleased_ he's alive though, don't you think?"

"Well, yeah! Why wouldn't she-?" Harry started.

Alice gave him a raised brow look, and Harry remembered only a few minutes earlier when Hermione rushed into the hospital wing and heard Ron mumble 'Er-my-nee' in his unconscious state.

"Honestly, when are they just gonna admit they like each other? The tension is stressin' me out," Matthew said jokingly.

"You're one to talk," Harry said smartly. "We're out a Keeper, what are we gonna do now-?"

Harry stopped himself, and gave Matthew a wide-eyed look as they heard rapid footsteps coming down the length of the corridor. "_Oh no,_" Harry muttered as he saw the wiry-haired Cormac coming near them.

"Brace yerself, he's a determined one," Matthew said hollowly,

"There you are, Potter!" Cormac said loudly, a cheeky grin on his face.

Harry fought back the urge to groan as Cormac caught up to them. Cormac gave a half-hearted shake of the head to the hospital wing, then looked back at Harry eagerly. "Listen, i'm glad i found you. I saw them taking Weasley up to here earlier. Didn't look like he'll be fit for next week's match."

Harry's hand went wearily through his hair. "Yeah… he might not make it."

"Well, then, I'll be playing Keeper, won't I?" said Cormac surely.

"Yeah," Harry said, glancing at Matthew, who looked to be trying to keep out of it. "Yeah, I suppose so…"

He could not think of an argument against it; after all, McLaggen had certainly performed second-best in the trials.

"Excellent," said Cormac in a satisfied voice. "So when's practice?"

"What? Oh… there's one tomorrow evening."

"Good." Cormac said. "Listen, Potter, we should have a talk beforehand. I've got some ideas on strategy you might find useful, i told Matt all about them-"

"Right," said Harry unenthusiastically, glancing at Matthew and Alice, who were looking at each other with apprehensive glances to Cormac. "Well, I'll hear them tomorrow, then. I'm pretty tired now… see you…"

The news that Ron had been poisoned spread quickly next day, but it did not cause the sensation that Katie's attack had done. People seemed to think that it might have been an accident, given that he had been in the Potions master's room at the time, and that as he had been given an antidote immediately there was no real harm done. In fact, the Gryffindors were generally much more interested in the upcoming Quidditch match against Hufflepuff.

Harry, however, had never been less interested in Quidditch; he was rapidly becoming obsessed with Draco Malfoy. He checked the Marauder's Map whenever he got a chance, he sometimes made detours to wherever Draco happened to be, but had not yet detected him doing anything out of the ordinary. And still there were those inexplicable times when Draco simply vanished from the map…

"Honestly Harry, don't you have more important things to focus on?" Rose said in an annoyed tone as Harry tried again to bring Draco up again, the clouds dark grey above them in the Great Hall. "You know? Like none prat-oriented things?"

"Listen, you know Draco's a git, and he's being sneaky, what is he hiding?" Harry asked seriously.

"I don't know," Rose snapped at him. "Maybe you can go threaten him with a sword and see what happens!"

Harry had a concentrated look on his face and Rose added hastily, "I did not mean that, you twit."

Fred, however, seemed to be more interested in the random apparenace and disappearances of the black cat he saw earlier in Januaray.

"I swear to god, i keep seeing it in the common room," Fred said seriously to Harry for what seemed to be the umpteenth time in a week. "I can never find it again though! And you know what's crazy?"

"_You_?" Harry asked in a bored voice.

"Besides that," Fred said, waving him off. "I swear to god, i think i saw it sneaking into the Gryffindor tower once,"

"Well, i haven't seen any cats besides Crookshanks," Harry said. Actually, now that he thought about it, he'd see Alice someone had ened up in the common room, but he just reckoned Matthew let her in with him.

"Just keep a lookout for it at least, will you?" Fred asked.

"Yeah, sure, fine,"Harry said just to get Fred off his back.

But Harry did not get a lot of time to consider the Fred's cat investigation, what with Quidditch practice, homework, and the fact that he was now being dogged wherever he went by Cormac McLaggen and Lavender Brown.

He could not decide which of them was more annoying. McLaggen kept up a constant stream of hints that he would make a better permanent Keeper for the team than Ron, and that now that Harry was seeing him play regularly he would surely come around to this way of thinking too; he was also keen to criticise the other players and provide Harry with detailed training schemes, so that more than once Harry was forced to remind him who was Captain.

Meanwhile, Lavender kept sidling up to Harry to discuss Ron, which Harry found almost more wearing than McLaggen's Quidditch lectures. At first, Lavender had been very annoyed that Harry seemed to be brushing her off.

"I am his girlfriend!" she reminded him constantly, nut unfortunately she had now decided to forgive Harry this lapse of memory and was keen to have lots of in-depth chats with him about Ron's feelings, a most uncomfortable experience that Harry would have happily forgone.

"Look, why don't you talk to Ron about all this?" Harry asked, after a particularly long interrogation from Lavender that took in everything from precisely what Ron had said about her new drew robes to whether or not Harry thought that Ron considered his relationship with Lavender to be "serious."

"Well, I would, but he's always asleep when I go and see him!" said Lavender fretfully.

"Is he?" said Harry, surprised, for he had found Ron perfectly alert every time he had been up to the hospital wing, who seemed keen to abuse McLaggen as much as possible.

"Is Hermione Granger still visiting him?" Lavender demanded suddenly.

"Yeah, I think so. Well, they're friends, aren't they?" said Harry uncomfortably.

"_Friends_, don't make me laugh," said Lavender scornfully. "She didn't talk to him for weeks after he started going out with me! But I suppose she wants to make up with him now he's all _interesting_…"

"Would you call getting _poisoned_ being interesting?" asked Harry. "Anyway — sorry, got to go — there's McLaggen coming for a talk about Quidditch," said Harry hurriedly, and he dashed sideways through a door pretending to be solid wall and sprinted down the shortcut that would take him off to Potions where, thankfully, neither Lavender nor McLaggen could follow him.

On the morning of the Quidditch match against Hufflepuff, Harry dropped in on the hospital wing before heading down to the pitch. Ron was very agitated; Madam Pomfrey would not let him go down to watch the match, feeling it would overexcite him.

"So how's McLaggen shaping up?" he asked Harry nervously, apparently forgetting that he had already asked the same question twice.

"I've told you," said Harry patiently, "he could be world-class and I wouldn't want to keep him. He keeps trying to tell everyone what to do, he thinks he could play every position better than the rest of us. I can't wait to be shot of him. And speaking of getting shot of people,"Harry added.

"Has Matt punched him yet? Please say yes to make me feel better," Ron asked hopefully.

Harry sighed. "Trust me, i can tell Cormac is getting right under his skin, he keeps saying he's not throwing right and all that hogwash,"

"Though," Harry added as an afterthought. "Cormac is getting a lot of Quaffles thrown at him, so i reckon Ginny and him are getting their revenge on his slowly but surely."

"Maybe Matt can knock him out this match, that'd be fun," Ron said excitedly.

Harry shrugged his shoulders, got up to his feet and picked up his Firebolt, and added "I just remembered this, but will you stop pretending to be asleep when Lavender comes to see you? She's driving me mad as well."

"Oh," said Ron, looking sheepish. "Yeah. All right."

"If you don't want to go out with her anymore, just tell her," said Harry. "_Before_ the match?" he added casually.

"No, she's already gone down to the pitch with Ginny."

"Oh," said Ron, looking rather glum. "Right. Well, good luck. Hope you hammer McLag — I mean, Smith."

"I'll try," said Harry, shouldering his broom. "See you after the match."

He hurried down through the deserted corridors; the whole school was outside, either already seated in the stadium or heading down toward it. He was looking out of the windows he passed, trying to gauge how much wind they were facing, when a noise ahead made him glance up and he saw Draco walking toward him, accompanied by two girls, both of whom looked sulky and resentful.

Draco stopped short at the sight of Harry, then gave a short, humorless laugh and continued walking.

"Where're you going?" Harry demanded.

"Yeah, I'm really going to tell you, because it's your business, Potter," sneered Draco. "You'd better hurry up, they'll be waiting for 'the Chosen Captain' — 'the Boy Who Scored' — whatever they call you these days."

One of the girls gave an unwilling giggle. Harry stared at her. She blushed. Draco pushed past Harry and she and her friend followed at a trot, turning the corner and vanishing from view.

Harry stood rooted on the spot and watched them disappear. This was infuriating; he was already cutting it fine to get to the match on time and yet there was Malfoy, skulking off while the rest of the school was absent: Harry's best chance yet of discovering what Draco was up to. The silent seconds trickled past, and Harry remained where he was, frozen, gazing at the place where Draco had vanished…

"Where have you been?" demanded Ginny, as Harry sprinted into the changing rooms. The whole team was changed and ready, and looking anxiously at Cormac.

"I met Malfoy," Harry told her quietly, as he pulled his scarlet robes over his head. "So I wanted to know how come he's up at the castle with a couple of girlfriends while everyone else is down here…"

"Does it matter right now?" Ginny asked, giving him a confused look.

"Well, I'm not likely to find out, am I?" said Harry, seizing his Firebolt and pushing his glasses straight. "Come on then!"

There was little wind; the clouds were patchy; every now and then there were dazzling flashes of bright sunlight.

"Tricky conditions!" Cormac said bracingly to the team, smacking Matthew on the back and making him flinch at the sudden pain. "White, Peakes, you'll want to fly out of the sun, so they don't see you coming —"

"I'm the Captain, McLaggen, shut up giving them instructions," said Harry angrily. "Just get up by the goal posts!"

Once Cormac had marched off, Harry turned to White and Peakes.

"Make sure you do fly out of the sun," he told them grudgingly.

"Should we hit towards McLaggen if we're ahead?" Jack White asked with an edge of eagerness in his voice.

"Do what you got to do," Harry said seriously. "Same goes for the Chasers," Harry added.

He shook hands with the Hufflepuff Captain, and then, on Madam Hooch's whistle, kicked off and rose into the air, higher than the rest of his team, streaking around the pitch in search of the Snitch. If he could catch it good and early, there might be a chance he could get back up to the castle, seize the Marauder's Map, and find out what Draco was doing…

"And that's Smith of Hufflepuff with the Quaffle," said a dreamy voice, echoing over the grounds. "He's not very nice, even for a Hufflepuff. — oh, look, he's lost the Quaffle, Matthew took it from him. I do like him, he's very nice to me…"

"Um, i'll take it from now, okay?" said Fred, taking the microphone from a particularly dotty looking Luna. "Just because he's dating your best friend doesn't mean ya' gotta be loony about it,"

"You asked him to kiss everyone in their last match," Luna pointed out.

Fred pouted. "Same difference."

Harry stared down at the commentator's podium and chuckled slightly. McGonagall was still letting those two comment, eh?

"… but now that big Hufflepuff player's got the Quaffle from her," said Luna, leaning over and talking into the microphone before Fred could. I can't remember his name, it's something like Bibble — no, Buggins —"

"It's Cadwallader!" Fred said loudly from beside Luna. The crowd laughed.

Harry stared around for the Snitch; there was no sign of it. Moments later, Cadwallader scored.

Cormac had been shouting criticism at Matthew for allowing the Quaffle out of his possession, with the result that he had not noticed the large red ball soaring past his right ear.

"So in other news," Fred said, putting the microphone to his level. "McLaggen is a git, but we all knew that one, now didn't we?"

"McLaggen, will you pay attention to what you're supposed to be doing and leave everyone else alone!" bellowed Harry, wheeling around to face his Keeper.

"You're not setting a great example!" Cormac shouted back, red-faced and furious.

Hufflepuffs and Slytherins below in the crowd cheered and jeered. "I don't think that'll help him find the Snitch, but maybe it's a clever ruse…" Fred suggested into the microphone. "Then again, i got a Quaffle thrown at me for being cheeky, so what do i know?"

"Fred! Stop being mopey and commentate!" Ginny yelled at him.

"Shut it Pippi Longstocking you don't know my life!" Fred snapped back her, and Luna waved at her from besides him.

Ginny and Matthew scored a goal apiece, giving the red-and-gold-clad supporters below something to cheer about. Then Cadwallader scored again, making things level, but Luna did not seem to have noticed once she yanked the microphone out of Fred's grasps again; She appeared singularly uninterested in such mundane things as the score, and kept attempting to draw the crowd's attention to such things as interestingly shaped clouds and the possibility that Zacharias Smith, who had so far failed to maintain possession of the Quaffle for longer than a minute, was suffering from something called "Loser's Lurgy."

"Seventy-forty to Hufflepuff!" barked Fred into Luna's megaphone.

"Is it, already?" said Luna vaguely. "Oh, look! The Gryffindor Keeper's got hold of one of the Beater's bats."

Harry spun around in midair. Sure enough, Cormac, for reasons best known to himself, had pulled Peakes's bat from him and appeared to be demonstrating how to hit a Bludger toward an oncoming Cadwallader.

"Will you give him back his bat and get back to the goal posts!" roared Harry, pelting toward Cormac just as Cormac took a ferocious swipe at the Bludger and mishit it and it went straight into Harry's face.

A blinding, sickening pain… a flash of light… distant screams… and the sensation of falling down a long tunnel…

And the next thing Harry knew, he was lying in a remarkably warm and comfortable bed and looking up at a lamp that was throwing a circle of golden light onto a shadowy ceiling. He raised his head awkwardly. There on his left was a familiar-looking, freckly, red-haired person.

"Nice of you to drop in," said Ron, grinning.

Harry blinked and looked around. Of course: He was in the hospital wing. The sky outside was indigo streaked with crimson. The match must have finished hours ago… as had any hope of cornering Draco. Harry's head felt strangely heavy; he raised a hand and felt a stiff turban of bandages. "What happened?"

"Cracked skull," said Madam Pomfrey, bustling up and pushing him back against his pillows.

"Nothing to worry about, I mended it at once, but I'm keeping you in overnight. You shouldn't over exert yourself for a few hours."

"I want to find McLaggen and kill him." Harry seethed.

"I'm afraid that would come under the heading of '_overexertion_,'" said Madam Pomfrey, pushing him firmly back onto the bed and raising her wand in a threatening manner. "You will stay here until I discharge you, Potter, or I shall call the headmaster."

She bustled back into her office, and Harry sank back into his pillows, fuming. "D'you know how much we lost by?" he asked Ron through clenched teeth.

"Well, yeah I do," said Ron apologetically. "Final score was three hundred and twenty and we barely won with thirty more points."

"What - _really_?" Harry asked, giving him a shocked look. "Who scored the extra three goals?"

Ron gave him an 'are-you-joking?' look and Harry said, realising what he said, "Remind me to kiss Matt later,"

"You think we don't all wanna do that?" Ron snickered.

"True, tell Alice to kiss us for me then," Harry said.

"I think he'll get more than that, but sure, i'll mention it to him" Ron joked.

"But McLaggen!" Harry snapped, his eyes flaring. "I'd strangle him if i could!"

"You don't want to get hold of him, he's the size of a troll," said Ron reasonably. "Personally, I think there's a lot to be said for hexing him with that toenail thing of the Prince's. Anyway, the rest of the team might've dealt with him before you get out of here, they're not happy with him at _all_…"

There was a note of badly suppressed glee in Rons voice; Harry could tell he was nothing short of thrilled that Cormac had messed up so badly. Harry lay there, staring up at the patch of light on the ceiling, his recently mended skull not hurting, precisely, but feeling slightly tender underneath all the bandaging.

"I could hear the match commentary from here," said Ron, his voice now shaking with laughter. "I never realised how funny those two were when you're not in the game, you know?"

But Harry was still too angry to see much humor in the situation, and after a while Ron's snorts subsided.

"Ginny came in to visit while you were unconscious," he said, after a long pause, and Harry's imagination zoomed into overdrive, rapidly constructing a scene in which Ginny, weeping over his lifeless form, confessed her feelings of deep attraction to him while Ron gave them his blessing…"She reckons you only just arrived on time for the match. How come? You left here early enough."

"Oh…" said Harry, as the scene in his mind's eye imploded. "Yeah… well, I saw Malfoy sneaking off with a couple of girls who didn't look like they wanted to be with him, and that's pretty odd, isn't it?"

"You think everything Malfoy does is odd, Harry," Ron said.

"Yeah, well, i just want to know what he's doing is all," Harry said defensively.

"Yes, as you've repeated over and _over_ again for the past five months," Ron said tiredly, and silence fell between them, Harry not wanted to argue, and they dozed off.

* * *

><p>Harry and Ron left the hospital wing first thing on Monday morning, restored to full health by the ministrations of Madam Pomfrey and now able to enjoy the benefits of having been knocked out and poisoned, the best of which was that Hermione was friends with Ron again. Hermione even escorted them down to breakfast, bringing with her the news that Ginny had argued with Dean. The drowsing creature in Harry's chest suddenly raised its head, sniffing the air hopefully.<p>

"What did they row about?" he asked, trying to sound casual as they turned onto a seventh-floor corridor that was deserted but for a very small girl who had been examining a tapestry of trolls in tutus. She looked terrified at the sight of the approaching sixth years and dropped the heavy brass scales she was carrying.

"It's all right!" said Hermione kindly, hurrying forward to help her. "Here…"

She tapped the broken scales with her wand and said, "Reparo." The girl did not say thank you, but remained rooted to the spot as they passed and watched them out of sight; Ron glanced back at her.

"I swear they're getting smaller," he said.

"Never mind her," said Harry, a little impatiently. "What did Ginny and Dean row about, Hermione?"

"Oh, Dean was laughing about McLaggen hitting that Bludger at you," said Hermione

"It must've looked funny," said Ron reasonably

"It didn't look funny at all!" said Hermione hotly, "It looked terrible and if White and Peakes hadn't caught Harry he could have been badly hurt!"

"Yeah, well, there was no need for Ginny and Dean to split up over it," said Harry, still trying to sound casual. "Or are they still together?"

"Yes, they are — but why are _you_ so interested?" asked Hermione, giving Harry a sharp look.

"I just don't want my Quidditch team messed up again!" he said hastily, but Hermione continued to look suspicious, and he was most relieved when a voice behind them called, "Potter!" giving him an excuse to turn his back on her.

"Oh, hi, Branin." Harry said weakly as the brown-haired Ravenclaw sauntered up to him.

"You don't have to sound so disappointed to see me," Branin said in a snarky tone. He has a scroll in his hand. "I was told to give this to you."

It was a small roll of parchment, which Harry recognised at once as another invitation to a lesson with Dumbledore.

"Oh, um, thanks," Harry said awkwardly as he took it from him. For some reason, Branin looked much happier than any of them at seem him before, he usually just looked mad, it was surprising.

"What has you so happy for?" Ron asked him, trying not to sound rude.

Branin grinned slightly at him. "Oh, you know, life has just been looking up for once, it's nice,"

"Anyway," he said, his eyes glancing beyond Ron's shoulder as he saw Charisse around the corner waving him over. "I'll see you lot later, i got more important things to handle right now,"

He walked off, a wide grin on his face, and Ron and Harry gave each other surprised looks.

"He should have gotten together with Chair years ago if he's gonna act like this," Ron said seriously as Harry glanced at the scroll, which read for the meeting to be for that night.

"I don't think they're together though, are they?" Hermione asked.

"If they aren't, they should, everyone is happier that way," Ron said, as they set off again for the Great Hall. "You know, besides Sullivan, but no one likes him anyway —" He stopped talking very suddenly. Lavender Brown was standing at the foot of the marble staircase looking thunderous.

"Hi," said Ron nervously.

"C'mon," Harry muttered to Hermione, and they sped past, though not before they had heard Lavender say, "Why didn't you tell me you were getting out today? And why was _she_ with you?"

Ron looked both sulky and annoyed when he appeared at breakfast half an hour later, and though he sat with Lavender, Harry did not see them exchange a word all the time they were together.

Hermione was acting as though she was quite oblivious to all of this, but once or twice Harry saw an inexplicable smirk cross her face. All that day she seemed to be in a particularly good mood, and that evening in the common room she even consented to look over (in other words, finish writing) Harry's Herbology essay, something she had been resolutely refusing to do up to this point, because she had known that Harry would then let Ron copy his work. and saw that it was nearly eight o'clock. "Listen, I've got to hurry or I'll be late for Dumbledore…"

She did not answer, but merely crossed out a few of his feebler sentences in a weary sort of way. Grinning, Harry hurried out through the portrait hole and off to the headmaster's office.

Harry wracked his brains over the next week as to how he was to persuade Slughorn to hand over the true memory about Horcruxes, but nothing in the nature of a brain wave occurred and he was reduced to doing what he did increasingly these days when at a loss: poring over his Potions book, hoping that the Prince would have scribbled something useful in a margin, as he had done so many times before.

"You won't find anything in there," said Hermione firmly, late on Sunday evening.

"Don't seven tart, Hermione," said Harry. "If it hadn't been for the Prince, Ron wouldn't be sitting here now."

"He would if you'd just listened to Snape in our first year," said Hermione dismissively. Harry ignored her. He had just found an incantation ("_Sectumsempra_!") scrawled in a margin above the intriguing words "_For enemies_," and was itching to try it out, but thought it best not to in front of Hermione. Instead, he surreptitiously folded down the corner of the page.

They were sitting beside the fire in the common room; the only other people awake were fellow sixth years. There had been a certain amount of excitement earlier when they had come back from dinner to find a new sign on the notice board that announced the date for their Apparition Test. Those who would be seventeen on or before the first test date, the twenty-first of April, had the option of signing up for additional practice sessions, which would take place (heavily supervised) in Hogsmeade.

Ron had panicked on reading this notice; he had still not managed to Apparate and feared he would not be ready for the test. Hermione, who had now achieved Apparition twice, was a little more confident, but Harry, who would not be seventeen for another four months, could not take the test whether ready or not.

"At least you can Apparate, though!" said Ron tensely. "You'll have no trouble come July!" "I've only done it once," Harry reminded him; he had finally managed to disappear and dematerialise inside his hoop during their previous lesson. In fact, almost everyone seemed to have at least one go at it, Ron was too nervous to get anything beyond a tickling sensation.

Having wasted a lot of time worrying aloud about Apparition, Ron was now struggling to finish a viciously difficult essay for Severus that Harry and Hermione had already completed, which was speaking mostly about how patronises dealt with Dementors. The class had gotten a demonstration from Severus in fact, himself showing them his blackbird patronus to the class, and making it fly around the class before making is disappear. But that did not matter, Harry still had to get the trues memory out of Slughorn sooner or later.

Hermione, more loudly. "There's only one way to force someone to do what you want, and that's the Imperius Curse, which is illegal —"

"Yeah, I know that, thanks," said Harry, not looking up from the book. "That's why I'm looking for something different. Dumbledore says Veritaserum won't do it, but there might be something else, a potion or a spell…"

"You're going about it the wrong way," said Hermione. "Only you can get the memory, Dumbledore says. That must mean you can persuade Slughorn where other people can't. It's not a question of slipping him a potion, anyone could do that —"

"How do you spell 'belligerent'?" said Ron, shaking his quill very hard while staring at his parchment. "It can't be B — U — M —"

"No, it isn't," said Hermione, pulling Ron's essay toward her. "And 'augury' doesn't begin O — R — G either. What kind of quill are you using?"

"It's one of Fred and George's Spell-Check ones, but I think the charm must be wearing off." Ron said.

"Yes, it must," said Hermione, pointing at the title of his essay, "Because we were asked how we'd deal with dementors, not 'Dug-bogs', and I don't remember you changing your name to 'Roonil Wazlib' either."

"Ah no!" said Ron, staring horror-struck at the parchment. "Don't say I'll have to write the whole thing out again!"

"It's okay, we can fix it," said Hermione, pulling the essay toward her and taking out her wand.

"I love you, Hermione," said Ron, sinking back in his chair, rubbing his eyes wearily.

Hermione turned faintly pink, but merely said, "Don't let Lavender hear you saying that."

"I won't," said Ron into his hands. "Or maybe I will, then she'll ditch me."

"Why don't you ditch her if you want to finish it?" asked Harry.

"You haven't ever chucked anyone, have you?" said Ron. "You and Cho just —"

"Sort of fell apart, yeah," said Harry.

"Wish that would happen with me and Lavender," said Ron gloomily, watching Hermione silently tapping each of his misspelled words with the end of her wand, so that they corrected themselves on the page. "But the more I hint I want to finish it, the tighter she holds on. It's like going out with the giant squid."

Harry glanced to his side slightly and saw Matthew nearly falling asleep on the chair next to the fireplace, and by random chance, a black cat jumped on his lap and rubbed its curl-tipped face against his chin, making his scrunch up his face and scratch its head.

Harry gave it a wide-eyed look. That wasn't the cat Fred was always going on about, was it?

"Oi, Matt, whose cat is that?" Harry asked him, turning around in his chair to face him.

Matthew gave him a sleepy look. "It's a cat, that's all yeh' need to know,"

"Okay, smartarse, but is it your cat? I think Fred's seen it around," Harry said.

Matthew shrugged, the cat slinking around his shoulders and purring. "It's an independent cat, i'll tell ya' that much, and it's a girl, if yer' are wonderin'."

"So what, it's an independent girl cat, i could have figured that out myself," Harry said smartly.

"Then why did you ask?" Matthew said, sticking his tongue out slightly at him.

Matthew pushed himself up after a moment and went towards the portrait hole, and it swung open, and the cat rubbed her nose against his cheek before she jumped off his shoulders and out into the corridor.

Harry gave him a confused look as the portrait hole swung shut a second later. "Why'd you let it - _her_, i mean - out?"

Matthew gland at him, yawning. "Don't question the cat, Harry, they're fiery creatures,"

Matthew turned on his heel and went off to his dormitory to sleep, leaving Harry more confused that before.

March passed quickly, and talk of Inferius, werewolves, and apparition spread like wildfire, and all Harry seemed to be focused on was, as you can guess, Malfoy.

But no one else besides him seemed to care. Fred was still out for the mysterious cat ("Some of us have seen it, obviously someone knows but just isn't telling us anything!" Fred said seriously as the clouds started to part in late March to Alice. She didn't look to be listening, but was instead looking at the moving picture of a grey-eyed, blond baby boy that Matthew's brother had sent him, the name 'Mason' written underneath it.)

Later, in April, the sixth years, now actually of seventeen years of age, took their apparition tests, to varying results.

"I swear, i thought i was going to lose my leg!" Sam said excitedly, herself passing with flying colours in the late afternoon after their tests were done. Only a handful didn't pass, including a sullen looking Ron and less-than-happy Evan.

"It was half an eyebrow, that shouldn't even count!" Ron said in an agitated voice. "But no! Any tiny mistake and you can't do anything with it!"

"At least you didn't end up in the loo at the Hog's Head," Evan said with a disgusted face as they stomped back to the castle. He looked at Ina from the corner of his eye. "Honestly, would you like to tell us sum' of yer secrets to perfecting everythin' yeh' do?"

Ina fought the urge to smile. "Hush you, at least you got somewhere with all your limbs and eyebrows." and Ron refused to talk to any of them for the rest of the day.

A week so so after the Apparition tests, Katie Bell finally came back to school from St Mungo's, and to Harry's dismay, had no reconciliation of any cursed necklace or who gave it to her.

But Harry did not linger on that for long, Harry, with no other options it seemed, finally used his Felix Felicis, and as if it was planned, Harry caused the ending row to Ginny and Dean's relationship, and easily got the true memory from Slughorn. Apparently, the so-called Horcruxes contained bits of your soul so if your human body died, your soul can still live on, or in other words, you can come back with some awfully dark magic, and they only got contained in an item when you killed someone, and if it's Voldemort, you know he had more than one, given his obsession with immortality. Fred, of course, tried to make a joke of it against with the mention of a 'very loose woman', but after the angry look Harry gave him, Fred stopped. Like a human could ever be a horcrux, that's just silly.

The only person who was not particularly pleased to see Katie Bell back at school was Dean Thomas, because he would no longer be required to fill her place as Chaser. He took the blow stoically enough when Harry told him, merely grunting and shrugging, but Harry had the distinct feeling as he walked away that Dean and Seamus were muttering mutinously behind his back.

The following fortnight saw the best Quidditch practices Harry had known as Captain. His team was so pleased to be rid of Cormac, so glad to have Katie back at last, that they were flying extremely well.

Ginny did not seem at all upset about the breakup with Dean; on the contrary, she was the life and soul of the team, and surely by Harry's approval, was giving him excuses to look at her as she made the team laugh with her imitations of Ron's goal-keeping or McLaggen's awful Quidditch tactics.

One practice during early May, however, made Harry regret that he didn't carry a camera around at all times with him.

"Okay, be honest here, to what god may i thank for this?" Harry said, waving to Matthew as he shielded his eyes from the bright sun.

It was maybe five minutes into the practice that Matthew decided he'd go sans shirt for it, and neither of them couldn't help but look at him and his bare chest, and having the fleeting hope Alice wouldn't come down and blind all of them for staring too long.

"I'm hot," Matthew said, running his hand through his hair as he leaned back on his broom, hovering about eight feet in the air.

"Yes you are," Harry said certainly, him and Ron standing on the ground and staring up at him.

Ron gave him a raised brow look and Harry said, "That had a double meaning to it, i don't care what you say, it was funny."

"Oh really, pick your jaws off the ground, will you?" Ginny asked, poking Harry on the chin before she flew into the air on her broom, and Harry blushed red at her touch.

"Yeah, listen to Ginny!" Alice yelled at them from the stands to watch.

"Oi, we are just admiring the view, Shortcake!" Harry yelled back her, waving his hand at Matthew as he scratched his muscled stomach.

Ron tugged on Harry's robe. "Hey, i got an idea," he whispered to him with a laugh.

A minute later, Ron and Harry were on the ground groaning, and Matthew landed and walked over to them, leaning over them and staring at them.

"What are ya' doin'?" he asked, blocking the sun so they could see.

"We're _dying_," Harry said groggily as Ron moaned next to him. "You have to give us CPR."

"Don't yeh' have to be 'not breathing' to have CPR done to ya' though?" Matthew asked them, cocking a brow at them.

"Yes, but you leave us _breathless_, Matt," said a new voice, and Ron turned to his left and saw that Fred was laying next to him, grinning wickedly. "Sup'," he said, nodding to them.

"O' great, what are you doin' here?" Matthew asked weakly.

"Pictures," Fred said seriously, Ron putting his arms around Harry and his shoulders as they laid on the ground.

Before Matthew could ask what he meant, Fred pulled out a square white camera and clicked it, and it flashed at him.

Matthew blinked the flashing from his eyes as Fred giggled. "I am so going to make millions off of these," Fred said, patting his camera lovingly. "Imagine how much i can make once he's all famous and junk, i'll be _rich. _If i can get him into shorts or something i can retire when i'm twenty-two,"

"Don't get our hopes us, you're making us flustered," Harry said, fanning himself off.

Just then, Matthew swiped his arm and yanked the camera out of Fred's grasp, and Fred stared at his empty hands in shock. "Hey!"

"This is mine now," Matthew said seriously, shaking the camera at him.

"Not cool," Fred pointed at him as Matthew stuck his tongue out at them.

Fred stared at Matthew's chest and pointed at him. "Nice cross tattoo,"

Harry and Ron looked where he was pointing and saw a Celtic cross designed tattoo on the upper left right side of Matthew's chest. "So what are you, a Celtic Christian or something?"

"Yes," Matthew said in a low tone.

"What is your stance on pre-marital coitus?" Fred said, fighting back a giggle.

"It's _marvellous_," Matthew said contently before he walked away, the camera in tow.

Fred frowned after a second. "Hey, wait a minute..."

He turned to the left and saw Matthew go back on his broom and hover up to the stands, and helping Alice onto his broom as she wrapped her arms around his neck so she wouldn't fall off.

"That is my sister, you knob!" Fred yelled at them, and Alice smiled at him before looking back at Matthew and kissing him.

"Come off it, why are you annoyed now?" Ron asked. Fred.

Fred huffed. "Because i'm cute too, aren't i? What does she have that i don't?"

"Well, you _are_ a bloke," Ron said unsurely.

"Are you saying we all don't at one point or another want to be with the same gender?" Fred asked seriously.

Ron and Harry gave him surprised looks and Fred said, "I will get both of you, don't even worry."

Ginny landed and walked over to them a minute later, and looked down at them. "Are you gonna get up or what?"

"Nah, let's just take a day off, you know?" Ron said dreamily, his eyes closed.

Ginny shrugged and laid down next to Harry, making him blush as she laid her head against his shoulder. "You reckon we'll smear Ravenclaw in the final?"

"Not a question about it, we'll crush them," Harry said happily, and Ginny smiled at him, and after finally doing an actual practice, and Matthew finally got his short back on, they headed back to the castle for dinner.

"Are you sure you read it right?" Fred asked at dessert as they sat at the Gryffindor table, himself and Alice not wanting to be there as Chase obnoxiously flirted with Rose for the thousandth time.

"Do ya' wanna read it? It plainly says that my mum is havin' a baby," Matthew said in a tired voice, himself having to repeat himself to Fred over and over again.

"Yes but, _i'm_ the one who has been begging for _years_ for a little brother, and somehow _you_ get one instead?" Fred asked, waving his spoon for he was using to eat pudding with at him. "How is that fair?"

"Ask my parents, they're the one who made 'em," Matthew said.

"Yes," said Harry dreamily, glancing at Ginny, who was sitting between Alice and Ron across from them. "But how cute of an older brother would Matty be? Plus, any kid they bring into the world will be _gorgeous_."

"It's going to be a girl," Alice said, sitting across from them next to Ginny, and Matthew and Fred looked at her.

"You reckon?" Matthew asked her, the end of his mouth turning upwards.

"Definitely," Alice said certainly. She looked at Fred. "And you need to stop complaining, it'll happen eventually,"

"What? My little brother or what?" Fred asked irritably.

"Don't you mean 'our' brother?" Alice asked.

"No, i didn't," Fred said un-jokingly. "If i ever get one i'm not letting you ruin my prodigy for me."

Alice made a slight hissing noise at him, and Fred gave her a shocked look, as if something snapped in his head as Ron looked confusedly at Matthew. "Wait, does that mean your younger sibling would be _younger_ than its nephew?" Ron asked.

"Then Mason?" Matthew said, Ron obviously referring to Michael's baby son. "Yea', i suppose so."

"That's _so_ weird," Ron said. "But interesting, i hope the new bundle of joy is a Gryffindor like us,"

Fred and Alice looked away from each other and gave Ron raised brow looks and Ron added hastily, "Or Slytherin, i dunno, none of the Greenleys dawn me as Slytherins,"

"I was almost in Slytherin," Matthew muttered, and they give him surprised looks. "O' c'mon, Slytherin ins't that bad!"

"We know _that_," Harry said with a grin. "But we never knew you were almost one!"

"I knew," Alice mumbled.

"Well yeah, that's a no-brainer there, you two know more about each other than you know about yourselves," Ginny said before taking another spoonful of her pudding. "Though personally, Gryffindors and Slytherin are pretty close in values anyway, only a few differences, really,"

"Like what?" Ron asked.

"I dunno, one is more impulsive than the other, but imagine Matt as a _Slytherin_," Ginny said as if it was a simple logic.

The thought for a moment then Fred looked at Matthew. "The Sorting Hat made a _terrible_ mistake,"

"Thank you," Matthew said in a bored voice.

"Oh, wait - _wait_, Alice, watch this," Ginny said suddenly, patting Alice on the arm. Ginny put her spoon into her pudding and, seeing Charisse walk past them, flung it at her and it hit her directly in the cheek.

"Ten points to Gryffindor!" Ginny said ecstatically as Charisse's face turned red and she wiped her hand against her cheek and the pudding flopped onto the ground.

Charisse whipped around and stomped over to them, her dark eyes flaring, when a tall person came up next to her and stopped her.

"Don't bother with them," Branin said, putting his hand on Charisse's upper arm and she relaxed at his touch. "C'mon, they're just acting like five year olds, we'll just leave them around,"

"You're right," Charisse said, glaring at Ginny, who looked mighty please with herself nonetheless.

Charisse grabbed Branin's hand and started pulling them towards the doors of the Great Hall. Branin looked at Ginny from over his shoulder and winked at her before giving her a snarky smile. He turned away from her as Ginny gaped at him, her face getting nearly as red as her mane of hair as Charisse and Branin walked away, hand-in-hand.

"That's it, i'm kicking his arse," Ginny said through clenched teeth, pushing herself up from the stone bench they sat on.

"Woah, hold on," Alice said, grabbing Ginny around the forearm and pulling her back down slowly. "What did Luna tell us about getting worked up over everything?"

"Take a deep breath and think of your special animal," Ginny said slowly, fuming still.

"Okay, so take a deep breath," Alice said soothingly, and Ginny did what she said, and turned much more relaxed after she exhaled.

"And now the special animal," Alice said. "What's mine?"

"A red deerhound," Ginny breathed.

"And yours?" Alice asked.

"A stag with circle markings around its eyes," Ginny said with a slight smile.

Fred looked at Harry, who turned red in the face, and giggled. "I should have _known_."

"Shut it, _Frederick_," Harry hissed at him.

Fred started giggling even more as Ron gave him a questioning look, and then Fred suddenly stopped.

"Oi, Jack," Fred said as Jack walked passed them.

He looked at them, brushing his blond hair of his face. "What is it?"

Fred nodded towards Branin and Charisse's forms as they lingered at the Great Hall's doors. "We dare ya' to follow them and see what they're doing."

"Ew, no way!" Jack said, looking uneasy.

"C'mon, _pleeeease_?" Fred asked, batting his eyes at him. "I'll _pay_ you."

Jack looked unsure for a moment. He hadn't talked to Branin is almost a year, and he was interested in whatever him and Charisse were doing, and he would get paid...

"Fine," Jack said a second later. "But it better be a lot, okay?"

"Deal." Fred said. He waved his spoon at him. "Now off with ya'! You can't learn anything while you're standing around!"

Jack huffed and started for the door, and once the warm lights and smells of the Great Hall were long gone, he looked to either side until he heard a girl giggling. That must have been Charisse.

He went down the corridor as quietly as he could, as to not give himself away, and after want seemed to be fifteen minutes of looking, and thunking about giving up and saying to with Fred's bargain, found them in a deserted corridor. Jack hid behind a large stone pillar and kept quiet as he eavesdropped on them.

Jack looked around the pillar, and got a better view of them.

The moonlight was shining through the windows, making them both look eerily pale in the light, and Branin ruffled Charisse's bob haircut and stuck his tongue out at her and she went to hastily brush it back into place with her hands.

They started giggling, and Branin went and hugged her, making her giggle even more as they leaned against the stone wall. Jack couldn't help but notice, but they were very close to each other.

Charisse looked at Branin and her cheeks blushed, and he stopped hastily, and they stared at each other, both looking unsure for some reason.

Jack cocked his head to the side. What the hell were they doing?

A second later, Branin's eyelids went half-over his eyes and he leaned in, but before he could do anything Charisse turned her head so he pecked her on the cheek.

"No, i can't," Charisse said troubled voice, looking ashamed for some reason.

Branin frowned at her. "Honestly, what do you want?"

"I don't know..." she said awkwardly.

Branin huffed and bowed his head, and Charisse turned back to him so their foreheads were touching. "You know, you're insufferable sometimes..."

"Yeah, like _you're_ such a walk in the park," Charisse snapped at him, angry all of a sudden, and Branin lifted his head so they weren't touching anymore, though his arms were still around her. "All you do is be cryptic all day and for what? You won't even let me see you when you're in wolf form!"

"Because i'm dangerous in that form, you know that!" Branin said to her. "I don't want to hurt you-"

"And you won't hurt me, you big idiot," Charisse said certainly, Branin's arms loosening around her. "I mean really, how do you expect us to get anywhere if we're not open with each other?"

"You... want to go somewhere with me?" Branin asked weakly.

Charisse huffed. "You know what? Forget it, i'm leaving."

She stomped away, leaving Branin standing there in the corridor and looking conflicted.

Jack pouted, well nothing happened, now what?

Just then, there was rapid footsteps and Charisse walked back over, and gave Branin a look and rushed up to him.

"Screw it," she said breathlessly, and she pushed herself up on her toes and kissed him full on the mouth, taking Branin for surprise and nearly making Jack fall out of his hiding spot.

After the shock wore off, Branin wrapped his arms around Charisse and pushed her against the stone wall, and they clung to each other as they kissed, moving against each other as Charisse ran her small hands through Branin's hair.

Jack could feel vomit coming up his throat, and seeing that Branin looked more focused on taking Charisse's robe off, Jack ran off towards the Great Hall.

He entered the massive hall a few minutes later, out of breath and feeling disgusted, as he walked back over to where Fred was.

Fred turned when he realised that Jack was there. "Oh, hey Jackie-boy, what'd ya' get?"

Jack opened his mouth to speak but nothing cam out, and shut it again, his green eyes wide in shock.

"Oh, must have been good, what'd they do, snog or something?" Ginny asked, laughing.

Jack was green in the face suddenly and ran away from them and out of the hall again, his hand over his mouth.

"What'd i say?" Ginny asked, looking puzzled. She looked at Harry and shrugged, and they paid no more notice to Jack and his odd stomach problems.

* * *

><p>The Gryffindor-Ravenclaw game was running extremely high throughout the school, for the match would decide the Championship, which was still wide open. If Gryffindor beat Ravenclaw by a margin of three hundred points (a tall order, and yet Harry had never known his team to fly better) then they would win the Championship. If they won by less than three hundred points, they would come second to Ravenclaw; if they lost by a hundred points they would be third behind Hufflepuff and if they lost by more than a hundred, they would be in fourth place and nobody, Harry thought, would ever, ever let him forget that it had been he who had captained Gryffindor to their first bottom-of-the-table defeat in two centuries.<p>

The run-up to this crucial match had all the usual features: members of rival Houses attempting to intimidate opposing teams in the corridors; unpleasant chants about individual players being rehearsed loudly as they passed; the team members themselves either swaggering around enjoying all the attention or else dashing into bathrooms between classes to throw up. Somehow, the game had become inextricably linked in Harry's mind with success or failure in his plans for Ginny. He could not help feeling that if they won by more than three hundred points, the scenes of euphoria and a nice loud after-match party might be just as good as a hearty swig of Felix Felicis.

In the midst of all his preoccupations, Harry had not forgotten his other ambition: finding out what Malfoy was up to in the Room of Requirement, which Harry had deducted where he was going constantly. He was still checking the Marauder's Map, and as he was unable to locate Malfoy on it, deduced that Malfoy was still spending plenty of time within the room. Although Harry was losing hope that he would ever succeed in getting inside the Room of Requirement, he attempted it whenever he was in the vicinity, but no matter how he reworded his request, the wall remained firmly doorless.

A few days before the match against Ravenclaw, Harry found himself walking down to dinner alone from the common room, Ron having rushed off into a nearby bathroom to throw up yet again, and Hermione having dashed off to see Professor Vector about a mistake she thought she usual detour along the seventh-floor corridor, checking the Marauder's Map as he went, and the others were already at dinner (Harry did notice that Rose and Zachary's dots were in an empty classroom, but he did not put second thought into it). For a moment he could not find Draco anywhere and assumed he must indeed be inside the Room of Requirement again, but then he saw Malfoy's tiny, labeled dot standing in a boys' bathroom on the floor below, accompanied, not by Crabbe or Goyle, but by Moaning Myrtle.

Harry only stopped staring at this unlikely coupling when he walked right into a suit of armour. The loud crash brought him out of his reverie; hurrying from the scene lest Filch turn up, he dashed down the marble staircase and along the passageway below. Outside the bathroom, he pressed his ear against the door. He could not hear anything. He very quietly pushed the door open.

Draco Malfoy was standing with his back to the door, his hands clutching either side of the sink, his white-blond head bowed.

"Don't," crooned Moaning Myrtle's voice from one of the cubicles. "Don't… tell me what's wrong… I can help you…"

"No one can help me," said Draco. His whole body was shaking. "I can't do it… I can't… It won't work… and unless I do it soon… he says he'll kill me…"

And Harry realized, with a shock so huge it seemed to root him to the spot, that Draco was _crying_ — actually crying — tears streaming down his pale face into the grimy basin. Draco gasped and gulped and then, with a great shudder, looked up into flu-cracked mirror and saw Harry staring at him over his shoulder.

Draco wheeled around, drawing his wand. Instinctively, Harry pulled out his own. Draco's hex missed Harry by inches, shattering the lamp on the wall beside him; Harry threw himself sideways, thought _Levicorpus_! and flicked his wand, but Malfoy blocked the jinx and raised his wand for another —

"No! No! Stop it!" squealed Moaning Myrtle, her voice echoing loudly around the tiled room. "Stop! _STOP_!"

There was a loud bang and the bin behind Harry exploded; Harry attempted a Leg-Locker Curse that backfired off the wall behind Malfoy's ear and smashed the cistern beneath Moaning Myrtle, who screamed loudly; water poured everywhere and Harry slipped as Draco, his face contorted, cried, "Cruci —"

"_SECTUMSEMPRA_!" bellowed Harry from the floor, waving his wand wildly.

Blood spurted from Draco's face and chest as though he had been slashed with an invisible sword. He staggered backward and collapsed onto the waterlogged floor with a great splash, his wand falling from his limp right hand.

"No —" gasped Harry.

Draco's blood was shining scarlet, his white hands scrabbling at his blood-soaked chest.

"No — I didn't —"

Harry did not know what he was saying; he fell to his knees beside Draco, who was shaking uncontrollably in a pool of his own blood. Moaning Myrtle let out a deafening scream: "MURDER! MURDER IN THE BATHROOM! _MURDER_!"

The door banged open behind Harry and he looked up, terrified: Severus had burst into the room, his face livid. Pushing Harry roughly aside, he knelt over Draco, drew his wand, and traced it over the deep wounds Harry's curse had made, muttering an incantation that sounded almost like song. The flow of blood seemed to ease; Severus wiped the residue from Draco's face and repeated his spell. Now the wounds seemed to be knitting.

Harry was still watching, horrified by what he had done, barely aware that he too was soaked in blood and water. Moaning Myrtle was still sobbing and wailing overhead. When Severus had performed his counter-curse for the third time, he half-lifted Draco into a standing position.

"You need the hospital wing. There may be a certain amount of scarring, but if you take dittany immediately we might avoid even that… Come…"

He supported Draco across the bathroom, turning at the door to say in a voice of cold fury,

"And _you_," he addressed Harry. "Go get your school bag and meet me back here,"

"_Go_," Severus said to Myrtle, and she swooped back into her toilet at once, leaving a ringing silence behind her.

When he left, it did not occur to Harry for a second to disobey.

He felt stunned; it was as though a beloved pet had turned suddenly savage; what had the Prince been thinking to copy such a spell into his book? And what would happen when Severus saw it? Would he tell Slughorn — Harry's stomach churned — how Harry had been achieving such good results in Potions all year? Would he confiscate or destroy the book that had taught Harry so much… the book that had become a kind of guide and friend? Harry could not let it happen… He could not…

"Where've you —? Why are you soaking —? Is that blood?" said a familiar voice.

Ron was standing at the top of the stairs, looking bewildered at the sight of Harry.

"I need your book," Harry panted. "Your Potions book. Quick… give it to me…"

"But what about the Half-Blood —"

"I'll explain later!"

Ron pulled his copy of Advanced Potion-Making out of his bag and handed it over; Harry sprinted off past him and back to the common room. Here, he seized his schoolbag, ignoring the amazed looks of several people who had already finished their dinner, threw himself back out of the portrait hole, and hurtled off along the seventh-floor corridor.

He skidded to a halt beside the tapestry of dancing trolls, closed his eyes, and began to walk. _I need a place to hide my book… I need a place to hide my book… I need a place to hide my book…_

He opened his eyes, there it was at last: the door to the Room of Requirement. Harry wrenched it open, flung him self inside, and slammed it shut.

He gasped. Despite his haste, his panic, his fear of what awaited him back in the bathroom, he could not help but be overawed by what he was looking at. He was standing in a room the size of a large cathedral, whose high windows were sending shafts of light down upon what looked like a city with towering walls, built of what Harry knew must be objects hidden by generations of Hogwarts inhabitants.

There were alleyways and roads bordered by teetering piles of broken and damaged furniture, stowed away, perhaps, to hide the evidence of mishandled magic, or else hidden by castle-proud house-elves. There were thousands and thousands of books, no doubt banned or graffitied or stolen. There were winged catapults and Fanged Frisbees, some still with enough life in them to hover halfheartedly over the mountains of other forbidden items; there were chipped bottles of congealed potions, hats, jewels, cloaks; there were what looked like dragon eggshells, corked bottles whose contents still shimmered evilly, several rusting swords, and a heavy, bloodstained axe.

Harry hurried forward into one of the many alleyways between all this hidden treasure. He turned right past an enormous stuffed troll, ran on a short way, took a left at the broken Vanishing Cabinet in which Montague had got lost the previous year, finally pausing beside a large cupboard that seemed to have had acid thrown at its blistered surface. He opened one of the cupboard's creaking doors: It had already been used as a hiding place for something in a cage that had long since died; its skeleton had five legs. He stuffed the Half-Blood Prince's book behind the cage and slammed the door. He paused for a moment, his heart thumping horribly, gazing around at all the clutter… Would he be able to find this spot again amidst all this junk?

Seizing the chipped bust of an ugly old warlock from on top of a nearby crate, he stood it on top of the cupboard where the book was now hidden, perched a dusty old wig and a tarnished tiara on the statues head to make it more distinctive, then sprinted back through the alleyways of hidden junk as fast as he could go, back to the door, back out onto the corridor, where he slammed the door behind him, and it turned at once back into stone.

Harry ran flat-out toward the bathroom on the floor below, cramming Ron's copy of Advanced Potion-Making into his bag as he did so. A minute later, he was back in front of Severus, who held out his hand wordlessly for Harry's schoolbag. Harry handed it over, panting, a searing pain in his chest, and waited.

One by one, Severus extracted Harry's books and examined them. Finally, the only book left was the Potions book, which he looked at very carefully before speaking.

"This is your copy of Advanced Potion-Making, correct?" Severus asked.

"Yes," Harry said, still breathing hard.

"You're quite sure of that?"

"Yes," Harry said. "This is the copy of Advanced Potion-Making that you purchased from Flourish and Blotts?"

"_Yes_," Harry said firmly.

"Then why," Severus asked in a low tone. "Does it have the name_ 'Roonil Wazlib'_ written inside the front cover?"

Harrys heart missed a beat. "That's my nickname," said Harry.

"Your nickname," Severus repeated, sounding like he didn't believe him for a second.

"Yeah… that's what my friends call me," Harry said.

"I understand what a nickname is," Severus said.

Severus stared at him, and Harry felt like he was being scrutinised under his dark gaze.

"Did you know what that curse was?" Severus asked him suddenly.

"N-No, i just, read it, scribbled in a library book, " Harry lied.

Severus seemed to be looking him over, seeing if he was being truthful or not as the bathroom door flew open, and McGonagall stepped into the bathroom, looking around in bewilderment.

She looked at Harry. "Potter!"

Harry felt his heart stop. "O-Oh, he-hello..."

"Minerva, i got it under control," Severus said smoothly, putting the book back into Harry's bag. "I was just asking Potter here what he was doing-"

"As i'm sure you were!" McGonagall bellowed at him. "But i could not ignore the screaming of Myrtle saying there was, i dare say, a murder here? And a dozen students running to tell me Potter was running around while covered in blood-!"

"Malfoy is fine, they only got into a mishap," Severus said cooly. "He's in the hospital wing now-"

"I'm aware," McGonagall said, cutting him off. She turned to Harry. "But the circumstances! Potter, do you realise the severity of your actions?"

"But i didn't know-!" Harry said weakly.

"I'm sure you didn't," McGonagall said, her line mouth frowning at him. "But you caused irrational harm to a fellow student!"

"But he started it!" Harry said, as if that would help.

"Potter! Now is not the time for placing blame, especially when Malfoy has sustained such horrific gashes! What do you have to say for yourself?" McGonagall said.

Harry stood there, not exactly sure what to say. "I'm sorry...?"

McGonagall sighed, her feet tapping on the marble ground. "You know you must have a punishment for this, don't you, Potter?"

Harry stared at her as if he'd never seen her properly before. "Please, don't..."

"Detention, every saturday for the rest of term," McGonagall said with struggled effort.

"But Professor-!" Harry started desperately, trying to sway her with the Quidditch championship that very Saturday.

"_No exceptions_," McGonagall said, giving Harry an apologetic look. Severus stood stonily next to her. "I'm sorry. But you must agree, you're lucky to not have been expelled."

And he left the bathroom without another word, leaving Harry to stare into the cracked mirror, feeling sicker, he was sure, than Ron had ever felt in his life.

"I won't say_ 'I told you so,_'" said Hermione, an hour later in the common room.

"Leave it, Hermione," said Ron angrily.

Harry had never made it to dinner; he had no appetite at all. He had just finished telling Ron, Hermione, and Ginny what had happened, not that there seemed to have been much need. The news had traveled very fast: Apparently Moaning Myrtle had taken it upon herself to pop up in every bathroom in the castle to tell the story; Draco had already been visited in the hospital wing by Pansy Parkinson, who had lost no time in vilifying Harry far and wide. And the news had spread just as quickly to the staff, so they knew precisely what had happened.

"I told you there was something wrong with that Prince person," Hermione said, evidently unable to stop herself. "And I was right, wasn't I?"

"No, I don't think you were," said Harry stubbornly.

He was having a bad enough time without Hermione lecturing him; the looks on the Gryffindor team's faces when he had told them he would not be able to play on Saturday had been the worst punishment of all. He could feel Ginny's eyes on him now but did not meet them; he did not want to see disappointment or anger there. He had just told her that she would be playing Seeker on Saturday and that Dean would be rejoining the team as Chaser in her place. Perhaps, if they won, Ginny and Dean would make up during the post-match euphoria… The thought went through Harry like an icy knife.

"Harry," said Hermione, "how can you still stick up for that book when that spell —"

"Will you stop harping on about the book!" snapped Harry. "The Prince only copied it out! It's not like he was advising anyone to use it! For all we know, he was making a note of something that had been used against him!"

"I don't believe this," said Hermione. "You're actually defending —"

"I'm not defending what I did!" said Harry quickly. "I wish I hadn't done it, and not just because I've got about a dozen detentions. You know I wouldn't've used a spell like that, not even on Malfoy, but you can't blame the Prince, he hadn't written 'try this out, it's really good' — he was just making notes for himself, wasn't he, not for anyone else…"

"Are you telling me," said Hermione, "that you're going to go back —?"

"And get the book? Yeah, I am," said Harry forcefully. "Listen, without the Prince I'd never have won the Felix Felicis. I'd never have known how to save Ron from poisoning, I'd never have —"

"— got a reputation for Potions brilliance you don't _deserve_," said Hermione nastily.

"Give it a rest, Hermione!" said Ginny, and Harry was so amazed, so grateful, he looked up. "By the sound of it, Malfoy was trying to use an Unforgivable Curse, you should be glad Harry had something good up his sleeve!"

"Well, of course I'm glad Harry wasn't cursed!" said Hermione, clearly stung. "But you can't call that Sectumsempra spell good, Ginny, look where it's landed him! And I'd have thought, seeing what this has done to your chances in the match —"

Ginny huffed at her. "Don't try and talk about Quidditch, you'd just _embarrass_ yourself."

Harry and Ron stared: Hermione and Ginny, who had always got on together very well, were now sitting with their arms folded, glaring in opposite directions. Ron looked nervously at Harry, then snatched up a book at random and hid behind it. Harry, however, little though he knew he deserved it, felt unbelievably cheerful all of a sudden, even though none of them spoke again for the rest of the evening.

His lightheartedness was short-lived. There were Slytherin taunts to be endured next day, not to mention much anger from fellow Gryffindors, who were most unhappy that their Captain had got himself banned from the final match of the season. By Saturday morning, whatever he might have told Hermione, Harry would have gladly exchanged all the Felix Felicis in the world to be walking down to the Quidditch pitch with Ron, Ginny, and the others. It was almost unbearable to turn away from the mass of students streaming out into the sunshine, all of them wearing rosettes and hats and brandishing banners and scarves, to descend towards Filch's office, and walk until the distant sounds of the crowd were quite obliterated, knowing that he would not be able to hear a word of commentary or a cheer or groan.

Harry left Filch's office ten after one, having gone through old detention files for Filch, and finding piles upon piles of detention slips for Harry's father and Sirius, making him feel worse and worse at every passing minute.

Harry raced back up the stone steps, straining his ears to hear a sound from the pitch, but all was quiet… It was over, then…

He hesitated outside the crowded Great Hall, then ran up the marble staircase; whether Gryffindor had won or lost, the team usually celebrated or commiserated in their own common room.

"Quid agis?" he said tentatively to the Fat Lady, wondering what he would find inside.

Her expression was unreadable as she replied, "You'll see." And she swung forward.

A roar of celebration erupted from the hole behind her. Harry gaped as people began to scream at the sight of him; several hands pulled him into the room.

"We won!" yelled Ron, bounding into sight and brandishing the silver Cup at Harry. "We won! Four hundred and fifty to a hundred and forty! We won!"

Harry felt someone push past him and saw Alice, dawning in a Gryffindor jersey, run and fling herself into Matthew's arms, who had a scratch on his face surely from some rough-house Quidditch playing, and kissed him feverishly as Jack, with Fred's stolen camera, took a picture of them with a grin on his face.

Harry looked around; there was Ginny running toward him.

"We won! We won!" she said happily, a hard, blazing look in her face as she threw her arms around him. And without thinking, without planning it, without worrying about the fact that more than fifty people were watching, Harry kissed her.

After several long moments — or it might have been half an hour — or possibly several sunlit days — they broke apart. The room had gone very quiet. Then several people wolf-whistled and there was an outbreak of nervous giggling. Harry looked over the top of Ginny's head to see who might throw something. Matthew gave him a thumbs up as Alice smiled at them, and Hermione was positively beaming, but Harry's eyes sought Ron.

At last he found him, still clutching the Cup and wearing an expression appropriate to having been clubbed over the head. For a fraction of a second they looked at each other, then Ron gave a tiny jerk of the head that Harry understood to mean, _Well — if you must_.

The creature in his chest roaring in triumph, he grinned down at Ginny and gestured wordlessly out of the portrait hole. A long walk in the grounds seemed indicated, during which — if they had time — they might discuss the match.


	60. Family Business

AN: Yes, at long last i finally updated! Thank you for all the well-wishes and concern, my mother is doing just fine (three months cancer free this week!) and school hasn't been killing me slowly like i thought it would.

Just as a forewarning, i definitely took advantage of the "rewritten history" aspect in this following chapter (and heavy in potential elaborated on background stories), but it will lead to some grand and/or interesting situations to come. Stay tuned to find out how that goes.

Also, there will definitely need to be way more Severus/Lily next chapter. Sorry in advance for the lack in this edition.

Well wishes, i'm going to go work on a Teen Wolf AU now. Enjoy.

P.S.: Happy Purple Wedding day, everyone!

* * *

><p>Maybe it comes with age, but Harry never realised how talkative his classmates seemed to be.<p>

Personally, he was used to people talking about him behind his back, whether it be good or not, ever since he was younger. But new found gossip over his love-life was a bit, well, annoying.

You'd think they'd have better things to talk about, like the three Dementor attacks that had just happened in the past week. But even that isn't as interesting as opposed to whether or not Harry has a tattoo of a Hippogriff on his chest. (Which he didn't have, mind you, though when he had heard that it did sound oddly flattering.)

But admittedly, it was a nice distraction from the inevitable of Harry having to look for Horcruxes, whatever those may be. Dumbledore was all too ominous about things like that. It was worst not being able to openly explain these things without getting odd looks or just plain disgust from the fact a person would do such a thing as to kill someone willingly, much less do so to make sure their own life was extended at their own selfish risk.

Then again, was someone so detached from human emotions even really human at that point? From love and friendship and even basic empathy for others didn't really make You-Know-Who much human at all, as far as Harry could tell.

Within the past few weeks of Harry's sudden revival of his somewhat cliche' romantic life, there was a new air within the school castle walls as well, though not particularly of any kind that most students waiting for a much needed break wasn't in any way pleased with.

That's right, studying had once again became the main focus within the student body, and many of the less than excited student body were having any of that nonsense whatsoever. Despite the oncoming summer season, the teaching staff thought it only more evident to increase the workload tenfold to make sure they might have learned something from within their education.

The weather outside steadily grew more humid, much to the dismay to those processing frizz-active hair, and yet the outcome of rain still went on in light waves for only a few minutes at a time. Though most of the older students preferred to stay inside to study for their exams despite the brighter weather, the younger students took to frolicking outside like the happily unaware youngsters they were.

However, much to the lack of knowledge on the professors part (though there was suspicion that Dumbledore knew quite well) the Room of Requirements had taken a bit of a more a recreation look in the past week, looking much more like a large cluster common room than anything else that might have been used for teenage rage-induced rebellion against Ministry workers with an affixation for pink garments.

They sat in one of the many grouped ornate chairs and sofas that had been thought up for the room, with Fred (by no one's surprise) placing himself on the most detailed and golden chair he could think up, which looked more like a throne than any of the victorian-esque furniture that filled the room in groups (most of which were crowded around dark oak tables that were full of assorted friends and classmates, either playing games or having loud conversations or trying to cram in some work before their next class). Beyond these were multiple tall bookcases, dart boards that hung from the walls, a number of pool billiards tables were some of the sixth and seventh years were arguing over scores, threatening to whack each other with their cues), a large record player that was emitting what sounded to be Oasis, and students hanging around what looked to be a counter with stools where one was distributing drinks to those who paid a certain amount of sickles.

"Listen, all i'm saying is that that boat movie looks overhyped," Fred said, sitting sideways on his throne-like chair with his feet propped up against one of the arms as his back rest on the other. "Attractive lead actors doesn't distract from the fictional conflict that is propped along with real tragedy."

"It's a muggle movie, i doubt most of them care for the technicalities of it." Ron sighed, sitting next to Evan on the sofa besides Fred. Hermione was leaning against her shoulder on the other side with Harry and Ginny besides her, playing aimlessly with her hair. She didn't care much for Hollywood endeavours. It always made Hermione zone out, for whatever reason. Then again, so did Ron when anyone brought up examinations, but that's besides the point.

"Judging by the ads i've seen they what, fall in love while on a boat that sunk after less than a week? How does that sound in any way plausible?" Fred said a matter-of-factly, assuming he's somehow a romance expert. "They'd just die at the end anyway, we all know how that story ends."

"Most entertainment is used as distractions, it doesn't always have to be on mark with every fact if it has some leeway, creatively speaking." Hermione said certainly.

"Well, i just think it looks too big for its knickers is all," Fred said sourly. "Really, you know what looks good though? That Romeo and Juliet movie, the modern one i mean. It looks hilariously awful. I still gotta see that. Oh, or that one that's parodying the James Bond films! It'd probably be better than the mocking source though..."

"Hey, they're good on a nostalgia front." Sam said defensively, her cheeks blushing pink. Oh the woes of being a Bond girl at heart.

"Good to know you have such a high standard as to what you consume in your free time. " Alice said with an ounce of snark in his tone, sitting in a nearly empty sofa with Sam besides her which was opposite to Fred's semi-throne.

"His fine taste makes even the poshest o' 'em weep in jealousy." Evan said sarcastically, who was closest to Fred on the biggest sofa.

"Oh you are hilarious!" Fred said sarcastically, though Evan did not seem to catch onto Fred's tone.

"Pray tell then, if you don't like a film you haven't seen yet, then which ones do you like then?" Rose replied while on her own ornate chair besides Sam, her hands mindlessly ripping up armrest fabric threads.

"Oh, where to start?" Fred asked to himself, poking his chin with a ringed finger.

"I'm going to regret asking that, i can tell." Rose muttered to herself, noticing the thoughtful look on Fred's face.

"You sure are," Fred hissed. "Let's see. Citizen Kane is the first one to come to mind, since that film was made perfectly. It's like a religious experience, whatever that is. But i also enjoy those Star Wars movies, even if the writing got a bit shoddy by the last one. The Wizard of Oz is up there too, but that's a given even if it makes fun of magic, so is Casablanca and Gone With the Wind, oh and Lawrence of Arabia too! One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is fantastic, so The Godfather. Let's see, All Quiet on the Western Front is good, Roman Holiday is good, Sunset Boulevard is good, so were Some Like it Hot and To Kill a Mockingbird. Everything by Alfred Hitchcock, Chaplin, Kubrick, Brooks, and Scorsese... The Holy Grail was fantastic, so is The Princess Bride and Amadeus. Schindler's List was good as well as The Usual Suspects and Apocalypse Now..."

"Good god, i think we get it Fred!" Ginny said, looking peeved at Fred's mile long list of films she's never even heard of. "Cease! Stop!"

Fred gave her a mocking confused look. "What? I was just answering my sister's question. Is that illegal now, your Gingerness?"

"Well, you could have toned it down." Ginny said brashly. "Some of us don't even know what those are, funnily enough."

"Maybe i'm making a suggestion list when the time comes." Fred retorted. "Not everything muggles make are bad, despite what you may can been told before."

"Well there's that, or you just like hearing yourself talk." Rose said coldly.

"You would know that, wouldn't you dearie?" Fred asked sarcastically, smirking at her ever so slightly.

"Maybe you should challenge him to a round of Creaothceann, Rose." Alice suggested in a mutter, looking at her bracelet.

Fred gave her a puzzled look and she looked up and said, "What, You know that game? The scottish game were twelve go up on brooms with cauldrons strapped to their heads while trying to catch as many rocks that have been charmed to float above them before they blow the horn to go in their cauldrons? Of course, usually two make it out but uh -."

Fred just stared at her in bewilderment. "Should we be concerned for your boyfriend then? He might have a few, eh, bruises from that, don't you reckon?"

"it's illegal anyway, so i very much doubt he has any injuries due to that." Hermione pointed out.

"Damn, i was hoping Fred was going to be one of the casualties." Rose said dully.

Alice made a small laugh as Fred looked distressed when Ina walked over from entering through the secret entrance, dressed in bright orange churidar trousers and matching kameez top with golden accents to match her leather sandals and jewellery. Her long hair was put into a braid down her back, and she smiled at them when she approached them.

"Well 'ello beautiful!" Evan said excitedly, his freckled face lighting up as she took the free spot next to him on the loveseat he was on. Ina pecked him on the cheek and he blushed pink.

Ina looked around in curiosity. "Since when did we have a mess hall here?"

"It's just the Room of Requirement that was wished up with an idea to be more inter-house friendly than the common rooms are." Hermione said.

"Don't you need to desperately need it though to work?" Ina said.

"Me an' Fred desperately wanted a giant arse hall fer the lot o' us to hang around in an' here we are!" Evan said certainly. "O' course, it's an upgraded version o' that lil' basement thing we had here before where we'd just hang about to in smoke. An' wit' this we had to ask the House Elves fer butterbeer an' food, since this place couldn't make any fer some reason."

"Well that's one of the exceptions of Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration," Hermione said certainly.

She got confused looks and she added, "The five exceptions."

"Which are what exactly?" Ron asked.

"Oh, you never bother to read up on anything beyond the coursework, do you? Professor McGonagall had a whole lecture on them just last month." Hermione snapped.

"You know i zone out during those!" Ron said defensively.

"How surprising!" Hermione said, her hair nearly sparking with electricity from her annoyance. "Well then, i suppose out of the goodness of my heart, i'll have fill you in."

"You're too good for us, honestly." Harry said, though not in the sarcastic manner that he hoped Hermione wouldn't misinterpret.

"Thank you. Let's see then, the first one is no conjuring food or natural resources out of nothing, which i just told you. But you can copy food that already exist or make them grow, but that's about it."

Ron made a groan. "Why learn magic then if that's the case?"

"The second," Hermione said, ignoring Ron. "is no tampering with money or items with serial codes since it's illegal in any situation regardless, or else everyone would be rich, now wouldn't they? The third is not being able to completely erase purposely inflicted dark magic, hence why most scars or internal damage you get from them for even one instance stay visible or last forever unless you get extensive care otherwise, or know the counter curse and apply it right away, which sometimes there aren't for some curses. Case in point with Harry's scar or what those brains from the Ministry left on Fred and your arms and backs. The fourth is that you cannot tamper with emotions, knowledge, or even internal DNA out of nothing without horrible consequences. Obvious if you could no one would ever be sad, or have below average grades, or look unpleasant by someone's standards, you know? If we could no one would be in any way different from another and everything would just be ... boring. The fifth, of course, is that you can't bring someone back from the dead, and to an extent can't just create new life out of nothing. It's just the basic makeup of physics."

Ron stared at her in bewilderment as Harry said, "I think you just made Ron short circuit."

"Not again." Ginny said jokingly.

"Well damn, Hermione, what's the point of being magic then?" Sam asked.

"Uh, we can turn birds in cups?" Harry replied.

"Yeah, thank god for that," Fred said half-heartedly, seeming distracted.

"Or change your eyebrow colour." Rose said.

"How useful, there's so many chances to use that, isn't there?" Alice asked.

Fred, however, was giving Ina a confused look, ignoring the magic sarcasm happening around him. "Ina, are you goin' somewhere?"

Hermione huffed. "Hmpf! Fine, don't listen to me then!"

"He has a one-track mind, i don't mind him." Alice said reassuringly, much to the disapproved expression on Hermione's face.

"Uh, no?" Ina responded, flattening out her clothing. "Why?"

"Because you're dressed all fancy!" Fred said as if it wasn't obvious already. "You trying to put the rest of us to shame?"

Alice let out a snicker, and Fred turned to his twin sister.

"And what's so funny?" he asked.

"I'm surprised you could spot out a good fashion choice, you never do that!" Alice said, smiling at him.

Fred frowned. "Are you implying i'm not fashionable?"

"I don't imply things that are obvious, Fred." Alice grinned.

"Says the girl in a pair of Oxford styled creepers on her feet." Fred retorted.

Alice glanced down at the black tipped, risen shoes she had on. "They make me taller."

"You're already tall, you're fine." Fred said snarkily. "You probably beat out Harry by a hair."

"Excuse you, i'm average." Harry pointed out.

Alice's face went bright red. "Well, we all can't be gawky lampposts like you, now can we? Such a shame."

"Goodness, you short people sure get offended easily." Fred said, purely to annoy her more.

"178 isn't short for a female, Fred." Hermione said.

"Sure, but that's short compared to me." he retorted. "It's a good height for a child."

"Oi, i'm under that height!" Harry snapped.

"That only proves my point." Fred said.

"If that's the case then there's less room for the angry to spread around." Ginny said simply.

"Are you speaking from experience there? You're shorter than her." Ron asked.

"No one asked you a damn thing." Ginny replied.

"Yeah? Why isn't Evan planning someone's murder by now then?" Fred asked sarcastically.

"He's always too far on some "herbal concoction" to be anything below happy at least eighty percent of the time." Ina retorted.

"Aw, yeh know me so well." Evan giggled, only confirming her comment.

"Well that's wonderful to know there is at least one short person within a mile of me that wouldn't kill me, really. Though it still doesn't excuse my dear sister making fun of my great style when she's wearing dumb shoes! Do you see this chair i thought up? I have great taste." Fred said certainly.

"Your interior design choices do not reflect your fashion choices! No, you're fashionable in a rolled-out-of-bed-and-threw-something-on-while-in-the-dark kind of way." Alice snapped back at him.

Fred huffed. "As if! Honestly, yes or no here, you lot, do any of you lot have any sort of garment that this evil imp over here has made for you?"

There was a general murmur of responding 'yes' and after a moment said, "Well guess who was the human sewing mannequin? Me! And she has one in her room, but insists on using me instead! Even the dresses and girl clothes, i had to wear them! And having to make conversation about someone named Westwood and MacQueen,"

"McQueen." Alice corrected him.

"Whatever," Fred retorted. "And she just goes on about the aesthetic of letting your personality show through your fashion choices while jabbing me with a million damned pins. I don't know if anyone has noticed this but i'm not exactly built for constant mini-stabbings!"

Hermione had an expression of not looking even remotely surprised by that information as Fred said, "Though may i just say i wore all of those getups better than any of you ponces could, thank you very much."

"How nice of you to say that." Ginny said sarcastically.

"Well, you do have a body built for modelling," Harry said, cocking his head to the side.

Fred flicked his hair with his hand, the other on his hip. "I do try. But apparently i'm fifteen centimetres off for that..."

"Oh, shut it, will you?" Alice snapped at him. "I thought you'd like to hear about them, if not just to kill time! I mean you at least liked the story of how McQueen had to make suits for the Prince of Wales and wrote rude things on the inside so he'd never notice."

"I think we'd all do that if we had the chance." Ginny laughed.

"Plus I've never make fun of you when you make those little videos of yours with granddad's camera but you do when i make your inconsiderate arse free clothes!" Alice seethed at him, her face red with annoyance.

"That's because i'm the next Scorsese and you're not," Fred replied simply.

"Really? You're going to make the next Raging Bull or something?" Alice snapped.

"I was thinking more along the lines of Goodfellas, but thank you for thinking so highly of me." Fred said mockingly.

"That'd might be too much of a challenge for you, Fred." Harry said.

"Is that so?" Fred retorted. "Fine, i'll make one about you, and i'll just make the actor ponce who plays you have the wrong eye colour just to piss off the fans."

Evan gave him a questioning look. "Why would anyone get bent out o' shape over that?"

Fred shrugged. "I dunno, people get mad over trivial shite like that all the time. It's either that or one about how Harry seem to think my dad wanted to kill him in what, his first year? How does that sound?"

"I bet he still does." Harry muttered at him.

"Yes, because you're not a hassle at all to deal with," Hermione said.

"Aren't you the one who set his robes on fire?" Harry retorted acidly.

"Thanks to you, or do you not remember that little fact?" Hermione replied, her brows shooting downwards.

"Oy, you're the smart one! You should have known better to not go on my hunches!" Harry hissed back.

"I'll keep that in mind next time you want to set another professor on fire for your own sake!" Hermione snapped at him.

"Yes, just blame me then for false judgment i made as an eleven year old." Harry said, crossing his arms.

Fred gave Harry a wild look, as if staring down prey. "Harry, honestly, going off what Hermione said, and not to mention the fact our Headmaster obviously favours your house and yourself over literally anyone near my own, all i'm saying is that if it's a life or death situation, i have a valid reason to not save you. Though really, if it wasn't for your odd skill in always being at the right spot to learn these somehow unheard of masterplans, you'd be dead by now anyway."

"You're a great friend, Fred, truly." Ron said snidely.

"You're also the one that nearly didn't give either of us the time of day because of sorting, Ron." Rose hissed back at him, sounding annoyed.

"We all have our faults!" Ron said hastily.

"Biased prejudices are fairly big faults, Ronald." Hermione said.

"Helping or hurting, Hermione, helping or hurting?" Ron said in a seething voice.

"I honestly have no idea why you're friends with this lot," Sam whispered in a half-tone to Rose.

"Unfortunately, i think we're too forgiving." Rose replied solemnly.

"The whole lot of ya' are pyromaniacs and i don't condone it whatsoever." Fred grimaced.

"I was twelve! I thought it'd help Harry but i guess not." Hermione answered, sounding aggravated. "It's not my fault i thought he was trying to snuff Harry out."

"Well, who doesn't, really?" Fred replied, much to the distressing look Harry got as Ron and Sam started giggling. "Other than the constant meddling in situations you aren't required to meddle in, letting should be - convicts out into the open and unfairly getting house points, you lot aren't too bad, i guess. I mean yes, i get that you don't act like that now but it's not like i expect you to be in love with my dad or name your future kid after him or something."

Fred momentarily paused and added, "For the love of god, don't get any ideas from that."

"What?" Harry asked, sounding sarcastic. "If i even have kids, shouldn't i get the right to name them after whomever i please?"

"No naming your future spawn after my dad unless he like, dies for you or for a good cause or something." Fred said dourly.

"Oh damn, if you insist," Harry said in mock sorrow. "It'll be at great personal loss for me, but i'm hopeful that i'll manage."

"Thank you." Fred said, as if getting some restrained self-referential thought out of the way.

"You are very over dramatic, you know that?" Rose said, raising a brow to him. "I'd think you'd be better suited in front of a camera."

"Oh i wish, i'm shite at acting like anything other than my perfect self! I'm surprised you'd say that though, " Fred said, teasing her. "You remember how i was at Appleton."

Ron looked puzzled by that response. "What the hell kinda name is Appleton? Sounds like a pie or something."

"Not quite. That was our junior school," Rose said. "Fred's a right ol' legend there for all the wrong reasons."

"I think the staff calls the trouble makers "Freds" there now." Alice added.

"Yea', got used to the Slytherin colours early." Fred said cheekily.

"They were green and silver," He added, noticing the confused look on Harry's face.

"Well that's odd, i had to wear a red jumper with a green tie when i went to Fern Hill," Harry said.

Hermione raised a brow to him. "Was your junior school Christmas themed?"

"Oh ha ha, very funny." Harry said with vexed expression as they giggled. "Where'd you go then?"

"Plympton St. Maurice Primary School," Hermione said a matter-of-factly. "We wore red for our uniforms."

"Oh how lovely!" Harry said sarcastically. He noticed Ina giggling hardest at Hermione's quip and said, "Did you go then, Ina?"

She nodded, still giggling slightly. "Me and Zach went to Ilderton in London."

"Wait - what?" Evan asked, straightening himself out and looking baffled. "Yeh an' Zach?"

Ina huffed, easily telling he looked a bit distressed about that bit of information. "We both live on Pimlico, we were classmates."

"How come i didn't kno'?" Evan asked.

"You saw him down the road when you came to my house just over Christmas break, you knobhead!" Ina said a little too loudly. "You even pointed him out!"

"I could 'ave sworn he was just randomly there, i mean he works in London wit' his folks, don't he? How was i suppose' to kno' that?" Evan said defensively.

Ina shook her head. "You're lucky you're cute or i'd toss you off the bridge, you twit."

"I'm too fat for you to lift, sweetheart," Evan said surely, putting his wide stomach proudly.

Fred turned to him and said in an overly sweet voice, "Oh my, when's the baby due?"

Evan abruptly stopped rubbing his middle and blushed red. Ina patted him on the shoulder while the others giggled.

"What about to you then, Curly-Q, where'd you go for junior school?" Fred asked.

"Hmm? O'! I went to Gorey Educate National," Evan replied, still pink in the face. "We didn't 'ave no fancy yeh-nee-forms like yer lot does over 'ere in yer kingdom. We wore whatev'er we wanted!"

"What a mouthful," said a familiar voice, and they looked to the side to realise it was Matthew, who was carrying a package with him, which looked to have been opened and repackaged per safety regulations, and the fact Filch wasn't exactly a model gift-wrapper anyway. A tag hung off the top of it reading "M. Greenley" in rounded writing.

"O' yea'?" Evan asked. "Where'd yeh go then fer pre-Hogwarts educations then, Charmin'?"

"Fer school? Uh, George Herlot's," Matthew said, taking the spot next to Alice on the sofa she was on. He gave a Fred a calculating look. "Why does it look like yer're on a throne?"

"Oh, this old thing?" Fred said, rubbing his chairs' arms. "I asked for it to be modelled off the Queen Liz's throne and here we are!"

"I never dawned you as liking Elizabeth's style, funnily enough." Matthew said.

Fred raised a brow at him. "And why are you on first name terms with her then, eh? She a close family friend or something?"

"Somethin' like that." Matthew said, picking open the package he received.

Fred shrugged his thin shoulders. "Whatever, i still look cool with this."

"Sure you do." Alice said unconvincingly.

Fred gave her a dirty look as Harry looked at Ginny. "Where'd you go for junior school, Ginny?"

"Us?" Ginny said, addressed for her and Ron. "You'd like to think we went somewhere! No, our mum home schooled us. Best she did, Ron would have given all of us away in no time."

"Hmph, i would have been just fine!" Ron snapped at her, looking offended.

"That's rich coming from you," Ginny hissed back. "Do you realise how thick you can be? You would have insulted the professors about how "boring" they are since they aren't magical. You're quick to do it to any other muggle! How has Hermione not killed you by now i'll never know."

"Trust me, i'm close to it." Hermione said aimlessly, folding her hands neatly on her lap as if to further her restraint.

"I am not!" Ron said, looking red in ears. He turned to Hermione. "Am i insensitive?"

"Absolutely," Hermione said straightforwardly.

"What! Hermione, come on!" Ron shouted. "You're supposed to be on my side! Harry, you can back me up on this, can't you?"

"Really? You just laughingly agreed everyone has wanted to snuff me out a minute ago!" Harry said, his tone sounding cross.

"Oh my god, Ron, just accept you have flaws," Rose said boredly. "Stop being so overdramatic, you sound like Fred right now."

"How dare you, i look way better than Ron." Fred said seriously.

Ron looked affronted as Harry bit back a giggle.

"Oh yeah! I can tell you get a lot of admirers with that huge beak on your face!" Ron snapped at him after a stunned moment.

Fred didn't look mildly amused. "You don't have any buttons for a sniffer either, Weasley."

Ron now went red in the face when Hermione put her hand on his shoulder, which seemed to instantly calm him.

"If you two don't stop right now, i'll have your mothers hit your heads so hard together you won't be able to read an Arithmancy chart correctly." Hermione said in a falsely sweet voice.

"Not like i would anyway, but i'll avoid that, thanks." Ron replied, looking put off my her semi-threat.

"You're welcome." Hermione said briskly, unhanding his shoulder.

Fred frowned. "Er, i'll pass on that too."

"A wise decision," Hermione said simply as Sam tried very hard to not look amused to no success.

"Ah, if only you could try that mentality with being scared of Hermione and your movie making dreams with your other endeavours..." Rose said in an undertone.

"Oh my god, what are you, mum 2.0?" Fred said with a tone of disapproval. "Are you talkin' about my O.W.L levels? I'm fine!"

"You'd like to think that! You'll probably fail all your O.W.L.s with your attitude," Rose said, crossing her arms disappointedly, much like their father would do. "Have you ever studied for them? We started right after Christmas break and i haven't seen you cracked open any written material other than the paper reading about the Lady Diana's charities."

"Excuse you, she is a Princess," Fred pointed out seriously. Matthew made a scoffing noise under his breath as he read the note he got with his delivered, which Fred ignored.

"All by a technically of styling." Rose added brassedly.

"Well, it's very important okay, she's changing the world one day at a time." Fred said with an air of adoration in his voice.

"Oh there he goes again." Alice said in an annoyed tone, as if he had been boasting about her for years.

Actually, he has, and still does. There's something about a woman who uses her wits and good intentions to do something in the world that he, among with millions of others, utterly admired her for. Very much a shame her former husband never seemed to grasp that idea.

It also helped that she was Fred's first real crush, but that was a story for another time, especially when Sam wasn't there.

Matthew looked away from his note and whispered something in Alice's ear and she did a sort of strangled giggle and smacked him on the arm to be quiet. How strange.

"Well i doubt knowing about her whereabouts will help you pass, now will it?" Rose said scratchily.

"I know. I'm surprised Ron did and he doesn't even read muggle news," Ginny giggled, much to the unimpressed look on Hermione's face.

"Oy, Don't test me, Ginerva," Ron hissed at her.

"Oh, i'm so scared, Ronald." Ginny seethed back.

"Hey, let's not fight, you both have silly names." Harry said calmly.

"Shut up, Hairy." Ron and Ginny said at the same time for mocking emphasis. Damn those sibling gang ups on him!

"Technically royal news is wizarding news as well." Ina pointed out.

"What, really?" Harry asked.

"Oh yes, the Windsors are one the oldest wizarding families in Britain, it's one of the more successful cases of the Secrecy agreement, don't you think? There's even records of their ancestors coming here with other old wizarding families," Ina explained. "I mean, i'm sure if you go far down enough you can find several classmates in the line of succession. Unless they're born out of wedlock or Catholic, of course."

"I'm too cute fer them anyway." Evan said cooly.

"Yeah, if they want a midget for a King." Ron snickered, which was met by a none-too-happy glare from Evan.

Fred scoffed. "How the hell didn't i know that?"

"You'd be surprised what you learn if you actually paid attention in History of Magic." Alice said.

"Ah, but here's the problem with that, it's boring." Fred replied.

"Then you know why you wouldn't know that then, hmm?" Rose said.

Matthew shuffled through the package he got and yanked out a large chunk of what seemed to be something wrapped in shiny, ruby coloured foil.

"What is this. A brick o' chocolate? Who'd even eat this much?" he asked, looking concerned.

Evan and Ron, with no hesitation put their hands out.

"Hand it over and no one gets hurt, Greenley." Ron jested.

"Listen to yer fellow ginger." Evan agreed.

Matthew gave them an unamused look and handed the wrapped chocolate to Alice, who in turn passed it along to those next to her until it reached the freckled duo of hungry deviants.

Fred gave him a questioning look as Evan yanked off the wrapping and broke off a chunk for Ron of the gourmet candy, which according to the tag was from some ritzy chocolate maker in Belgium. "Who sent you the gift package, Greenley?"

"Family friend, or pseudo aunt, more like it," Matthew said without looking up, pulling out what seemed to be a paperback with a statue from one of London's city squares as the cover.

Fred frowned. "What's that?"

"It's like what Lupin is to us," Rose said. "He's like our uncle, just not through blood."

"Okay, but his family pretty much is a quarter of Scotland's population, who's left?" Fred said.

"That's a fairly accurate statement." Harry said as Ron bit into the large chuck of the belgian chocolate treat off with his teeth, causing a loud CRACK noise.

"Have we met them?" Fred asked. Surely after that get together in mid - December he must have met most of his sure to be future brother-in-law's family, extended or not.

"No. Accordin' to yer sisters ya' would have just started cryin' on the spot anyway." Matthew said, holding a stuffed toy of a patchwork dragon of bright green and blue fabric with a tag on it in what looked to be german writing.

Fred looked offended. "They're lying! Everyone perfectly well knows i wouldn't cry if i meet someone i liked, regardless of who they are. Unless i didn't like them, then i make snarky comments and applaud myself on it afterwards."

"Unless it's the Princess of Wales," Sam giggled.

"That's irrelevant, everyone would cry if they were lucky enough to meet her." Fred said, blushing pink.

"I know, that's what i mean." Matthew said as if repeating himself.

Fred gawked at him. "Oh my god, are you related to Princess Di?"

"I said there was no blood relation." Matthew corrected him.

"Fine, whatever, but is that from her?" Fred asked, pointing at his gift.

"Um, yeah." Matthew said in an unfazed tone.

"How in the HELL do you know her?!" Fred snapped.

Evan pushed himself closer to Fred and said "He's got the Queen as his godmother. Connect the dots."

Fred gave him scandalised look then back as Matthew. "Oh dammit, are you serious? Since when?"

"Since my grandparents went to school wit' them?" Matthew answered. "Why?"

"Because that's awesome! Why didn't you mention that before?" Fred said.

"I dunno, didn't seem that interestin' focus o' discussion." Matthew shrugged.

"Mate, my own parents are best friends with werewolf and their other friend was Harry's arsehole dad who try to mack on my mum, not to mention all the other shite we've done for the past five years. Why would that not be interesting?" Fred retorted.

"Well i dunno, who even wants to know that anyway?" Matthew replied coolly, looking unabashed.

"If it's her then yes, it's suddenly worth noting." Fred said dramatically, looking red in the face.

"Yeah, like how Sirius was an animagus, false convict." Harry said smartly.

"But did he live in a castle? Don't think so." Fred said.

"Mum said he broke into Buckingham once when he was a teenager." Alice pointed out.

"What a legend." Ron replied.

"Well i'm sorry i never mentioned it, no one ever asked so i never thought to bring it up." Matthew said apologetically.

Fred gave him a begging look, as if being a small dog waiting annoyingly for a treat, and Matthew said in an aggravated voice, "What?"

"How come you've never introduced me to her?" Fred asked, looking hurt.

"Which one?" Matthew asked.

"Diana obviously!" Fred yelped.

"What? She couldn't come this year, that's it." Matthew said. "Why, what do ya' think would have happened? She likes pretty much everyone."

"Well i'm part I.F. and super nice, maybe she'd adopt me." Fred said with no inkling of shame.

"What the hell is an I.F.?" Harry asked, staring at him. "Is that a military rank? You're not in the military, are you?"

"I dunno, he might be a bit iffy about that." Ron mused mostly to himself with not even a chuckle from at least one of them. No one appreciate good humour nowadays.

"No, you wart, i meant like i'm Italian from my dad and French from my mum." Fred said.

"Yes, and Serbian, and Dutch from mum's side." Alice added.

"No wonder Fred is so tall, he's part tulip." Harry said.

"Those are short, i'm more of a sunflower." Fred said.

"If yer dad is Italian does that mean we can call him the Godfather then?" Evan quipped.

"What? No, i don't even think we were baptised." Fred said.

Evan pointed an accusing finger at Fred. "Heathen!"

"Oh shut up, we get to sleep in on Sundays, i reckon we'll be fine." Fred snapped back. "If you wanna be on your religion high horse you can talk to Matt about it."

"I ain't really the believin' in prophets type, mate." Matthew said.

Fred gave him a bewildered look. "Really? Don't you have a cross tattoo?"

"It's uh, more of a sword, actually..." Matthew said, going slightly red in the face. "Don't tell my gran, she'd flip on me."

"Oh you sweet, irreligious beanstalk, that's the slyest rebellion i've heard of. Keep that up." Rose said approvingly to Matthw.

Alice giggled as Matthew looked a bit put off by being called a giant piece of magical vine as Fred said "Well i haven't had many excuses to be close enough to you while shirtless to get that, so excuse me."

"A great tragedy for you, i'm sure." Ron said snidely.

"Did anyone ask for your thoughts here, Ron?" Fred hissed back.

Sam thought for a moment. "Better yet, you lot, if they're from Italia it means your dad can't refuse a request whenever Rose or Alice get married."

"Yeah, just no murder requests." Alice said in an unabashed voice.

"A wasted chance then." Ginny cracked.

"Yeah, yeah, we're all in the mafia and pray before dumping bodies in the ocean, gotcha." Fred said.

"I'm fairly sure the only people we know how regularly attend church are our grandparents, unless i'm completely off there." Hermione said.

"No, that's 'bout right." Sam said.

"Well innit that convenient, " Evan asked, staring at them. "There's nothin' wrong wit havin' faith in a higher power!"

"Ya', of course not," Matthew said. "So is sleepin' in on the weekend."

Evan's mouth went thin. "Okay, fine, point taken."

"Yawn. Who cares about that?" Sam said.

"I do!" Evan said, his cheeks going red.

"Well, there are better things to focus on here." Sam said.

"Like what?" Rose asked.

"Eh, i dunno. Greenley, name the first fact about them that comes to mind." Sam asked. Oh, now there's a goldmine right there.

Matthew gave a thoughtful before he said. "There's a secret pool at Buckingham Palace."

"Oooh, fancy." Ron said seriously.

"Wait, like a bath pool or a pool-pool?" Fred asked.

"A chlorine one." Matthew said. "It's heated durin' winter."

Evan raised his hand, as if asking a professor a question in class. "Can i get special access to said pool?"

"Why you?" Ron asked, giving him a questioning look.

"I'm Irish, i think they owe me at least pool privileges." Evan said, crossing his arms.

"I'll see what i can do fer you then." Matthew said, not sounding entirely certain in that statement.

"Why would she give you permission for that?" Sam asked.

"I think they favour me because i'm not related so i don't bring them bad press." Matthew said.

"That's good enough i reckon." Evan said.

"Oh my god, Greenley." Fred said, rubbing his forehead in annoyance. "You are literally sitting on a goldmine of blackmailing all of them and you are not taking that chance and giving poor, sweet Evan false hopes of somehow getting into the Palace. Do you need encouragement? Fine then. I'm good with that, it's my forte."

Matthew couldn't go to say anything against it as Fred said, pointing to Rose. "Her. She snores like a broken record player and it scares my dog! She nearly broke our dad's leg because she tried to run him down with the bike our mum got her for Christmas a few years back, rudely enough. Then there's that story that Lupin had to drag her into the church for someone's wedding because apparently Rose is the Antichrist, but go figure, you know the stereotype of redheads. And once when she was seven, she tried to dye her hair purple with food colouring but ended up with spotted hair for nearly a month. It was very unfortunate."

"Says the bloke who had bright green hair for nearly a year." Rose said, looking none too mortified by Fred's comments.

"Besides the point, Rose! I looked good anyway, as i always do." Fred boasted.

"Now, why is it you say you like red hair, yet make fun of it relentlessly mock them?" Evan asked.

"Evan, you're blond, you don't know the weird hounding us redheads get." Ron said grumpily. "Saying we smell like copper, get sunburnt indoors, shite like that..."

"Isn't the new one that we don't have souls?" Rose asked.

"Something like that, whatever that means." Ron muttered.

"Keep complaining, your two percenters. What else is there?" Fred said, pondering to himself.

"Like you haven't said everything somewhat embarrassing about me before." Alice hissed at him.

"Shush, shortie... Oh, you'll like these ones!" Fred said exuberantly.

"I'm so sure i will." Matthew muttered unenthusiastically.

Fred ignored him. "Okay, i think we all know she's not great at most sports but oh my god, she's like freakishly good at archery, and by that i mean she nearly shot be with an arrow once to the head and i cried for twenty minutes. Her aim is not of this world and you should be scared of it. Wouldn't trust her with any sharp weapons either, she's terrifying and will stab you."

"An' yeh think i don't know that already?" Matthew asked sarcastically. Even he wasn't that oblivious to mess with Alice. Her thin frame only masked her abnormal strength.

"Didn't you see the bruise she gave Harry a few weeks ago?" Fred said certainly.

"She gave him a bruise?" Ina asked, looking surprised.

"Oh yeah! Harry, show them." Fred said surely.

"Ugh, fine." Harry said, sounding vexed. He grabbed the hem of his shirt and yanked it up to show the round, purple and green tinged bruise that lingered just below his rib cage.

There was a collective groan of repulsion and empathy as Sam said, her button nose scrunched up at Alice, "The hell did you throw at him...?"

"It was just a little notepad for him to use, that's all!" Alice said.

"Well you missed and threw it hard enough to where it nearly cracked a rib!" Harry fumed. "I may be the Chosen One, but i'm not immune to bruising!"

"Oh shut it, you caught me in a time i was studying, i don't like people distracting me when i'm into my reading." Alice retorted sternly.

"And yet no one bothered to mention that to me, hmm?" Harry hissed, glaring at Matthew, who looked to be avoiding his eye. Damn him.

Rose cocked her head to the side. "It kinda looks like the Mona Lisa."

"Oh yeah, let's hang me up in the Louvre and become a huge tourist sight." Harry said sarcastically.

Harry let his shirt fall back down as Ginny gave him a scrutinising look to where it was located on him. With one quick motion, she poked Harry's bruise, making him yelp and nearly topple over the sofa. Which at his sudden noise, made Hermione nearly jumped and elbow Ron in the ribs with a quick motion.

Ron gasped for breath as Harry readjusted himself so he wasn't falling off the sofa, his face as red in a beet, his glasses nearly falling off his nose. "What the hell was that for, Ginny?!"

"Wanted to see your reaction." Ginny said smoothly.

"Eh, was it satisfactory then?" Harry asked, sounding a bit peeved.

"Most certainly." Ginny said with an amused grin, much to the exasperated look on Harry's face.

Fred looked bored with the pair of them, but of course he's always bored when he wasn't the centre of attention. As such, he put it upon himself to get back on his subject of embarrassing his sisters.

"Let's see," he started again. "What else was there before Ginny attacked Harry?"

"Hopefully nothing more to hurt me?" Harry remarked.

"No, i'll try avoiding that for right now." Fred said, ignoring the muttered, sarcastic 'Oh thanks' Harry said to no one in particular.

"What about when you two were about four and she'd think up scary stories and sneak into you room during bad storms to tell you them." Rose said, not looking up from picking at her nails.

"You mean because she is evil? Yes, very great fact about her." Fred grumbled.

"Remember Morbid Morgana?" Alice said mockingly.

Fred looked as if someone had uttered an Unforgivable Curse at him. "Do not bring her up!"

"Or Headless Henry?" She added.

"Stop!" Fred snapped at her, much to the slightly amused looks from the others.

"And Suzie Spider, and Finley Foul, and the Crawler Twins too! Okay, i'm done, continue." Alice said, smirking at his unnerved disposition.

Fred huffed. "Ugh, no. This is only reminds me of all the other weird shite that goes on at our house."

"Like what?" Harry said with a slight smirk, only expecting some over dramatic statement over something completely unspectacular.

"Mate, i have half a mind to use force you to stay at my house so you can hear what my mum does, okay," Fred said, looking aggravated. "She makes so many inappropriate sex announcements and is just blunt with every goddamn thing! Why?! I am innocent."

"Your mum is so nice though." Hermione said as Ron nearly choked from laughing.

"Sure! Doesn't mean i gotta hear about their shenanigans." Fred said, sounding disgusted.

"You are aware you aren't a product of immaculate conception, right?" Ina said, Evan shaking his head besides her.

"I am pure, okay?!" Fred said in a high voice. "Maybe not those two. I would know, mum said Rose was gonna have a twin brother too! Then she ATE him to soak up his power."

"Rose, how could you?" Alice said in a fake mournful voice.

"I'm a monster, i'm so sorry." Rose said, faking any distress in her response.

"You aren't innocent either, dearie!" Fred snapped at Alice. "We were supposed to be a triplets but you ate the other brother! It must be more effective on you since you're tiny."

"I better finish the job then." Alice said in disdain.

"I'd like to see you try, Hannibal." Fred said mockingly. "I gotta bend down to see you!"

"I can break your shins and bring you down to my level." Alice retorted defensively.

"You've got a bit of a temper on you, you know that?" Harry said certainly.

"You're one to talk." Ginny said.

"If anything they should know mum makes our dad wear face cream masks with her three times a week." Rose added once, flicking her hair for emphasis of the sheer fabulousity of that information.

"I knew their nice skin couldn't be au naturel without a little help." Sam said jokingly.

"More like a lovely mental image, if you ask me." Evan said, making Ina giggle.

"Ooh, remember Fred's original name though?" Alice giggled.

Sam gave Fred a surprised look. "You weren't always gonna be Fred?"

He blushed pink. "Maybe."

"He was going to be named Anthony." Rose said, trying not to laugh.

"Oh. That name is horrendous, you dodged a curse there." Ina said.

"They wanted us to have similar names, okay?!" Fred snapped. "Then mum realised how dumb that was and named me after her dad."

"Aw, but we could have nicknamed you 'Tony'!" Ginny said.

"Eh, Tony!" Harry joined in mockingly. "Mamma Mia! Pizza pie!"

"Fuck you! I'm not a stereotype, damnit!" Fred yelled at them.

"Not with that attitude you're not." Ginny said, making Harry snort from laughter. Fred's face went red from a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance.

"Oh, I got better dirt on Fred though," Rose said certainly, ignoring the sudden, horrified look on Fred's face when she said that.

"Remember when he'd wrap a towel around his neck like a cape and try to defend the house from squirrels?" Alice said, playing along.

"I should have let them take you two away to their scavenger lair if i knew you'd be so ungrateful about it years later!" Fred said sounding upset, his thin arms crossed tightly over his chest.

"Oh no, you know what what's even better? The fact he'd always try his hardest to get out of taking a bath but would refuse to get out once we was in." Rose said.

"Well, we've all been there." Ron pointed out.

"Sure, but he'd sing lines from songs he knew to let him go when our dad would carry him to the bathroom." Rose added.

"I'm surprised that never worked." Alice said.

"He's a hard arse, that's why." Fred said, pink in the face.

"You're preaching to the choir." Harry said assuredly.

"Then, of course, there's the lovely fact he sometimes kisses the poster of the Princess of Wales he has hanging in his room." Rose said.

"Ah, now that is a tad bit odd." Matthew said, looking like he was trying not to laugh.

"It is not! It's only weird because you're her kinda-nephew." Fred said warily.

"No, that'd just be odd even if that wasn't the case." Alice pointed out, surely just to tick Fred off.

"Shut up." Fred hissed back.

Harry gave Sam a pondering look. "Hey, you can change your looks at will. Why not just morph into her then...?"

"I'm not in any particular mood to have him cry, funnily enough." Sam replied, looking a bit unamused from Harry's question. "Plus metamorphmagi can't change their voices, he'd know it was me within thirty seconds anyway."

"Well, i reserve my right to have a crush and Rose doesn't have to divulge others about it to embarrass me!" Fred said a little more loudly than he should have, prompting him to get some questioning looks from a handful of sixth and fourth year groups beyond them at his abrupt yell.

"I still think the best fun tidbit is that dad occasionally hangs upside down to scare others." Rose said.

She received bewildered looks, especially a nearly pissed-himself looking Harry. "He does what?!"

"You know, hangs upside down." Alice said unabashedly, adding in for her sister. "I think it's a levitation spell or something. That or he can fly without the use of a broom, which being him seems more probable."

"What, like a vampire?" Ron said, his eyes wide in shock.

"O' hell no, nuh uh, i'm not dealing with that today, no sir." Evan said, looking like he just saw the Devil.

"Be quiet, he has a reflection and doesn't drink blood, you have nothing to worry about." Rose said bluntly.

"Still ain't right." Evan said, looking a bit scared still.

"Ah, i've heard worse. Plus, that's kinda cool! Now, your "dirty secrets" seem tame enough. No, if you want really embarrassing details, i've got them. As such, according to Bill, our mum used dress up Ron as a girl until i was born." Ginny said with a grin.

"Oh my god." Hermione said, shaking her head at that information.

"See what happens when you take your time being born, Ginevra? Honestly!" Ron said, red in the ears.

"I'm sure you looked very cute, Ron." Harry said.

"You got that right, but still." Ron said, crossing his arms.

Fred cocked his head at Matthew, who looked to be avoiding joining in more than a snarky comment since he knew what Fred would direct the conversation back to.

"What do you think eh, Greenley? Any embarrassing details we should know about?" he said sweetly.

"I dunno, Snape. They're not family, that seems unfair." Matthew replied, sounding peeved.

"But they are the ones your family would trust you with if something happened to them, so..." Fred said half-hearted.

"Or ya' just details fer yeh to possibly sell to the Daily Mail or...?" Matthew added.

"How dare you. I would never lower myself down to something as conservative as the Mail! The Sun maybe, but even that's a stretch for me." Fred said.

"I'm sure you could suck up your pride even for a few million pounds, Fred." Ron said.

"Well, i'd like to think i have a higher respect for my dignity than that! And it'd still be nice just to near a few endearing details at least! I mean, If Prince Charles isn't George the Fourth reincarnated then what's the point?" Fred said as if that was that was the obvious.

Hermione gave Fred a stunned look. "Why would you know George the Fourth?"

"I like history! And if the family is supposed to represent my country then i oughtta know about them, shouldn't i?" Fred said.

"And yet through all of that you didn't realise Greenley was rubbin' elbows with then this whole time?" Ginny said.

"Well, that was more o' my grandfolks an' dad doin' that but sure." Matthew said. "I mean, i hang around her grandkids, her sons are brats though."

"That's not all that surprising" Rose said.

"No," Matthew said. "Anne's alright though."

"Hey, you could pretend to be the princes' cousin though." Ginny suggested.

"Oh as if anyone would believe he'd be related to the mini Windsors. They look like horses." Alice said, looking repulsed, which made Matthew try not to snicker in agreement.

"Alice, you can give either of them a package of carrots a week and they love you forever. It's literally that easy." Fred said seriously, which surprisingly nearly made Ina nearly double over in a fit of muffled giggles.

"Hardly. Will has a bit of a bad temper an' tryin' to one up everyone while Harry is just ... Well no, he's alrigh', bit of an arse in an endearin' way." Matthew said thoughtfully. "He could pass off as an annoyin' cousin if he really needed to."

"Ah, see? That's what i want to know! Stupid, loveable fun facts." Fred said cloyingly.

"I know as much as someone who only hangs around them at holidays does, which is quite literal." Matthew said.

Fred grinned. "Just name the another one that pop up right off the top your head like before. What do i need to do? A virgin blood sacrifice or something?"

"Wow, Fred is really out to stab you, Ron." Ginny said.

"You're hilarious." Ron hissed back.

"Thank you, Ginny. But seriously, don't need a bloody life story here." Fred added.

"Yeah, he's read all the magazines articles on them by now anyway." Rose pointed out.

"Rose, you are literally the worst." Fred muttered, looking pink in the face.

"I try my best." Rose replied in a mockful tone.

"Well damn, i dunno! There's a lot o' weird things 'bout them. I mean Liz an' Phillip talk 'bout their kids in french all the time an' her ancient mum sneaks me champagne at dinner since it's one o' the "finer things in life." Matthew said.

"Question, can i be adopted into the family?" Evan asked seriously.

"Oh, that'd be great political ties for Ireland, do it." Harry said.

"Better PR than they're getting right now i reckon.'" Matthew said.

"Didn't the Queen Mother scare Hitler during the Second World War though?" Ginny asked.

"Ah, well i always imagined she punched his lights out at some point, but that's me." Matthew said. "Not like she'd refuse a compliment."

"Her and Fred would get along famously then." Alice said.

"Oh my god, i know, we'd be best friends." Fred sighed, as if imagining it like the freak he was.

"Well, if yeh got along wit' Zara, you'll be fine with her." Matthew repled.

"Hm? Which one was she, did we meet her?" Ron asked confusedly.

"She was the girl at our party in December who had the stud in her tongue." Matthew said. "She kept tryin' to challenge everyone to take one o' the swords off the walls an' fight wit'."

"Good god, you mean the one who tried pushing me off that cliff?" Harry asked, sounding peeved.

"The what?" Evan asked, sounding alarmed.

"Oh yeah, you weren't there! Well, Greenley's house just happens to be overlooking the edge of a damned cliff above the ocean, since that's so safe already. That's Edinburgh for you. Anyway, we're introduced, talk a bit. She and Ginny are quick chums, of course, and we go to walk outside, right? The snow had stopped so it was nice and serene, like we were in a damn Christmas card. And there's huge waves splashing against the rockside, and it's bloody terrifying enough when you think about it 'til she decides to sneak up and jokingly nudged me nearly over the edge! Nearly damn pissed myself, since all you see is a load of sharp rocks and waves rippling through before she yanked me back by my collar." Harry said, his arms crossed tightly over his chest as if to make a shield.

"I knew i should have gone to that." Evan said woefully.

"Yeah, you could have been pushed instead." Harry sneered.

"Okay, maybe not fer that." Evan added.

"Ugh, i wanna meet the titled ones though." Fred said earnestly.

"O' yea', just write 'em up an' ask to hang at Balmoral fer the summer, eh?" Matthew asked sarcastically.

"Ah, whatever you wanna do, i don't care either way." Fred replied.

"I won't - wait, shouldn't yeh' have a different reaction than that?" Matthew said, sounding confused.

Honestly, you'd expect more annoying pleading from Fred to get what he wanted, especially something like that. He was all about meeting famous folks, much more so if pretty much everyone knew who they were.

"Mate, i can either be irrationally angry here that no one here took up the chance to inform me on that little fun fact since i would have had some great snarky remarks about it and most likely already have vandalised Buckingham Palace but i'm not, so take that in stride." Fred said smoothly.

Ginny put her finger up. "Wait for the catch."

"Plus, now i can easily guilt-trip you into getting anything i want if you don't do that, now can't i? I'd much more prefer that." Fred said mockingly.

"And there it is." Ginny added.

"There's the sack of dung Fred i know." Rose said in false sweetness.

"Thank you, sweet sister." Fred replied sarcastically.

"Yeh want to meet Di then too, right?" Matthew asked. "Or what, spend quality time wit' Liz like that?"

"I - oh, yeah. How'd you guess that?" Fred asked.

"You're fairly easy to read, Fred." Harry said bluntly, his head resting on top of Ginny's.

"And you're a hot-headed arsehole and you don't see me making you feel bad about it." Fred said sarcastically.

"Fred, isn't that literally what you just did?" Ginny asked.

Fred looked momentarily affronted. "No one asked you."

"Whatever, i can't make any promises." Matthew said seriously. "An' stop makin' fun o' Harry."

"Oh but you can get a bloody care package from i assume her on a damn whim?!" Fred said in a slightly high voice. "And Harry's fine, you twat. It's a joke."

"Well, yer're just an arse so i shouldn't be that surprised. Also i've known her for longer yeh' prat." Matthew hissed at him, confirming Fred's answer.

"Oh like what, were you a page boy at her wedding or something? Precursor to her own kids or what? Though the page boy scenario would be much funnier, if you ask me." Fred asked jokingly.

"God no, i don't think my dad was willing to have me in one o' those dumb getups even if they asked." Matthew said in a thankful tone.

"Aw, you would have looked so cute in those fake military getup too." Harry said in sarcastic sadness, which made Ron snort in amusement.

"O' yea', very funny, i'll still not gonna let ya' meet her, she's too busy anyway." Matthew said as if that was the end of it.

"Darlin', yeh are missin' the point o' this," Evan said seriously, smacking his hand on Fred's thin chest and nearly breaking a rib. "This bastard could literally be in the same building as her an' start cryin' his sweet lil' heart out without stoppin'. An' i mean on the ground sobbin' like a newborn babe. It'd truly be a sight to see."

"He doesn't have a poster hanging in his room for nothing." Harry said certainly.

"Harry, you little four-eyed sack of dragon dung, why must you bring that up again?" Fred said, red in the face.

"Should i keep the bruises you gave me on my neck between us too or do you have any more secret crushes i have to keep quiet for you too?" Harry asked, cocking his head to the side in mock questioning.

"Oh, i am loving this conversation." Sam said snarkily, twirling a lock of her currently straight, magenta hair around her finger.

Fred put his hands on his face as it burnt bright red, the girls giggling at him as Evan whispered to Matthew "Go while yeh' can while he's distracted an' don't bring up Di again."

As suddenly as he said that, the dark, spiky haired cretin known as Rhys swooped in next to Matthew, gripping his shoulders and said, "My, my! Are we talkin' about Sweet Diana over here? How's the old girl doing?"

Fred lowered his hands, looking annoyed. "You let this ponce meet her before me?! I thought we were friends."

"You're hard to love, Fred." Harry muttered despite himself.

"Yes, and according to you i can easily turn against you due to my house and you think mocking me will help your case?" Fred hissed a him.

"Well it certainly doesn't hurt." Harry retorted.

Rhys' mouth went thin as Matthew rolled his eyes.

"Me? Meet her of all people?" Rhys asked. "I wish, even his girlfriend hasn't meet her! I did accidentally meet his that old crow that his godmum calls mother though."

"Oh come on, how in the hell - ?" Fred started.

"This arse forgot his bag at my house just when they happened to be visitin'." Matthew explained.

"Yeah and ol' Liz's granddaughter was hitting on me and i got in trouble for it!" Rhys snapped. "What's her name again? Zooey? Tara...?"

"Zara, an' yeh aren't worth to lick the underside o' her ridin' boots wit' that talk." Matthew said.

Rhys put his hand over his heart. "I can't help it that i'm a very handsome spaniard, okay? I can't, i was born this way."

"I'm sure yeh'll survive, mate." Matthew said unconvincingly.

"Listen, i don't need a goddamn short legged, ninety six year old grandmother of the Prince of Wales chasing me down because her great-grand kid thinks i'm smokin' stud when i'm just trying to get my school bag back." Rhys said direly, as if offended someone would be angry at him for something as being too attractive, if that was even a real thing.

"As if she's that scary." Ron said certainly.

"No, she is." Matthew said with Rhys nodding his head besides him in agreement. "There's somethin' 'bout nearly gettin' bombed to death in a World War that makes ya' not put up wit most peoples' bullshite, know what i mean?"

"Oh, i take it back then.." Ron said in awe.

"Yea', an' she goes through more gin than my old man an' his brothers combined, gotta respect that." Matthew added.

"That's even better." Evan said.

"This of course means much more when coming from this anti-monarchist over here." Rhys said sweetly, un-gripping one of Matthew's shoulders and patting his head with his newly freed hand.

Fred and Evan did a simultaneous, dramatic gasp. Their hands were over their hearts in shock for added effect.

"Do we have a republican in our midsts?!" Evan said in faux-shock.

"You mean a Morrissey?" Rose said.

"God, no. Never that sack o' dung. Yeh don't have to insult me like that, Rose! Listen, i respect the institution on an, er, traditional standpoint, an' Liz does a good job on that front, she's very good at her job. I just think it's idiotic to have to treat them better due to title an' bein' related to ancestors who actually did shite as opposed to wavin' and dressin' up nice! But still, i get why they do it an' they treat me pretty well. And it is hilarious to see Charlie run himself into the ground wit' his own infidelity an' Will is a bit o' a whiny horror while knowing youdodged a curse by not being related to them." Matthew retorted defensively.

"He's not a Prince of Wails for nothing." Ron said, trying not to giggle.

He looked around for a response, which he got none. "How dare you, that was good."

"That was so bad you don't even deserve a mocking boo for that." Ginny said.

"I don't believe anyone asked for your input." Ron said acidly.

"Even so," Matthew added. "I unfortunately have enough respect fer them not to easily divulge ya' on their behind-the-scenes matters that i could suspect yeh o' sellin' to tabloids fer a quick few quid, now am i?"

"Greenley, i love you, i really do, but that was the worst lie i have ever heard." Fred said in a scrutinising tone, looking utterly unimpressed.

He got an seething look.

"Hey, he tried." Rhys said half-heartedly.

Evan's face when into a frown as he said. "Well, the whole Queen thing is just overrated anyway."

"Evan, her face is on money." Harry said seriously.

"Yes, 200 in which he still owes me." Fred snapped, smacking Evan on the head. "You're in debt to me, honeycomb!"

"Oy! It's not my fault yer lot can't just use euros like the rest o' us!" Evan hissed back.

"As if, you wouldn't even pay me back in that!" Fred spat angrily.

Rhys patted Matthew on the shoulder as Fred and Evan bickered. "I came over here to ask if you had the Defence homework done but i see you're busy with this lot. I'll see you later then."

Matthew waved him off as Evan said, "No wonder us Irish seceded from yeh greedy English bastards! All yeh' care 'bout is what yeh can get an' goin' out o' yer ways to see some big eared brat's name get revealed! Big deal!"

Ron gave Harry a confused look. "Do they actually do that?"

"For some reason, yes." Harry replied.

Ron shook his head. "We are truly a strange country."

"Speak fer yerself." Matthew said boredly, resealing his gift package. "I'm technically more french than i am english."

Evan and Fred turned back to him, both sharing the same look of annoyance on their contrasting features.

"Hardly, darling. You still got some english blood with your mum, and even if you're not related, you haven't even thought to share the dirty little secrets with us despite it 's the worst they can do? Not include you on the christmas card list?" Fred pointed out a matter-of-factly.

"What would you not know that isn't already in the papers?" Ina asked.

"Lots!" Fred said.

"O' yea', like what?" Matthew said unfortunately. Oh no, why would he say that? Did he not know how that would end?

"I dunno, is why do you have such an infixation for M names?" Evan asked.

"What? I dunno, my mum picked out me an' my brother's names." Matthew answered awkwardly. "And that's not even 'bout them, it's 'bout me!"

"Do yeh call yerself the M an' M's?" Evan asked.

"Are yeh not gonna ask any serious questions because i'll just go back to my dorm now." Matthew said dully.

"No, no," Fred said hastily, waving his hand at him. "Fine, uh, can you make Di send us stuff?"

"I can damn well write her for her to get yeh' one o' yer own but i doubt it'd be anythin' better than what, candy? I dunno." Matthew said. "Plus, she's not a damn charity, she doesn't even know you."

"Hey, the "Evan Robert Wright Getting Free Gifts" foundation is a very important cause to me." Evan said.

He narrowed his eyes at them. "How considerate, Evan."

"I know." Evan replied dumbly.

"Well, you could get Fred an autograph and he'd probably owe you whatever you want for the rest of his life." Alice said trying her hardest not to giggle.

"Damn it." Fred said, realising she was completely right about that.

"I like the way you think." Matthew said.

"Can you introduce me at the very least?" Fred said in a near beg.

"I dunno, we'll see!" Matthew said, sounding annoyed. "Honestly, why do ya' care anyway?"

Fred said, crossing his arms. "Do not question me! They're fascinating, a huge part of our nation's history! I mean i'd like to think i know more about them than i care to admit, but obviously i don't, or else we would have had this conversation at least two years ago."

"And we're all very proud of you for what you do know, sweetie." Sam said sweetly.

Fred smiled at her. "Thank you!"

"It's a bit weird though." Matthew added awkwardly.

"Fine, you want some balance here then? I know about my godparents, Gingersnap," Fred said proudly. "One was Sirius and the other is Harry's mum. Of course Alice got Shacklebolt as her's because even as a baby she just had to show me up."

"It's a great struggle." Alice said in false sadness.

"That's great, mate, really," Matthew replied. "Still doesn't mean i gotta tell ya' a damn thing, i mean ya' can read most of it anyway."

Fred put his hands out in defence. "Well shite, Greenley! I don't want any boring ol' history lesson everyone else can get! I'm better than that! What do you want from me? I already shared shite with you and i get nothing in return! What do i have to do? Gifts? Bribes? Some sort of dark curse which i can't even do anyway? Because i'd try at the very least."

"At least you'd be giving some effort for once." Rose said in mock sympathy.

"Shut up," Fred hissed. "How many of the rest of you famous pseudo family members then, since obviously he doesn't want to share? Does Ina know Gandhi? Hermione and Einstein? Is Harry a direct descendent of Jesus?"

"I'm a little too european for that, mate." Harry said.

"Also real." Ron added.

"Yeh' do not want to have this conversation right now, matey." Evan said in a low tone.

"Ah, i'd get that Fred wasn't that well read up on any of our families or acquaintances, really," Ginny said certainly. "Take it this way, if Fred were more aware he wouldn't have shut up about wanting to meet Queenie for a while now, wouldn't he?"

Fred scoffed. "Ginny, you underestimate me! Of course i'm going to do that now! I have to make up on lost time! Goodness, and to think i could have meet Her Majesty by now and none of you have taken up the chance!"

"Oh yeah because we're all about making appointments with the godparents of our friends." Rose said sarcastically. "You want to meet Ron's grand aunt too? I'm sure she'd enjoy the company."

"No, she wouldn't," Ron said sourly. "She'd probably hit all of you with her cane then say to stop crying when she leaves a mark."

"Okay well, we'll avoid going to her place then." Harry said with a worried expression.

"Never you mind. It's not appointments anyway, it's getting to know them better. Difference." Fred said seriously. "And we've done that before! We nearly spent all our non-scho days with Sirius. And it's not like his family, whether they be in blood or not, doesn't like us. His great-uncles son's wife gave us special "friend discounts" from her bakery, remember?"

"Oy, yeh mean yeh get free baked goods?" Evan asked.

"Uh, yeah?" Fred replied.

"Damnit! I knew i should have gone to that!" Evan said, looking angry with himself.

"But anyway, why not even out with the other end of the chums, hmm?" Fred asked innocently.

"By hanging around people who have the highest form of ceremonial power here?" Ginny asked decisively.

"Yes, her face is on banknotes, Ginny. The only other people i could possible meet who are either dead or more dead. And i don't feel like tracking down any possible ghosts of Charles Dickens or Michael Faraday, thank you very much." Fred replied. "I'll meet whoever i can get!"

"O' yer're hilarious. Doesn't make ya' sound like ya' have any other motives here at all." Matthew retorted, looking red in the face.

"Ah, see? You're such an accuser, and about me too! If only you'd be nice, we wouldn't have had to spent that whole time mocking me and making me look the fool," Fred said certainly.

"It's actually not that hard considering it's you." Alice said.

Fred made a sort of aggravated groaning noise and rubbed his eyes. "Well excuse me! Can't you let me be a little insulted about this? I mean really, you lot go meet Princess Beautiful Perfect Diana without me and see if i care! I'm just trying to distract myself here, so thank goes out to none of you."

"Anytime, mate." Evan said, patting him on the back.

"Oh my god, she's not going anywhere," Harry said, sounding unamused.

"Harry, you say that like it's a simple fact but then guess what? Shite happens all the time. You probably just jinxed it, so if anything happens to her, i'm going to blame you for it," Fred said, pointing his finger threateningly at Harry, who was squirming slightly. "So you bet your cute little arse that nothing happens or so help me i will destroy you."

"Oooh no, i'm shaking! Save me, Ginny!" Harry teased, pretending to hide behind Ginny as she bit back laughter.

"You little son of a -" Fred started.

However, as he went to continue with his surely swear filled remark, a bright red toy ball flew straight at his face and hit him squarely in the nose, making him knock his head back on the back of his ornate chair. The sudden appearance of said toy made Evan gape in surprised while Hermione nearly yelped, grabbing Ron's hand far too roughly, making him cringe in pain.

"What the hell was that?" Fred moaned, pushing himself back up somewhat on his chair, his nose starting to bleed.

"Someone with either great or horrible aim." Rose said unconcernedly.

"Well," Fred said in a surprisingly calm tone, clutching his now bleeding nose with his hand. "Who in the hell threw it then?!"

He said that rather loudly, making a group of third year Ravenclaws nearby become startled.

"Was it one of you little bastards? I will end each of you." Fred said menacingly, making Rose cover her face in embarrassment as Harry and Ron had to bite back laughter at his expense.

Someone walked over from the path the ball had come from, revealing it to be Branin instead.

"Okay, you lot are excuse for now." Fred added hastily as one of them nearly pissed themselves. Who knew he could be scary?

"Oh great," Harry muttered under his breathe.

"Nice to see you too, Specs," Branin smirked. He stared at Fred. "Did i hit you?"

"Oh no, a random rubber ball just flew at my face and nearly pushed my nose back into my skull, i'm fine." Fred said sarcastically, blood nearly running into his mouth.

"Damn, i didn't throw hard enough then." Branin said in a mocking tone.

Fred groaned as Evan glanced over him, his hands on his face as if he was an overly concerned parent. "I think that hit me fast enough that i saw my life flash before my eyes."

"How was it?" Evan asked worriedly.

"Really boring." Fred responded. "I think Rose was laughing at me too"

"That easily could have been mum." Rose said seriously.

"Oh yeah, of course! How silly of me." Fred replied crossly, staring up at her with narrowed eyes.

Matthew bend down and grabbed the ball, which after smacking into Fred's face had rolled over to him, and turned to look at Haskell.

"Is this yers?" He asked, handing the ball to Branin.

"Yes it is, thanks," Branin said in an unusually nice sounding tone. Or maybe it was a rather usual tone, but was rarely heard by any of them. He took the ball from him without so much of any sarcasm on either's part.

"Having a little pretend tea party, are you lot?" Branin asked snarkily, staring at them with the toy sparkling ever so slightly from the room's makeshift chandeliers.

"Oh darling, would you' like to join us?" Sam said, patting her hand out the seat of her chair and waving him over flirtily. He blushed bright red instead.

"We were just talkin' about that old bitty yeh' got on yer muggle money!" Evan added, looking away from Fred and perking up. "Oh, wait!"

Evan out his hand in his into his mass of curly hair and pulled out a small bag of crisps. "Want one? We can share."

Branin raised a brow at him, his face still blushing. "Uh, i'll pass on the hair snacks, thanks."

"What yeh' say." Evan said, shrugging his shoulders and opening the bag as Ron stared at him in awe.

Branin scrunched up his nose in annoyance and shook his head. "Honestly Greenley? Letting a traitor Irishmen who uses his hair as a rucksack insult your godmum like that? I'd expect better from you of all people!"

"O' i'll make 'em pay later, don't worry," Matthew said smartly.

Ignoring the obvious fact that both Branin and Matthew seemed to be tolerating each other, even being friendly, Fred seemed to have conjured up a handkerchief out of nowhere to sop up his bloody nose until he could get proper spell to fix it. Honestly, where's Zachary when you need him?

"Okay really, why does everyone else know about this besides me?!" Fred snapped, his voice slightly muffled by the handkerchief, wiping blood off his hands on the conjured up square of fabric while looking mutinous.

Branin gave him a perplexed look. "Oh my god, you didn't just now realise that, did you?Don't you ever pick up a book? It even says The Queen's name in the trophy room for bein' a Head Girl, you twit."

"Shut up! How was i supposed to know?" Fred barked. "Hell, how do you know?"

"Well i have this wonderfully underused talent of being able to read, actually," Branin pointed out. "Of course, it's probably fairly certain i'm a distant sixth cousin to them or something like that."

"Ah, can't go to a family reunion for them then? It'd probably have half of England there anyway." Harry jested.

"You're one to talk, Four-Eyes. Aren't you Malfoy's second cousin? Hell, the Weasleys must probably be your third ones due to the Black family. Disgusting." Branin pointed out.

Ron gave Harry a disgusted look as Harry looked momentarily bewildered.

"See, you should just cut out that foolishness out and be with Fred here," Branin said certainly. "I don't reckon they're even remotely close in genetics to any of you."

"No, the closet we are to any pure bloods is, what? A few in Italy i think and another few in France, but that's it." Rose answered.

"There you go." Branin said, pointing from Harry to Fred. "Make it work. Or just be a lone wolf like me and leave Fred and Sam alone, i don't really care."

"Thanks." Ginny said in an annoyed tone.

"Or there's always the greatness of me since i'm technically a descendant of German royalty." Branin said in a boastful tone. "Then again, i'm sure most of us in the general area are related one way or another to the dozen different branches of royals, some more than others, but that's besides the point."

"Really? Is a still reigning monarchy too mainstream for you?" Fred said scathingly. "And the German royalty is descended from the British one, you ninny. You're probably somewhere in the six hundreds for that throne at least."

"I don't think anyone asked you anything, mutter vorreißer." Branin hissed at him. "But thank you for looking out for my best interests."

"Did you just call me a sausage?" Fred asked, looking perplexed. "How dare you."

"You can translate that on your own time, Snape." Branin said sounding annoyed.

"Better than Russia." Harry said as Branin glared at Fred.

"Everything is better than Russia's situation." Branin said. "What about you then, Snape? Tryin' to mooch off Greenley's status? Don't you reckon the Queen would beat you up for that? Or at least get a guard to do it with their stabbing guns. Or have a corgi attack you. Or chuck a sharp jewel at you. I dunno what she does for self defence."

Fred made an exasperated noise. "She won't beat me up! Why does everyone keep saying that?"

"Because you're an insensitive wart." Rose said.

"You do try to mooch off of other people and their status." Ina said.

"You have little regard for anyone other than yourself." Hermione said.

"You think Def Leppard is a halfway decent band." Evan said.

"Just because they're a Led Zeppelin rip off doesn't mean their songs aren't catchy!" Fred said in a high-pitched tone, which made Branin rub his ears in annoyance. "What else do you know then, Mister-Brags-A-Lot!"

"Well, dear pumpkinhead here must be somewhere in the line for the British throne, you numbskull," Branin said certainly. "Which i'm sure you know?"

"For about the past fifteen minutes, yes." Fred said. "So are about ten thousand other people."

"And we are all so very proud of you for that accomplishment," Branin said condescendingly, waving him off. He started listing off on his fingers. "Anyway, that's not that interesting of a fact anyway. He and Alice have been dating for about three years, i think he's a Cancer sign? Also, he and that bloke Henry both seem to be blessed with ginger locks. Or cursed, depending on your perspective on it."

"O' thanks, i try an' take it in stride," Matthew said nicely.

Branin smirked at Fred. "See? Positive thoughts! At this rate i can so be the Queen's new best mate. We'll throw a party at her place ... or places. Regardless it has to be a castle of some sort."

"Oh! We can a rager with the Queen." Harry said in false excitement.

"We've always wanted to do that." Ron said added.

"It's nice to know you think you'd be invited." Hermione said.

"Wow, thank you for the vote of confidence." Harry said, frowning slightly.

"Well great to know you've finally gotten that long-lodged stick out of your arse and have decided to act decent for once, now please leave," Fred hissed, shooing him away like an unpleasant rodent, rudely enough.

"Whatever you say," Branin said, still looking red in the face slightly. He turned on his heel and before leaving said "See you lot later. I'll try and not throw more things at your direction, but that's not guaranteed."

He walked away.

"Bye, Haskell!" Harry said in a frilly tone, waving after him.

Branin didn't look back and silently lifted his middle finger to him and yelled "Piss off, Potter!" back at him.

"What a nice boy," Harry said sarcastically, and the group erupted in laughter, Matthew nearly doubling over in his enjoyment.

"What an arse," Fred huffed.

"Who knows more than you." Hermione giggled.

"Oh right, i should be dramatically leaving now, thanks for reminding me," Fred fumed.

He stood up, the collar of his shirt having a few drips of blood on it and shooed at them when he stomped away, his right arm tight to his side with his fist clenched while the left held the the bloody fabric to his nose.

Fred nearly made it twelve feet away from them until the same toy ball of Haskell's went and hit him in the behind, and promptly knocked him ungracefully onto one of the oak tables, where two Hufflepuffs were having an intense game of Wizard's Chess with unfortunately sharp looking pieces.

Harry got up to go help him when Haskell's voice could be heard saying "I said no guarantees!"

And with that, the whole group bursted into even more bountiful laughter as they could perfectly hear Fred yell "Good lord, who gets metal pieces with real knives?!"

* * *

><p>It was already past ten, and the hospital wing, as per usual, was nearly empty, except for the one occupied bed. Which incidentally, had a group surrounding it, playing a card game.<p>

Fred was laying on his stomach on said bed, on orders from Madam Pomfrey to keep any force off his rear end due to rather badly placed chess pieces, which only got him very amused giggling from his supposed friends.

"So, do you wanna go another round of Crazy Eights?" Fred asked, recollecting the stack of cards from the tray they were using at a playing surface.

"Nah, let's go for a round of Rummy," Rose said, sitting across from him on a spare stool at the foot of the bed, with both Ron and Hermione on either side of her. Sam sat besides Fred's bedside, twirling her hair with one finger in boredom. Fred obliged and began shuffling.

There were footsteps from Pomfrey's office and when they had arrived at the bed, it was Zachary, looking utterly tired out from his volunteer job as unpaid medical intern, if that's the correct term for it.

"Shouldn't you lot be at your common rooms?" Zachary asked, rubbing his eyes drowsily.

"Fred was lonely, it was too sad to leave him here all by himself," Hermione said, sitting next to Rose on another stool. "It'll just be one more game."

"Yeah, plus Harry got called up to Dumbledore's office again so there's no one to talk to in our common room anyway with the seventh years and fifth years studying anyway," Ron said. "I mean, Matt's there, but he has his own studying to do."

"Him and Alice were heading to the library last time i saw them." Rose said. "She mentioned something about looking for a book."

"Oh wow, looking for a book in the library? Who would have guessed." Fred said snarkily, grabbing the Queen card that popped out of the stack and putting it back into the stack.

"Like you've ever been in there in the first place." Rose muttered.

"Oh come on, i read all the time!" Fred said, waving her comment off.

"She means beyond those comic books of yours, Fred." Hermione said.

"Hey, that's still reading." Ron said seriously, taking some of the grapes that Madam Pomfrey had set out for Fred as a form of some nourishment.

"Are you defending that because you know you read even less than he does?" Hermione asked.

"You're too kind, really." Ron said sourly as Fred smacked him on the hand for taking his food.

Fred started giving out the cards as Rose said, "Why don't you join us, Zach? You've been too busy here, you need a break."

"Ugh, i guess you're right." Zachary said a little too enthusiastically than he liked, most likely bored out of his wits and longing for some distraction from the uneventfulness of health care.

"I know i'm right." Rose replied.

He pulled up another stool and put it next to Rose as Ron was glaring at his cards with apprehension.

However, unbeknownst to any of them, two people were walking down the hall outside, heading towards the hospital wing doors.

"Are 'yeh sure ya' should be out this late?" Matthew asked, trailing behind his petite significant other.

"I'm only dropping this off for Fred, i'm not lingering around to be chewed out by another prefect." Alice said certainly, carrying a fairly new, leather-bound book in her hand.

"Yeh mean one o' the students like yeh' that might actually be doin' their appointed title?" Matthew asked smartly.

"Hey, i'm just making a quick delivery. I'm off tonight anyway, you smartarse." Alice retorted.

Matthew giggled as they walked down the stone hall, the lit torches giving it a yellow glow.

They reached the large oak doors when Alice turned back to face him.

"Are you coming in?" she asked.

"No, i gotta deliver my own business," Matthew replied, twiddling a red envelope in his hands. "I would send my other one but i doubt my gran would appreciate bein' woken up this late at night..."

"You are fair too nice to Fred, you know that?" Alice said with a slight shake of her head, knowing perfectly well what that envelope contained.

"I know, a great personal flaw o' mine," Matthew said surely. "But the prospects o' makin' Fred cry like Evan sad was far too temptin' not to try at least."

"Oh no, my Slytherin ways are rubbing off on you." Alice said in fake concern.

"That's strange, i'm usually the one doin' the rubbin'." Matthew jested.

Alice smacked him on the arm, making him yelp and she said "Shut up!"

She fought back a small smile, blushing pink in the cheeks. "Anyway ... you think she'll agree to it?"

"I dunno, she's in London 'til August, that should be at least enough time to get one meetin' in, right?" Matthew said, still looking amused by her.

"Where's she going in August then?" Alice asked.

"Uh, Paris i think," Matthew replied. "Some mini romantic getaway wit' her new boyfriend, ya' know."

"Ah." Alice said understandingly.

Alice smiled at him. "We should go there, you know? I've never been."

"Like a holiday?" Matthew asked.

"Well, yeah. Obviously in the summer though, maybe i after a graduate so i don't miss school or you with your athletic arrangements. It'd be fun!" Alice said.

"Eh, that sounds like a plan to me." Matthew replied gladly.

"You're right it is." Alice said certainly.

Matthew grinned at her. It always is a nice sight to see her so enthusiastic about something, and at the moment she could light up all of Paris with how bright her smile was now.

He bent down and peck her on the forehead, making her scrunch her nose. "I'll see yeh tomorrow."

"Try and not get lost," Alice replied with a giggle, grabbing the hospital wing door handle with her free hand.

"Yeh kiddin'? I know this place like the back o' my hand." Matthew said back surely.

"I'm not sure about that," said a sudden voice out of nowhere. "Male redheads are notorious for being bad at directions!"

Alice made a small yelping noise and turned to her side noticing that Luna had suddenly appeared, looking as dotty as ever with her butterbeer cork necklace and wearing earrings that looked to be in the shape of silver hares, her hand on the handle of her protruding schoolbag. Ina trailed behind her, muttering something about Luna leaving her on a moving staircase as Luna went to go investigate a growling potted plant.

"O' thanks a lot," Matthew muttered.

"No, no, it's a positive!" Luna said assuredly. "It's due to how rare red hair is, less than two percent of the world's population has it, you see. It's simple biology. The fibres cloud your eternal sense. But that's alright! It just takes a little more time to adjust. Wearing your hair back though helps though. Females don't have the problem with it, of course. They're natural hunters and gathers, their hair takes little effect on them in any case."

Alice just gave her a slightly amused smile as Matthew looked baffled.

"Are you going in?" Ina asked, nudging towards the door.

"What-? Oh! Yes, i was." Alice said. "Matt was just walking over with me."

"Is he going to walk back to his common room by himself?" Luna asked.

"Uh, yea'?" Matthew replied.

Luna nodded and put her hand into her bag, and after a moment of looking through what seemed to shuffling through bright feathers and clinking marbles, she pulled out a hair band.

She held it out to him. "Take it and put your hair back. You won't lose your way with your hair out of the way."

Matthew, much like anyone else who had grown to appreciate Luna's boldness, merely followed her directions and suggestions to keep her happy. As such, he took the hair band and pulled his hair back in it until he had a little ponytail at the base of his neck, though some loose strands where hanging over his eyes.

"There you go," Luna said happily.

"Uh," Matthew said, scratching his head, surely feeling it made him look positively girly. "What are yeh lasses gonna do when i leave then?"

"Us? We're going to have a little girls' get together in there," Ina said, indicating the hospital wing doors.

"Aren't Fred an' Ron in there though?" Matthew asked.

"Again, it's a girls' night." Ina repeated.

Alice rolled her eyes playfully and swung the hospital wing door open, and as the candle light from inside the wing spilled out onto the stone corridor floor. "You two coming then?"

She turned to Matthew. "Have a nice night, alright?"

"Thanks," Matthew said. "Yeh' lot have a good one."

"Will do!" Luna said, walking into the wing with Ina after her. Alice gave him one last smile before departing after them. As Alice disappeared from view, He turned on his heel and processed back down the long corridor.

"Luna, Ina!" Fred said excitedly as the three of them walked towards his cot, with Alice closing the door behind them.

Alice made a loud cough and Fred added, "And my evil twin! How are you?"

"Quite well," Luna said, grabbing a spare stool for herself, with the other two following suit. "I got high marks on my Muggle Studies essay."

"Oh damn, she gave those back?" Fred said, looking tense all of the sudden. He had to miss a few classes purely due to the fact some of the sharp chess pieces were rather hard to remove. The Hufflepuff who owned them opted out to have them returned due to where they were removed from in the first place. Not to mention he completely half-assed his essay anyway. The effects of procrastination are cruel indeed.

"Yes she did, she gave me yours to return," Luna said, shuffling through her bag once again.

She pulled out two sheets of parchment and handed them to him. "You got a good marking on yours as well."

"What, really?" Fred asked in a surprised tone, taking the parchment from her.

Sure enough, he did get a high mark on it. And a drawn on smiley face with the words "Good job, sweetie!" written besides it. Oh Lily, you don't give a damn if you embarrass your kids or not, do you?

"Why are you surprised? You're smart, a good grade can't be that much of a rarity, is it?" Rose said.

"I don't know, usually the good grades are reserved for you two." Fred said in disbelief.

"Well, take it in stride at the very least." Alice said.

"I guess." Fred said in an unconvinced tone.

He set the pieces of parchment down on his side table.

"Oh wait, is the Divination assignment due this week?" Fred said, surely remembering the long-term assignment that was made before the winter holiday.

"Yes it is, Sir Procrastinator." Ginny said mockingly.

"Thank you for your input, Ginerva." Fred muttered. "Damn, i gotta finish mine then. Alice, let me copy off of yours."

"What? No, do your own work!" Alice snapped.

"But i don't want to." Fred said dully.

"That's your problem then." Alice said scratchingly.

"Fine then. I'll just bullshite it and see myself get the highest grade, how about that?" Fred retorted.

"You do that, Fred. It's bound to work." Ina said sarcastically.

"That's the spirit." Ron said.

Fred huffed, looking momentarily at unease before giving Alice a questioning look, noticing what was in her hands. "Hey, is that the book you were looking for..?"

"What, this? Yes, but it's not for me," Alice said, holding up the book.

She held it out to him. "It's for you."

Fred's face went into a confused expression. "A book? Really? Can't you get me something useful like Potion answers or food?"

"Just take it, you arse." Alice said in an unamused tone. "I already read it before. You'll like it."

Fred huffed and took the book from her and looked at the cover. It read 'Wizarding and World History: An Expansive Overlap (United Kingdom Edition)' by Professor Zita R. Scriven. An image of an etched in Union Jack flag was placed in the middle.

The leather bound book couldn't have been more than a year or so old, seeing as it was hardly creased in its spine, nor did it seem to have any obvious damages to it like the many other books that littered the Hogwarts library did, who have gone through years of use and abuse.

Fred flipped it open to a random page, which in fact seemed to have been dogeared by Alice (the nerve of her!) and began to read aloud.

"While a significant portion of modern Wizarding politics try to stay far from it, blood status is still an unfortunately prominent aspect within it and the Wizarding world as a whole. Regardless of how qualified or not one is for the job or to make rules, the overhang of whether your bloodlines run more wizard than not still refuses to leave. The fact of having "Pure", "Half", and "Muggle-born" still reign to this day in most wizarding registries, no matter how trivial it may be." he read.

"Well said, book." Ron said in a sort of compliment as if the author would hear it.

Zachary made a sort of unimpressed cough. "A load of rubbish, that is."

"What does that mean? You don't think there's an obvious biased against half-bloods or muggle-borns?" Hermione said, looking vexed.

"No, no. Obviously that bias is there, but the whole blood status sortings are so outdated." Zachary said.

"Oh." Hermione said, backtracking herself. "By what means?"

"Well, take it this way," Zachary started. "By all definitions, any magic abilities we or others process are more of a random gene, much like any other line of DNA in our body."

"I mean, take Sam for example," Zachary said, waving his hand at her, who in turn looked surprised she was the sudden topic for discussion, while the likes of Alice and Luna looked interested. "Her metamorphosis abilities haven't been in her family for several centuries, until they randomly popped up in her lines of DNA when her mother and father's dna combined to make her. But it's most likely that few if any of her possible descendants will carry the same gene seeing as their recessive, but there's always a small chance they can pop up in the next generation or later. You know, unless she reproduces with someone else who also carries the same gene so the chances are increased, but seeing as its something as rare as being a metamorphmagi, that situation is highly unlikely to ever happen."

"I already lucked out with Fred, i'm fine with that." Sam said without doubt.

Fred looked touched by that statement. "You're too nice to me."

"What a tragedy." Sam replied sarcastically. You'd think he'd be put off by that, but he grinned at her instead.

"Sure, but what does that have to do with blood status?" Hermione asked.

"I was getting to that." Zachary replied. "Anyway. Let's say you, Hermione. You're a Muggle-born. Are there an direct wizards or witches you descend from that you know of?"

Hermione looked doubtful. "I've only skimmed it before in my second year, but no, i couldn't find any direct ones. Actually, i couldn't find any definite wizards at all, other than some half-hearted guess work..."

"That's what i mean!" Zachary said. "So how can a Muggle-Born be, when there is no direct "source" of where said abilities came from in the first place?"

"The spectacle forces of the Moon." Luna said certainly.

"Sure, but not exactly." Zachary said.

"Then tell us then, you prat. Don't do some dramatic build-up for the next ten minutes." Fred said impatiently.

"Fine, fine." Zachary said. "What i'm saying is the blood statuses can't be accurate in this age."

"What do you mean?" Ron asked, looking dumbfounded.

"Well, i'm sure the book Alice got Fred says this, but i'll save you the hassle of having to looking for it." Zachary said. "By all accounts, several wizarding families came here around the eighth century with William the Conqueror, and other accounts also note that several have also been here even earlier than that! So, given that most of those were from nearly two thousand years ago or earlier, how can anyone actually be sure they've only reproduced with other wizards at that time or even before, when even most wizarding texts never usually recorded those facts since it wouldn't be particularly noteworthy? Even some are just assumed, since most modern records of wizarding bloodlines don't go far back enough for actual "pure blood" status to be confirmed. Hell, look at William the Conqueror too! Technically speaking, there are records that date the fact our modern Queen is descended from him, however if he and any descendants didn't branch out of an already limited pool, they would have died out centuries ago due to diseases or infertility, much like any of those so called "pure blood" families."

"That's what Sirius said!" Fred said excitedly.

He got bewildered looks.

"When did he say that?" Rose asked, sounding unconvinced.

"He said it last summer," Fred replied smartly. "I overheard him saying it to Harry, since he asked why some of the family members were smudged off the Black's tapestry. Turns out they removed blood traitors or anyone with muggle blood's names off as if they never even existed."

"See? That's i mean." Zachary said in a grateful voice, making Fred look proud of his fact. "As far as anyone is aware, much like royalty, there's more "common" blood in them than not. In fact, if i remember correctly, only two wizarding families in Britain are entirely wizarding genes and nothing else beyond it."

"Which are?" Ina asked.

Zachary frowned slightly. "I can't remember their names, but i'm sure if i see the so called "Scared List" i should be able to point them out."

"Check the book, Fred." Alice said, pointing to the book she gave him.

Fred huffed, hating being told to do things, and grudgingly opened the book to the table of contents. Listed under the "Wizards in Victorian Era to Now" section and above the "British Monarchy: The Wizarding Details" to see the section titled "Wizarding Blood Statuses".

Fred flipped to the page, seeing nothing on lists, until he flipped another page showing a list of several last names.

"Is this it?" Fred asked, showing it to Zachary.

"Yes! Here, let me get a better look." Zachary said.

Fred handed him the book and Zachary began reading it in a scrutinising fashion.

"Abbott ... Crouch ... Fawley ... Longbottom ... Yeah, none of these are proven "pure" anymore. Then again, this list was written back in the '30s, so i can get the ignorance there." Zachary said, his eyes scanning the page.

Rose looked over his shoulder and looked at the list, seeing several names written out in old, scrawled on writing which did not fit the look of the rest of the writing, giving Rose the impression it was photocopied on. The page read as follows:

The following thirty one names are considered the "Sacred Thirty" of the British wizarding community, meaning they are "free of muggle interference" and are "of the purest blood in the land".

Abbott / Avery / Black / Bulstrode / Burke / Carrow / Crouch / Fawley / Flint / Gaunt / Greengrass / Lestrange / Longbottom / Macmillan / Malfoy / Nott / Ollivander / Parkinson / Prewett / Rosier / Rowle / Selwyn / Shacklebolt / Shafiq / Slughorn / Sullivan / Travers / Wargrave / Weasley / Yaxley.

Written anonymously in 1932 (though many actually know it to be by Cantankerus Nott, who boasted frivolously about it the following month after its publication) a handful of families were furious, sending him hexed letters and messages to demand why they were not included in said list.

As modern wizarding records show, the Scared list was deemed inaccurate well into the '40s, and no new list has been produced since then. However, a select elitist pureblood families still hold it to its slapped on sacredness, much to the Ministry of Magic's dismay.

"Wait, shouldn't there be several more names on this?" Hermione asked suddenly, who seemed to have moved slightly to be looking over Zachary's shoulder as well, making Rose nearly jump from her sudden appearance.

However, Hermione paid no notice. She knew perfectly well at least Harry's family should have been on there.

"Nope. Actually, if the original maker of the list was accurate, only the Gaunts and Lestrange families would be on here, both of which have an entirely strong history of madness. Which goes to show you how effective that whole intermarriage idea was for them. Of course, he was probably one of those elitist types who just got childish about it and only put who he liked on here." Zachary said sourly. "Though frankly, you know Malfoy's father or his sister in law would throw a fit if they knew they were anything less than the purest out there."

"That sounds like a challenge." Ron said, looking tempted.

"You mean to tell me half of you berks aren't actually purebloods?" Fred asked, looking a bit betrayed.

"Yes. Sad, i know." Zachary said sarcastically. "But that's fine, it means most of them avoided marrying siblings for blood status. Plus, i doubt most of the families not included don't care. I know my family doesn't, at least."

"Okay, sure. But what does that have to do with Muggle-borns then?" Hermione asked, sounding annoyed by his sidetracking.

"Oh! I forgot, sorry. Well, what i meant by my statement earlier is that, there's physically no way Muggle-borns can exist without a magic ancestor. But also, doesn't that seem unfair that only a select handful get it while others don't?"

"Duh." Fred said. "You should hear about our aunt, she was furious only our mum got any magic abilities. Wrote to Dumbledore and everything."

"Exactly! But neither of her parents were wizards, right? Which brings me to my conclusion here," Zachary said. "The magic gene is an on and off dominant gene, while it can be recessive in others, it varies from person to person. And everyone is a carrier of it, though some have it more apparent than others, hence why most who have it dominantly, aka wizards or witches, pass it on more easily and frequently than those who don't, hence Muggle-borns, who get it when it's recessive in their parents. It's kinda like how two parents who have brown eyes and hair can produce a blue eyed, blonde haired child. It's random, but can be be produced more efficiently when both parties carry it dominantly. Which frankly that seems more of the real reason i think most wizards marry other wizards, just to keep the magic gene going since the dominant population of us is so limited anyway. Though that's only because none of them don't bother to teach the recessive ones how to tap into it, but that's their fault."

"So, what, no one is actually a pure or half blood or whatever?" Ron asked.

"If we're being truthful about it, not even close." Zachary answered. "If anything, a more accurate sorting would be "Caster" and "Non-Caster", or something like that. And technically, everyone can be a witch or wizard, it's just a matter of whether the gene is dominant or not."

"We must mock Malfoy about this." Ron said eagerly.

"That's so mean." Sam said. "Let's do it."

"How the hell do you know all that, Leon?" Fred asked, looking wary of his knowledge.

"I need something to research during free time between unhexing untrained first years after their Charm classes and giving fifth years Skele-Gro after they got into a fight over talking too loudly in the library." Zachary said simply.

"Plus, i need a topic for my thesis anyway." Zachary added a matter-of-factly.

"Like an uni thesis?" Fred asked.

"Yep. It'll get me accepted at least into Oxford, but Harvard's my safety." Zachary retorted.

"Oh! I want to attend there too!" Luna said excitedly, her corktopper necklace tinkling together. "Maybe the Zoology department is near the Medical one!"

"Let's certainly hope so." Zachary said in not nearly as much enthusiasm as she did, but she didn't seem to notice.

Fred grimaced. "Bleh, i'll avoid that, thanks."

Hermione and Ina gave him offended looks, as if he had just said an Unforgivable Curse with no remorse.

"You don't want to university after your graduate?" Ina asked, looking affronted by his statement.

"Not really. I'd rather go out and fight my way up to the top then have a bunch of pseudo filmmakers turning their noses up to my work because it's not their personal tastes." Fred replied.

"Won't your parents be disappointed in that though?" Hermione asked.

"Not when i'm thanking them in my Oscar's acceptance speech." Fred muttered back. "No, Rose and Alice already study extra in their spare time anyway. They'll be going to all the elite colleges and distracting them as i claw my way up the entertainment ladder."

"I mean damn, Alice already has Oxford and Cambridge writing her begging for her to accept a spot in their schools, which i didn't even know they did."

"Oooh, you've got the cat's luck on your side, Alice." Luna said in an impressed tone, making Alice grin at her in return.

"And Rose has at least three of those Royal colleges saying they'll save her a spot in their graduate programs because she's that good. I'm not the overachiever, they are." Fred added, ignoring his twin getting compliments instead of him.

Ron looked bemused. "Wait, your parents are making you go to university after Hogwarts?"

"No. We're not being forced into it, we want to further our education." Hermione said. "Why do you ask?"

"I dunno, i just thought after Hogwarts you'd just stay in the wizarding workforce." Ron muttered.

"No, no, we have bigger plans than that." Ina said. "Which, given the fact Hogwarts refuses to actually teach a basic educational program beyond technical skills, it just gives us more hard work in the long run. But that's fine, i think we'll need that extra willpower for the careers we want anyway. It's good practice."

"Whatever, weirdos." Sam said. "We'll just get you guys booze on your weekends from studying and exams and drag you to nightclubs, alright? After an intense summer off, of course."

"Absolutely. Good to see you're on board." Rose giggled.

"What? You're not going either?" Ina asked, looking a bit disappointed.

"I dunno. I mean, i wanted to do journalism work, but every time i do i ends up either like a poem or a made up story. I don't get why though." Sam shrugged.

"You should be a singer." Fred said nonchalantly.

Sam gave him an unconvinced look. "Says who?"

"Says me and everyone who has had the pleasure to hear your singing voice." Fred said certainly. "You can use your writings, tweak 'em a bit, and put Madonna and everyone like her to shame."

"Aw, Fred complimenting someone that's not him! How sweet." Hermione said snidely.

"I mean it! She's really good!" Fred said defensively.

Sam's face when red, the ends of her currently dark blue, pigtailed hair blushing the same hue in response.

Fred huffed. "Whatever! I stand by what i said. Anyway, we better go everywhere for your damn post-graduation holiday, okay? I haven't been out of this damn island yet and i find that ridiculous."

"We'll just roadtrip it." Alice said. "We'll drag the other Harry along with us."

Fred groaned. "Oh no, you're gonna mock me now. Wonderful."

"Which Harry do you mean?" Luna asked.

"The Prince one." Alice replied.

"Oh, you mean the shapeshifter descendants of the Royal family." Luna said in an understanding tone, nodding her head.

"The what?" Ron asked.

"Shapeshifters!" Luna said certainly. "Oh, well, i mean they have shapeshifter genes in them, but they won't show up until the early 21st century. Most likely when William has his own child. Then the werewolf genes will coming roaring back. Or barking back."

"I knew it! No one family could have lasted that long without some werewolf perseverance, whether it be good or not ." Fred said mockingly.

Alice looked pink in the face and punched Fred in the arm with a balled up fist, making him yelp and nearly fall off the bed.

"I'm being harassed!" Fred said rather loudly, looking terrified. Never underestimate the pissed off female, Frederick!

Just after he said that, Madam Pomfrey could be heard shuffling through her office. As she did so, Sam tossed a fruit from the bowl on Fred's side table and whispered "Luna, please get that."

Luna, being the sweet person she was, obliged and bent down, and as she did she was hidden from view, which when Madam Pomfrey came out in her frilly sleeping gown, she looked at the crowd at Fred's table, noticing the group surrounding him.

"Leon!" she said loudly, nearly making Zachary jump. "What are you doing?"

"Checking on a patient?" Zachary replied. "I don't count as a guest, so it's just this ... six."

Pomfrey looked at Fred, and saw he was rubbing his arm. "What's wrong, Mr Snape?"

"I punched him in the arm." Alice said.

"Merlin's beard, are you trying to break another bone of his?" Pomfrey said, looking affronted.

"He was making fun of people with inflicted lycanthropy." Alice said.

"Oh. That's understandable. Carry on then." Pomfrey retorted, looking none too concerned for Fred.

Seeing he was in no immediate pain, she huffed to herself and went back to her office. As soon as the door snapped shut, Luna popped back up, holding an orange in her hand.

"Just avoided getting two of us kicked out, you're welcome." Sam said smartly.

"And we thank you for that." Ina said.

However, as she said, Madam Pomfrey came roaring back, looking peeved.

"I nearly forgot! It's lights out now..." she started. She stopped and stared at them, counting heads. "Wait a minute, where did Ms Lovegood come from?"

"Her mother's womb, ma'am." Fred replied, nearly making Ron break out into a fit of giggles as Luna seemed to be perfectly content with that answer.

"Well, that's grand for her, but they'll have to go back to their dormitories now." Pomfrey said smartly. "Leon, please direct them back. Or have the Prefects lead them back so Mr Snape can sleep at a decent time."

"Fine, everyone follow me then." Ron said false smugness as Hermione gathered up their cards from earlier.

"Damn, i keep forgetting we have the same rank." Ina said offhandedly.

"Thank you. Let's go now." Ron said, ignoring her slightly rude comment.

Fred frowned. "Wait! Ron, deliver a message for me."

"What?" Ron asked, leaning towards him as the other gathered their things.

"Tell Harry to meet here first thing after breakfast." Fred said. "You can come too. We gotta do something tomorrow."

"During a late start day? I'm sure we do." Ron replied.

Luna stood up, and grabbed something from her overstuffed bag.

"Before i go, have this, Frederick." Luna said sweetly, and she handed him a shiny silver arrowhead, though it looked to be twice its normal size.

"Uh, what is it...?" Fred asked uncertainly, staring at it apprehensively.

"It's a Russian Cutter. It'll keep you safe from anymore pointy objects trying to hurt you." Luna said simply.

"By being another sharp object...?" Fred asked.

"It threatens other dangers away." Luna explained. "Wear it around your neck and you'll be fine."

"Oh good." Fred said as Ron looked amused beyond words. Luna smiled at him, surely knowing he was a bit unsure, but also knowing he'd accept the gift regardless.

"Have nice dreams. Don't let the Moonkissed Ieties get you down." Luna said dreamily.

"Got it." Fred said as Ron joined her to leave the hospital wing.

He stared at his gift, feeling a bit freaked out by it in nature. But after a moment, he decided why not, and yanked his shoelace off his boots, which were next to his bed. He laced it through the end opening on the arrowhead and tied it around his neck, which gleamed in the candlelight.

He had to admit, Luna was one for odd gifts, but this one was particularly strange in the fact it actually could be used in an useful way. After the initial shock, he seemed to love it.

Fred was eyeing it, wondering if it'd stab him in the jugular while he slept, but before he could think so, Pomfrey abruptly whisked her wand and the candles blew out in one swift motion.

Oh honestly, the nerve of some people!

* * *

><p>The following morning, Harry and Ron made their way back to the hospital wing, where sure enough, Fred was outside of it, waiting for the pair of them.<p>

"How's your arse?" Harry asked, walking up to the gawky Slytherin.

"I could say the same to you, Harold." Fred retorted back.

He held out the book Alice got for him to Harry, his thumb being used as a makeshift bookmark, surely to where it was to be opened. "I got something for you to read."

Harry made a grimacing face. "Ew. It's ten in the morning, it's too early for that."

"Come on, just read it." Fred said forcefully. "We have to go to your lot's common room anyway. Just read this aloud in the meantime."

"What do you need in our common room?" Ron asked as Harry apprehensively took the book from Fred and opening it to where his thumb was.

"It depends if they're there or not. Now let's go." Fred said bossily.

With a groan, Ron and Harry began following him down the corridor, although Harry was a bit more distracted by the book.

"Should i start reading this then?" Harry said as they started down the hall.

"Certainly. From the top right, if you may." Fred said.

"Fine. Let's see." Harry replied. He cleared his throat and looked for the start, and began to read aloud.

"While Wizarding History is wide and vast in nature, nearly always a group of wizards and witches have intersected into what is considered purely muggle World History, all in various different topics. Of course, the idea it was only muggles doing so is merely a half-truth. Wizards have always been around, just sometimes not always as prominent as their muggle acquaintances. The history of the United Kingdom is no less affected by wizards and witches as any other time or place in the world.

While they've been here for centuries before, more notable wizarding families came to England with William the Conqueror, the first English king, and have subsequently have mingle with royalty and nobility for centuries afterwards. However, the wizarding genetics did not come into play in royalty well after King William was long dead.

Historically speaking, the earliest known royal witch was Anne Boleyn, one of the six wives of Henry the Eighth. Widely considered an exceptional witch, she seemed to have given up most magic altogether during her marriage, but in her ill-fate and lack of grandchildren from her daughter, Elizabeth (some considered the fact that she refused marriage so often was due to a jinx laid in place by Lucius Malfoy the First, but several historians have disproven this rumour due to fact it was made popular to undervalue Elizabeth's commitment to her country, and to boast Malfoy's magical skills, neither of which were properly truthful) no wizarding genes passed on until Anne's former husband's great-grand nephew, James the Sixth of Scotland, whom by random chance had dominant magical genes in his bloodline, came to power."

"Oh, this author is cheeky. Isshe right about Amne Boleyn then?" Harry giggled.

"Well, i was a good witch!" said a shrill voice, and they looked to the left to reveal a painted portrait of Anne Boleyn there, looking enraged she's only be a "rumoured" witch, her famous "B" necklace sparkling in the image's light source.

"We know that now!" Ron said to the painting.

"And don't you forget it! Henry may have taken my head, but i gave him infamy." she said acidly.

"You sure did! Now keep reading." Fred replied as Ron was biting back a laugh besides him at this new Malfoy fun fact.

They began walking again, ignoring Boleyn's ranting of a hurt neck and "that ungrateful, plumb fool" as Harry began to read again, going up one set of stairs.

"While the British royals did have magical lineage for years after that, it in effect died out once again soon after Anne (of the newly formed Union of Great Britain and Ireland) produced no surviving heirs, and her German cousins seemed to show no sign of magic in them. However, much to the displeasure of her controlling mother but to the exuberance of her uncle, William the Fourth, the future Queen Victoria showed early on talents in conjuring up charms and potion brewing when she was supposed to be in her studies. As such, with her presumed half-blood husband, Prince Albert, each of their nine children processed strong aptitude towards magical endeavours, including The Princess Royal, who was keen to Astronomy even during her German Empress years, Prince Arthur, who was a master dueler, and even Princess Beatrice, who along as her mother's personal secretary, was an avid magical historian. Through the eight who produced offspring, the magical gene swiftly found its way into several royal families. As such, only a handful still retain said gene to this day, which are listed below. (Where said wizarding education (in regards to which was the overall choice for magical royal children to attend) are also included):

- Belgian (Britymnur Institute of Ancient Magery, Belgium)

- British (Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Scotland, UK)

- Danish (Terranthis Academy of Magic, Denmark)

- Dutch (Tyriatica School of Alchemy, The Netherlands)

- Japanese (Imperial University of Witchcraft, Japan)

- Luxembourg (Estenia Institute, Luxembourg)

- Swedish (Lithasion Academy, Sweden)

Several of the above schools are a part of the Wizarding EU Schooling Division, which are headed by the Ministers of Education in their respective country's Ministries of Magic. There was never any precedent that any royal child had to go to these schools, seeing as many were taught by special tutors. As such, for those who did attend, they were also required to learn as well what muggles studied, both for their own good of self and country, and to be well-rounded beyond just spells and charms. However, as of 1950 (in agreement from still ruling heads of state), all titled royalty (HRH or higher) in still reigning monarchies were barred from attending for security reasons, both for their own safety, and as to not threaten the Secrecy agreement anymore due to increased media scrutiny post WWII. Any non-titled descendants who do possess magical abilities can attend, however, as they breach no form of the agreement.' Well isn't that special treatment in a weird, reversed kinda way." Harry said.

"Yeah, yeah. Keep going." Fred said, as they stalked up another set of stairs before turning down another corridor, where someone's fluffy golden cat was lounging about in front of a mouse hole.

"By the 20th century, there is no official record of how any reigning royalty currently possess any magical abilities. Though are records that Queen Elizabeth and her sister, Princess Margaret, both attended and finished Hogwarts well before the extended Secrecy agreement was put into place, while several of their titled cousins (including their British cousins Princess Alexandra, Prince Richard, Prince Edward, Prince William, and Prince Michael) and cousins around Europe, did not, just barely missing it by only a few years in some cases."

"Ha, tough break there." Ron said, looking over his shoulder slightly Harry.

"Now that isn't very nice." said a high voice, and he turned around to see Fred had lead them to the opening of the Gryffindor Tower.

The Fat Lady looked unamused. "Why be mean to those poor few who couldn't attend due to some silly rules?"

"I dunno, i didn't mean it like that." Ron said hastily.

"Whatever, you can bicker with her later." Fred said, waving Ron off. "Please let us in."

"What's the password then?" The Fat Lady said, crossing her arms.

"Adeliwen." Harry said, snapping the book shut.

"Correct." The Fat Lady said, and she swung open to reveal the opening.

"The hell kinda password is that?" Fred muttered as Ron stepped through the hole in the wall.

"Never you mind. I shouldn't even let you in." The Fat Lady said at him.

"You've let my sisters in before!" Fred said defensively.

"Who's the door keeper here, me or you?" she retorted.

Fred huffed, and walked through the opening, with Harry trailing just behind him as the portrait swung back shut after he got his other foot over the threshold.

"Alright, where's Greenley? I gotta ask him a few questions." Fred said, looking around the scarlet and gold decorated common room, his hands on his hips.

"Found him." Ron said, pointing to the sofa just in front of the fireplace. Sure enough, he was there, sound asleep with his school bag besides him on the ground, and having a book with its sleeve taken off in his hand.

"Aw," Fred said, standing over him for once. "Like a sleeping angel. Adorable. I'll wake him up."

Fred raised his hand dramatically, but Harry grabbed his wrist to stop him.

"No, you berk! Don't you know the school motto?" Harry said, looking shocked. "Never tickled a sleeping dragon."

"Listen, just because his family's animal is a dragon doesn't make him one, he is no all-too-literal Targaryen, now is he?" Fred said seriously, grabbing Harry's hand off of his wrist with his free hand. "And i won't tickle him."

"What then?" Ron asked.

"I'm going to smack him. Difference." Fred said as if that was completely obvious.

Before Harry would interject, Fred threw his arm down quickly, smacking Matthew on the face. He gasped awake and nearly fell off the sofa, his book falling to floor as he looked startled.

"O' my god, who in the bloody fu-" he gasped, his hand on his face in pain.

He caught sight of Fred looking down at him, grinning from ear to ear.

"O'," he said lowly. "It's you."

"Hey, i'm the attractive twin, this should be a lovely wake up call." Fred said seriously, staring down at him with a wicked grin on his face.

"No, ya' look just like yer dad, it's terrifyin'." he said groggily.

Fred looked at Harry while pointed at Matthew. "Can you get a load of this guy? Saying my dad is scary. As if."

"Mate, you just told us yesterday he can fly without a broom, he is scary." Harry said.

Fred frowned slightly. "Oh my god, you fly around a few times without magic aid and sometimes refuse to go out in the sun and suddenly you're scary vampire, is that what you mean?"

"Yes, that is literally what i mean!" Harry said crossly.

"Whatever, you scared eejit." Fred said mockingly.

He turned back to Matthew. "Why'd you get scared like that, Greenley? You nearly flung yourself onto the ground like a fish outta water."

"I have a lot o' cousins who attack me awake an' i'm usually a pretty heavy sleeper 'til they jump on me, it's a bad combination." he said warily.

Matthew propped himself on one elbow and rubbed his eye with his free hand. "Can i go back to sleep now? What ya' want from me?"

"No you cannot." Fred said. He gave Matthew a questioning look. "Why were you sleeping on the sofa for anyway? It's ten in the morning, you should be in class at the very least! And your dorm is just twenty feet away, you could be sleeping in right now instead of on this lumpy thing."

"Well, i didn't feel like goin' to History o' Magic today since half o' my class is avoidin' it today since he's goin' over elfin naming customs again fer the umteenth time this month! So why not get another hour in instead. An' i didn't get enough sleep last night anyway so i didn't want to have to re-take my clothes off to snooze off, an' sleepin' on the couch forces me to not be a creature o' habit." Matthew replied.

"How dare you say that." Ron said, looking legitimately offended. "Be a creature of habit. Be free from clothing restraints like the real Scotsman you are."

"Ron has a very valid point there." Harry agreed.

"Sod off, both o' ya'." Matthew said grumpily, only making the pair of them look more amused than before.

"Why'd you stay up for?" Fred asked complacently. Did he and Alice sneak out again? Honestly! They get more use out of the Room of Requirements than Dumbledore's Army and the past decade's student body have combined, those little deviants.

"I was readin'." Matthew replied simply. "Which i'm certain is on the ground now after ya' bloody scared me awake, thank you very much."

"Oh." Fred said. Well, that's anticlimactic.

Fred bent down and grabbed Matthew's book by the cover, and upon seeing the inner front

page, saw the following written in swirled, bright blue ink: 'Til min gudsøn. Tillykke med fødselsdagen! - Tante Margarethe'

"Greenley, your book is broken, someone wrote in gibberish on the inside cover." Fred said, having absolutely no idea what it said.

"It's a gift from my other godmum in Denmark." Matthew said, looking peeved. "It's in Danish."

"You have two godmothers? Show off." Ron said.

"Do we know a Danish Margarethe, hmm?" Fred asked.

"Probably not." Matthew replied, sitting up properly now.

"Add her to our list of "People to get dirt on Greenley" list, will you?" Fred said snidely at that information, making Harry and Ron giggle, before flipping to a random page in the book, which had a doodle of a highly detailed sword drawn on it, which oddly looked like a cross, looking down to see the following written:

'You are very mysterious! What are you afraid of?'

'I am not certain, so I will say no more. I may be able to tell you something when I come back. I

am going off at once: so this is good-bye for the present.' He got up.

'At once!' cried Frodo. 'Why, I thought you were staying on for at least a week. I was looking

forward to your help.'

"Oh hold on," Fred said, sounding scandalised. "Is this Lord of the Rings?"

"Who wants to know?" Matthew retorted, blushing pink.

"It is!" Fred said gleefully, seeing a sentence about Gandalf just below the previously read excerpt.

"It's a good series, okay? Margarethe got it fer me since it's her favourite fer my birthd - Wait, I don't have to explain myself to ya'!" Matthew said defensively.

"Is Alice aware she's dating a nerd?" Fred asked sarcastically.

"Aren't ya' the one who cries 'bout dragons an' Doctor Whatever his name is?" Matthew asked scathingly.

"Yeah, but i'm lanky and non-threatening, it works for me," Fred answered. "You're supposed to be an airhead who only cares about sports and shite."

"O' wow, i can only have one interest, got it." Matthew retorted, grabbing his bag from the floor.

"Why are yeh here fer anyway? Don't ya' have class or somethin'?" he asked, annoyed.

"Oh! Thanks for reminding me!" Fred said, much to Matthew's dismay. "I was gonna ask to talk to your gran myself! You know, so i can convince her myself to at least get a free tour of Buckingham."

"You have such an one-track mind, Fred." Harry said.

"You would know, Harold." Fred replied back.

"O', lovely," Matthew said, pushing himself into standing. "I gotta give her somethin' anyway. I'll just Floo powder it over an' ya' can use that."

"That can work." Fred retorted, much to the peeved look on Matthew's face.

Matthew walked over to the fireplace, with other three following him. However, for a moment he looked slightly discouraged.

"Damn, i forgot the powder!" he said. "Do any o' yeh have any-"

As he said that, Fred yanked a small bag of Floo powder from his robe pocket, getting him surprised looks.

"Why do you have that on hand?" Ron asked apprehensively.

"My dad doesn't need it since my mum teaches here now, thus making no use for him to have it, so why shouldn't i have it just in case of an event like this?" Fred explained simply. "It's the expensive shite too, it can't always be used whenever. This is a special occasion!"

"That's weird, but fine, hand it over." Matthew said. Fred obliged and Matthew grabbed a small handful and tossed it into the fireplace, which grew a set of flames, which glowed bright green. Ministry security measures sure weren't that effective, were they? Then again, how many students had Floo powder on hand anyway?

They bent down, and Matthew said into the fire. "Hello? Please connect to 10 Stirling Road, Calmarnock, Glasgow, Scotland." Matthew said officially.

The flames ruffled, and then a voice began in a thick accent saying, "'Ello, who be callin'?"

"Granddad, it's me." Matthew said.

"Who's 'me'? I know o' no one named that." Granddad Greenley went, making the three besides Matthew giggle.

"Come on! It's Matthew. I wanna speak to gran." He retorted.

"I only accept goin' by her approved names, lad." His grandfather's voice said.

Matthew sighed, knowing there was no way out of that. "Little Red would like to speak to gran. There, better?"

"Righto! I'll have her over in just a bit." His grandfather said excitedly.

The flames fluttered and went silent.

"'Little Red'? Really?" Harry laughed.

"My dad's Big Red, shut up." Matthew said, blushing pink.

"She must not mean it literally then. You're taller than him now." Ron giggled.

"Yea', yea', very funny." Matthew muttered. He was going to regret this, wasn't he?

The flames flickered, and after a moment the image of a pretty, older woman with her dark hair in an curly tipped updo appeared.

"Matty! I thought Felix was joking! You messaged for once! How are you, dear?" she said sweetly, differing herself some the shrewd tone she had back in December.

"I'm good, thanks." Matthew replied.

Fred pushed against Matthew's shoulder, which in turn made Ron and Harry do the same to be more in view.

"Hi Granny Greenley!" Harry said, waving at the flames.

"O', um, ya' remember my friends from Christmas, right?" Matthew said hastily, waving his hand at them.

"Oh yes. The redhead who nearly ate all the food, the one who Zara nearly killed, and the tall one who was trying his best to not be adopted by one of your cousins. Yes, i remember." Marceline said cooly.

"And i am regretfull that never came into fruitation." Fred said in an actually polite tone. Good god, who possessed him into being nice for once?

"Oh you'd like that, wouldn't you? Well, if they like you you're basically in the family anyway. Don't be surprised if you're invited to more gettogethers in the future." She replied.

"Hopefully with more cute girl cousins there." Rom said.

"And we will all eagerly look that prospect," Fred said, smacking Ron on the back by stretching his long arm behind Harry to do so. "Ma'am, can i clear up a few questions i have? Your grandson won't do it for me."

She gave Matthew a scandalised look. "Red, are you being mean to your friends?"

"He was bein' pushy an' askin' fer dirty details, don't trust him." Matthew retorted.

"How rude, can you believe him?" Fred said, shaking his head and holding up Matthew's stolen book. "First he reads Lord of the Rings and then he accuses me!"

Matthew snatched the book back from Fred. "Sod off! I don't make fun o' yer interests!"

"It's funnier when it's you though." Ron said.

"Thank you fer that, Ron, really." Matthew seethed, shoving the book back in his bag.

"Well, beyond your bickering, ask away, dear." Marceline said, cutting them off. "Felix and i don't have our weekly date 'til twelve, so i have some free time for now."

"Aw." Harry and Ron said in unison.

"Oh good! Thank you!" Fred said politely, making Ron and Harry give him shocked looks that he was actually being respectful. Maybe he was being controlled by a kind demon.

"Lovely, yer gonna Alastair Burnet my gran." Matthew jested, looking put off by it.

"Whatever! Get your thing done first then, you prat." Fred snapped.

"What'd you need to do?" Marceline asked.

"O' damn, yea'." Matthew said. "I nearly forgot. Here, i gotta give yeh' somethin'."

He reached into his bag, and after a moment pulled out a blue envelope, which had an official looking wax seal on it.

Marceline stepped back, making her disappear from view as Matthew put the letter into the flames, which too disappeared. After a moment she was back in view.

"Can ya' give that letter to Auntie Liz, please?" Matthew asked. "I was gonna send it last night, but i didn't wanna disrupt any o' yer' sleep schedules."

"And he was probably too busy re-reading whatever Frodo was doing." Harry giggled.

"Very funny." Matthew said, red in the face.

"Of course, dear. She always likes letters from you." she replied nicely.

"How grand for you, getting to causally call the Queen "Auntie"," Fred fumed. "Is it nice? She's not even related,you arse."

"If yer' nice you can get to that level o' causality too." Matthew pointed out.

Fred gave him a narrowed look. "Okay, you got a good point there, Greenley."

"Anyway," Marceline said. "What were you going to ask me...?"

"Oh, yeah," Fred said, snapping back into mode. "Okay, well, you can blame your grandon not telling me a goddamn thing, but you went here with the Queen, right?"

"Just before the barring, yes." she replied.

"How'd that go? Wouldn't everyone have been clamouring to be her friend while you went here?" Fred asked.

"Not really, actually. It seemed most caught on fairly quickly they were just like any other students and left them alone, though there was always a few stragglers. Plus Elizabeth is very easy to get aling with, she'd sneak over from her dorms to mine late at night and we'd go about the castle." Marceline explained.

"Really now?" Harry said seriously. "What house were you two in?"

"Me? I was in Slytherin." Marceline said.

Fred's face went into a displeased smile. "Really? Her damn mother-in-law is a Slytherin and Matt's mum has to get pissy with us because we're in that house too!"

"Martha? No, no, she doesn't hate Slytherins." Marceline said. "Though, she has had a lot of personal heartbreak before, and i know certain Slytherins might have helped with that but - No, i shouldn't get into it, that's my mother's job to not divulge private matters."

"Would it be too sad?" Fred asked.

"About so." she said.

"Ok, i won't press that on then." Fred replied.

"What house was Liz in, then?" Matthew asked, surely to move the conversation off whatever was wrong with his mother.

"Elizabeth was a Hufflepuff. Her sister was a few years under us and was in Slytherin with me." Marceline said.

"Oh no, we must never let Evan know that." Ron said direly. "He won't shut up about it until he dies."

"Fine, we tell him then we kill him before he can annoy us." Fred said simply.

He got disturbed looks.

"What? I'm not above throwing any of you under the bus for my own comfort." Fred said.

"Do you mean that figuratively or literally?" Ron asked, sounding concerned.

"Both." Fred replied.

"Lovely." Harry said, sounding unphased.

"Wasn't she a Head Girl, though?" Matthew asked, ignoring Fred's pseudo-murder plans.

"Oh yes she was! I should know, she kept giving this one Slytherin boy misdemeanors because he wouldn't leave me alone." Marceline said a matter-of-factly. "Little devil, he was. Just because all the girls liked him and he had a mini army of cronies to fawn over him along with the professors made him think he could do whatever he wanted! Well, Elizabeth took care of that, that's for sure. She never let his Prefect status excuse him from punishment."

"Wait," Harry said, the gears in his head clicking around for once. "Let me guess, a tall, handsome fellow, dark hair and eyes? Kinda got a red eye colour when pissed off? Obsessive over power?"

"That's does sound awfully similar to him. How'd you know?" Marceline said.

"Well he keeps trying to kill me." Harry answered boredly. "Just has a lot less hair and good looks by this point, though."

Ron gave Marceline a scandalised look, then to Harry, then back to her.

"You-Know-Who was in your year?!" Ron said frantically.

"Is that what he's calling himself now? What happened to Lord whatsit...?" Marceline asked.

"Everyone thinks it's too taboo to say Volde-" Harry started. Fred and Ron shuddered and Harry added, "Eh, you know what i mean."

"Ah well, i guess he was," Marceline said. "Didn't think he'd end up like that though."

"Oh wow." Fred said, not looking sure how to process that information. See, now why wouldn't Greenley want to divulge that fun fact?

"Damn, really?" Matthew said, sounding surprised. Okay, maybe he was genuinely unaware of that then. Damnit man, be on your A-game here!

"Yes, we were both in the same year." Marceline said, looking to be reminiscing. "I remember early on after her sister's sorting he'd track her down in the common room asking to join him and his "friends" but i thought he was a bit dodgy and advised her to avoid him at all costs, which she dix. He didn't seem to want to back off until her sister chewed him out and he just gave up with his tail between his legs."

Fred held his hand out to Matthew. "Respect."

Matthew smacked Fred's hand in response. "Respect."

"Maybe he wanted some royal backing to his plans, eh?" Ron said.

"Hardly! He'd mock them all the time after they refused him, always going about them having stolen their powers and never being able to live up to his prowess. I got defensive as if they were my own sisters." Marceline seethed, looking angered at the thought. "Honestly, what'd he'd expect he'd get out of either of them after that? Plus, he was just a mean, cruel boy. His "friends" were more scared of him than not, and he mistreated every girl that tried to cozy up to him. That didn't stop them from making fun of me as added fun, not to mention it was fairly obviousi fancied Felix so he was an easy target as well."

"Well, i fancied him since he brought asked me out for a Christmas dance and gave me a bracelet as a gift, but he doesn't need to know that." Marceline added hastily, looking as if she was blushing, though the green flames in which she was projected in did not reflect that so well.

"Aw, that sounds oddly familiar." Fred said in a joking fashion, patting a blushing Matthew on the back.

"Hardly, we're on grandchild ten with Little red's newest sibling." Marceline said. "And first girl, thank god. Do you know how mad it is having nine boys over at our home? Richard and Birgitte next door are at least nice enough to put up with it, but i'm not so certain that will hold up given Ramsay's three trying to take one of their statues for their own."

"Hey, i try to behave at least." Matthew said defensively. "I can't speak fer Uncle Ram's trio, though."

"No, they're too much like their father for that." Marceline said, shaking her head slightly.

"Bloody hell, why do you have nine grandkids?" Ron asked.

"Well, i really wanted a girl," she answered. "So, of course, i ended up with four boys."

"Get back to my mum on that when you add another two." Ron said.

"At least you got a sister then." Harry said.

"Well, i was already a grandmother when my youngest was barely eleven, so i'm fairly certain my urge to have more went out the window by then." Marceline said in an unamused tone. "I mean really, i get one son who luckily found his soulmate when they were young and had a child early right out of school, while i have another who had three kids from three different women! At least he took responsibility for them, mind you, but still... My mother nearly fainted when she found out!"

"At least you're not a great grandmother then, right?" Harry said.

"That is certainly one positive way to look at it." Marceline replied.

"Plus, girls have it so much harder for no damn reason." Harry added.

"I suppose that makes sense. But that never stopped me from at least thinking "It's bound to be a girl this time" after i had Ethan and Benjamin," Marceline said.

"And what happened?" Ron asked, looking already certain what the answer would be.

"I got my lovely rascal, Ramsay, thank you very much." Marceline replied. "Then after Hugh was born i realised it was best not to keep pushing my luck."

"Did you wish really hard?" Ron asked.

"Son, there was a lot of hard things involved in that situation and i still got four boys." Marceline retorted.

"Ew." Matthew said, looking slightly disturbed.

"Oh like you aren't the same way with your girlfriend!" Marceline snapped back.

"I try not to be so blunt about it!" Matthew said, red in the face.

"You and him wish, you know how my dear sister met him?" Fred said, crossing his arms. "He was supposed to be talking to me but got distracted by her! So by all means, i'm the one who should be all cozied up to him instead! I'm the cuter twin anyway, she's just short and angry."

"And still taller than Harry!" Ron added despite the offended look on Harry's face.

"It comes with the territory." Marceline said, cocking her head to the side. "Although she towers over me."

"Gran, yer are barely 158, everyone towers over ya'." Matthew said.

"Don't rub it in!" she retorted.

"Wow Fred, i thought we shared something special." Harry said dramatically.

"You're better than Greenley anyway, Harold." Fred said sweetly, making Harry smile at him cheekily.

"Both o' you are dreadful, more like it. A true match love made." Matthew said snarkily.

"Still cute though." Ron said, purely to make Fred and Harry happier.

Marceline smiled at them. "Aw, how adorable! You two remind me a bit of Ethan and Calcifer."

Ron snorted. "What the hell kinda name is "Calcifer"?"

"I don't know, what kind of name is "Ronald"?" Marceline said snidely.

Ron's mouth went into a thin line. "Matt, your grandmother is mocking me."

"Good." Matthew said, sounding unfazed by that.

"Who is Calcifer though?" Harry asked, genuinely wondering.

"And is he cute, more importantly." Fred added.

"Really? Red, you tell them." Marceline said certainly.

Matthew looked stumped. "I dunno who that is, gran."

"Oh," Marceline said, looking a bit surprised by that statement. "Well, he was your father's best friend, Red."

"'Was'? What do you mean 'was'?" Fred said warily, though even he was certain he already knew the answer to that question.

"He died a while ago, actually." Marceline said in a sad tone. "Don't you know about that? It was nearly a week after what happened to Potter's family."

"Must of been some vengeful follower." Harry said, his temper flaring up. It only made him realise attacks like this would flare back up with Him back.

"No?" Matthew said weakly. "When did that happen?"

"Ah well, it happens years ago, the four of you were just toddlers then," Marceline began. "If i remember right, it was after the Longbottoms were incapacitated, which i'm sure you know must know of...?"

"Yeah, we know about that." Harry said crestfallenly.

"Very unfortunate what happened to them," Marceline said in a downcast voice. "But anyway, after they were put under care, the ones who did that to them were out for more inflicting misfortune on others before they could be captured, which sadly where our poor Calcifer comes into play. He was always this big anti-prejudice fellow, you know? Very much opposing whatever Lestrange and her partners were for, as were most of the people they targeted in those days. By what i know, that woman was leading them, and she had always had a problem with Cal for whatever reason. She ended up massacring him and nearly all his children out of some sort of petty jealousy and rage."

"She would." Ron said acidly, looking disgusted as Harry's mouth hung open in shock besides him.

"Yes, she's always been a very brutal woman. But, i do know that at least two or three of his children did escape, luckily. They had several, seven i think. Though, only one was because he was sent to be taken care by another family friend in the meantime because he was attacked by a werewolf sometime earlier, so he wasn't caught in any of the crossfire, thankfully." Marceline said. "Poor things for his surviving siblings, though, no child should have to go through that. Only one was a baby should they won't remember any of it, the other was at least eleven, though."

"No they don't." Harry muttered woefully.

"What's even worse is after that whole thing happened, Ethan tried to at least get custody of the one who was bitten since the other two seemed to have disappeared, but dear ol' Carol, that was their friend, was too upset over it since her husband was caught in the line of fire trying to help as well that she just plain out refused to hand the little one over. Honestly, Ethan's his godfather, why disrespect his parents' wishes to have him cared by someone they trusted their child's welfare onto just because you're blaming them for something they didn't cause?" Marceline ranted.

She sighed. "But then again, i think Ethan was too distraught afterwards to really press the matter on. I'm not sure he's ever really come to terms with it even after all this time. Really, you know that's why he retired from Quidditch, just too scared over the welfare of his kids to keep going on, and that incident most likely only confirmed his fears. But, it must be unimaginable to lose so many friends in one go like that, they were like family in everything but blood."

"Do we know any of them?" Ron asked.

"I'd think so! The nearly youngest one should be in your year," Marceline replied. "You know a Salvatore, right?"

"Salvatore? No, i don't think so." Harry shrugged. "What'd they look like?"

"Hmm, the last time i saw them was when the were just a year old, but he had really shaggy dark hair and the biggest pair of icy blues of the lot." Marceline said in a thoughtful tone. "Really cute baby, Little Red would hug him a lot. I have pictures of that somewhere..."

A sudden sense of realisation went over over the four of them.

"Uh, ma'am, if i can ask," Ron said. "What was uh, 'Cal's' wife's maiden name?"

"Eh, Haskell, i believe." Marceline replied. "Why?"

"Oh, well that clears a few questions up then." Ron said, sounding stunned.

"And raises a few more." Harry said.

Fred turned to Matthew, who looked as if someone had just told him someone in his family had just died. Of course, that is basically what she did say, even if it was nearly seventeen years after the fact and not related by blood.

"You know, i only wanted to talk to her because i wanted to know if she could introduce me to Mick Jagger or Elton John, but this is much more interesting." Fred said to break the tension.

"Please shut up." Matthew said dejectedly.

"Okay, got it." Fred said, not pressing on with it.

"Yeah, we know him, just goes by Haskell though." Harry said. "He just never mentioned his actual last name."

"Well, the Salvatores always have been a bit of a big name, so maybe that's why. Haskell is less attention grabbing." Marceline said. "Is he alright at least? That guardian of his never seemed too keep any of us up to date with him."

"Oh yeah, he's dating the girl who stabbed me in the leg with a fork at Yule Ball and hardly ever goes to class." Fred jested .

"That's ... nice, i suppose." Marceline said awkwardly.

She glanced at Matthew, who looked utterly downhearted. "You alright?"

"No, not really." Matthew responded despairingly. "Dad never mentioned any o' this to me."

She frowned. "It probably brings up too many bad memories for him."

"I know, but i dunno, i feel guilty now," he said, crossing his arms. "I've known my dad's dead best friend's son fer the past three years an' haven't even gotten to have a basic friendly conversation wit' the guy beyond just recently."

"Dear, i'm not sure you're aware of this but if my guess is right here, you Greenleys always seem to come back with Salvatores at some point, just complications can rise up along the way." Marcelines said. "You never know what'll happen."

"And yet through all of that they both still fancy my sister over me of all people," Fred said contemptuously. "Honestly, how many people besides blood relatives and gay men don't have some sort of crush on her?!"

"I don't." Harry said certainly.

"I know, i was including you in my besides examples, you berk." Fred said snidely.

Matthew rolled his eyes. Really, he can't have a family relation meltdown of apparently long lost near best friends and dead parental cohorts without Fred making it about himself?

"O' shite," he muttered. "What time is it?"

"Ten thirty." Ron said, looking at his multi-stared watch.

"Damnit, i have class." Matthew groaned, rubbing his eyes that looked as if ready to cry (perhaps at the information his grandmother had just divulged?). He stood up, grabbing his bag and throwing it on over his shoulder.

"Please give Auntie that letter if ya' can." he said. "I have to go have an existential crisis in Defence class now."

"Sorry about that, i never knew neither of your parents or brother never mentioned it..." Marceline frowned guiltily.

"Mike used to shove me in closets an' make me walk home in the rain 'cause he didn't feel like babysittin' me ever, i doubt he'd give a damn if i knew anythin', now would he?" Matthew said crossly.

"What an arse." Fred said, scrunching up his nose in disgust, which only made Marceline look more concerned than anything.

"I'm leavin'. Goodbye." Matthew said lowly. "Say hi to granddad fer me, please."

"Will do, dear." Marceline said, nodding his off, still looking a bit sad.

Matthew did a sort of salute and treaded away, swinging open the portrait hole and disappearing into the corridor beyond.

"Damn, we better go too then, Slughorn will be mad if we're late." Harry said, pushing himself back up

"Yeah, we better get our bags then." Ron said, following suit. "Bye, Mes Greenley."

"I'd prefer "Marcy", personally. We can continue this conversion later in the summer, though." she said.

"We can what?" Fred asked, looking momentarily distracted.

"Nothing. Bye dears." Marceline said quickly, before the bright green flames engulfed her image before blowing out completely.

"Damn, always with the quick goodbyes." Ron frowned. "You coming, Fred?"

Fred looked to be daydreaming.

"Fred?" Ron asked again, poking him in the shoulder, which snapped him out of it.

"Come on, we're going." Ron said. "And we can't just let a Slytherin stay in here unsupervised."

"Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence." Fred jeered.

He stood up, towering over the pair of them.

"Have fun blowing up the dungeons. I have something to do." Fred said, striding towards to portrait hole.

"Like go to class?" Harry said.

Fred huffed. "Good joke, Harry, really."

The portrait hole swung open, and like Matthew before him, Fred disappeared into the corridor beyond.

As the Fat Lady's portrait sealed the Gryffindor tower's opening once more behind him, Fred trudged down the hall, a target in mind.

He went down one of the many moving staircases, until which he ended up on the Third floor, where he knew perfectly well who he wanted to see was there.

Fred walked down the corridor quickly, which upon a turn, sure enough saw Alice patrolling with her school bag over her shoulder, looking over at a painting of an extravagant group on safari. Which guessing by how closely she was staring at it, she seemed distracted enough for him to sneak up on her.

As such, he went down towards her as quickly and silently as he could, until he was standing over her.

However, he went to grab her shoulders to scare her, just barely making a shadow over her and touching the top of her shoulders, she suddenly turned around and, perhaps in a moment in instinct and without thinking of who it was (or not even caring), she grabbed his wrists and yelled, twisting his arms into a painful angle and throwing him onto the ground with a sharp flip, the air from his lungs being pushed out in one quick swoop. Fred was nearly thrown into the safari painting, making the inhabitants yelp in fear while their neighbouring paintings laugh in entertainment.

Alice stood over him, her hands still on his wrists and her hair hanging over, causing a shadow over Fred's face. A sharp pain was going through his wrists, feeling as something was digging into him with a set of thin knives.

She glared at him, her eyes having an odd yellow gleam to them, before turning back to their dark brown when she realised who it was, the pain in his wrists suddenly alleviating. "What the - Fred, what are you doing?"

"I dunno, on the ground because you FLIPPED ME OVER?!" Fred said, still gasping for air. "You nearly threw me into the wall!"

"You scared me!" Alice snapped at him.

"YOU FLIPPED ME OVER! I HAVE A MEDICAL CONDITION!"

"Besides the point, what are you doing?" Alice said. "Shouldn't you be in class?"

"Shouldn't you?" Fred asked back.

"I have Prefect duty, i get an excuse out of it." Alice replied smartly. "You don't even have your school bag with you!"

"Whatever! I can get it later! I was busy having a lovely conversation with your boyfriend and his granny via Floo Powder anyway, duh." Fred said sarcastically.

"What - really? What'd you talk about?" she asked, not seeming remotely concerned over that.

"Oh you know, finding out apparently Haskell's dad was best friends with Greenley's dad and some old bitty named Carol, whoever that is, refused to hand the little guy over after his family got fucking MURDERED since your future father in law is his godfather and if we had it the right way Branin would be your boyfriend's annoying best friend slash kinda brother who always make ill-timed remarks at you and would probably be way nicer to hang around with and his technically real last name is Salvatore. You know, the usual." Fred said quickly.

Alice stared at him for a moment, before yanking him up by his wrists into a standing position. She let go of him, which caused Fred to rub his wrists, since there were indentions on his skin, and some blood was coming out slightly from the marks.

"I feel like i should be surprised by this, but i'm not." Alice said calmly.

She thought for a moment. "Is he really supposed to be a Salvatore?"

"Yeah well, we've had pretty much five years full of shocking revelations, why become surprised now, right?" Fred said, flinching somewhat at the pain in his wrists.

"Come on, let's go get your bag." Alice said. Fred huffed, still rubbing his wrists, and followed her as she went down the corridor back to the stairs.

"What were you asking his grandmother anyway?" Alice asked as they went down the stairs before it began to move.

"I wanted to know if she could introduce me to any famous people she must know." Fred said obviously.

Alice gave him an unamused look. "Really, i can never tell if you want to meet The Queen or The Beatles more."

"Listen, if i get a chance to met Paul McCartney, i'll gladly do it before i can met Her Majesty, okay? I gotta have my priorities." Fred said seriously as the stairs stopped and they went back on their way.

"I think they do hang around McCartney, actually." Alice said. "He's got knighted back March, didn't he?"

Fred groaned, putting his hands on his face. "Oh my god, i should have known this. I'm so dumb."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Why are you beating yourself up for? You don't have to know everything."

"I know, but i want some bragging rights over either you or Rose." Fred said.

He grabbed his wrist and rubbed it, his brows furrowed. "Oh my god, what's wrong with your hands? They broke the skin!"

She looked at her hands, which looked completely ordinary. "Sorry, sometimes when i get on the defence i claw out."

Something clicked in Fred's brain. "Oh no, are you a werewolf? Am i gonna wolf out now? Am i marked? What the hell, Alice? I will not have Branin as my pack leader! Lupin maybe - "

"I'm not a werewolf!" Alice snapped, making one of the paintings near them yelp at her sudden outburst.

"Oh," Fred said, losing his dramatic edge. "Why you have claws for then, weirdo?"

"I can turn into a cat." Alice said simply. "I've been one around you all the time!"

"God, are you that damned black cat that keeps showing up at random times when i can't find you?" Fred said, sounding dumb founded.

"Yes." she replied.

"Dammit! Since when?! Why didn't you tell me?" Fred barked. "Oh my god, all you got some damn revelation at every turn!"

"I thought you could tell! You always looked at me while in cat form as if you could recognise me." Alice said.

"Well, i dunno. I had my suspicions, but never really went on to confirm them." Fred said weakly.

"Wait," Fred sad. "I thought you were shite as Transfiguration! How the hell can you be an Animagus then?"

"You do know Matt was my transfiguration tutor before we had any romantic relationship, right?" Alice said, raising a brow at him.

Fred looked surprised. "Wow, you guys actually studied transfiguration?"

"Yes! What did you think we did?" Alice said.

Fred gave her an unimpressed look.

"We do more than that, you twit." Alice said, blushing pink.

They went down another set of marble stairs.

"Obviously." Fred said in tone reminiscent of their father. "When you'd decide to be one then?"

Alice shrugged. "I got bored, and after a few months of trial and error i could do it. Simple."

"Doesn't it take years of practice though?" Fred asked, sounding stunned.

"Fred, i have to self-teach myself trigonometry and physics because this school won't, turning into a cat kinda pales in comparison." Alice retorted.

"Does Rose know? Mum and Dad?" Fred asked.

"Yeah, dad had to take me to get registered back in January." Alice said. "Mum thinks it's funny, she reckons everyone should call me cat-girl."

"She has the right idea, yeah." Fred said.

Fred giggled suddenly. "Does this mean you meow at bad times?"

"Like what?" She asked as they went down another set of stairs, finally reaching the level of the Slytherin dungeons.

"I dunno. Say you and Greenley get too into it and you stare purring..." Fred started.

Alice smacked him on the arm, making him yelp in pain. "Sod off!"

Fred laughed despite his pain, only making her threaten to take a favourite part away from him and offer it to Sam as a gift, which made him shut up awfully quick.

However, a level above, Rose was heading back to the dungeons as well for her own bag, until someone stopped her.

"Rose!" said a voice, and she turned around to sure enough see Zachary walking towards her, an opened letter in his hand.

"Hey, what's up?" she asked.

"Nothing beyond finally getting a break from Healer duties. I just got to talk to someone in the dungeons, though. Can you give them a message if you get the chance?" Zachary asked.

"Well, I'm heading down right now, i'll let you in." Rose said.

She grabbed his free hand, making his blush slightly. "Come on, you can tell them yourselves."

"Oh - okay." Zachary muttered, and Rose walked him along towards the dungeons.

When they reached the dark stoned wall, she said "Antivenom"

The stone wall slid open, and Rose walked through into the green tinged common room, yanking Zachary in with her before the wall slammed shut behind him.

"Alright, who are you looking for?" Rose said as Zachary looked around, looking interested in the complete contrast the Slytherin common room had to the Ravenclaw's airy one in the other tower.

As she said that, a boy no older that Rose's younger siblings walked up to them, a swagger in his steps and his hands in his robe pockets.

"Zachy! How are you, chicken neck? Hopefully not killing anyone with your hypotheses." the boy jeered.

"Hey!" Rose said, looking angry. Who does this kid think he is?

Zachary waved her off. "No, no. It's fine, this little wart is who i was looking for anyway."

"Love you too, big bro." the boy said back in a falsely sweet voice.

Rose gave Zachary a confused look, then at the boy, then back at Zachary.

How the hell could this kid be related to Zachary of all people?

Actually, when Rose got a good look at him, she realised they looked absolutely nothing alike.

While Zachary shared her tall height, was thinly built, with jet-black hair and reasonably muted blue eyes, the boy instead had more fit built, reddish hair, and freckles covering his wickedly grinning face and icy blue eyes. Which frankly, made him look rather more like another Ravenclaw Rose knew...

"Logan," Zachary said, suddenly sounding stern, holding up the open letter. "Mum wants to know why you're failing Charms."

Logan frowned. "It's a dumb class."

"So? You still have to put some effort into it." Zachary said.

"Hey, you're gonna be the Healer here, not me," he snapped. "You sound bossy. Has Eli been giving you lessons on that?"

"Well at least Elijah knows the value of hard work," Zachary retorted. "There's no trust fund coming your way once you're eighteen, you know."

"Zachy, i'll do fine, it's still a few weeks 'til O.W.L.s anyway, i'm sure i'll surprise you." Logan said back snidely.

"Let's hope you do." Zachary said, handing him the letter.

Logan huffed, snatched it from him, and trudged away, looking beyond peeved.

"Since when did you have a brother?" Rose asked when Logan was far enough away.

"It's two with Elijah," Zachary said. "And they're adopted anyway, so no blood between us."

"Oh." Rose said, frowning slightly. "How come i didn't know?"

"Elijah has already graduated Hogwarts by the time we got here, and Logan is an arse, so why burden you with him?" Zachary grimaced.

Rose thought for a second. "Where'd your parents adopt them? That Logan looks kinda familiar..."

Zachary shrugged. "I was a baby when they joined the family, but by what all i know, they're from some "pureblood" family whom most the members were caught in some horrible accident, and only those two, or three, i can't remember, survived. Or at least that's all my mum knows, Elijah is the only one old enough to remember any of it, and he's too distraught from it to divulge anymore beyond the fact since it eats him up inside. Poor guy, he treats me more like a little brother than i think even a real blood sibling would, he must not want to lose any one else by this point."

"That's terrible."Rose said.

"Yeah," Zachary said. "And yet, despite that all Logan does is goof off and get pissy when i have to play mum and tell him to study. How am i supposed to work with that?"

"I know how that feel." Rose muttered to herself, glancing to where the Logan boy ended up, where he was palling around with Fred, who judging by the yanking Alice was doing, they were going to be late to class at that rate.

Oh younger siblings, thou are little bastards.


End file.
